Meet the under-35s shaping the future of biotech
| Source: MIT Technology Review AI
Tags: MIT Technology Review, gene editing, biotech, cellular reprogramming, brain electrodes, CRISPR, 35 Innovators Under 35
MIT Technology Review's 2026 class of 35 Innovators Under 35 highlights five biotech researchers working on postpartum hemorrhage treatment, kirigami-inspired brain electrodes, personalized gene editing for rare pediatric disorders, and cellular age reversal for eye disease — with minimal explicit AI involvement in these projects.
Details
MIT Technology Review's annual 35 Innovators Under 35 list for 2026 features nine biotech researchers. The article profiles five: Paschal Kija (28), who developed a $70 postpartum hemorrhage treatment called Mkanda Salama ("Safe Wrap") that stopped bleeding in 73% of cases within 20 minutes in Tanzania; Xiao Yang (34), creating ultra-small flexible brain electrodes inspired by kirigami to reduce tissue damage during implantation; Sarah Grandinette (26), who helped develop a personalized gene-editing therapy for baby KJ, a child born with a rare fatal genetic disorder who has since been discharged from hospital; and Yuancheng Lu (34), whose 2020 research demonstrated vision restoration in aged blind mice via cellular reprogramming, now entering human trials for eye disease through Life Biosciences. The featured innovations sit at the intersection of biotech, materials science, and genetic medicine. The source article does not highlight AI as a primary tool in any of these specific projects — it reads as a general biotech profile piece, not an AI-focused story. While CRISPR-based gene editing and cellular reprogramming are areas where AI is increasingly applied, the article does not make this connection explicit. It appears in MIT Technology Review's AI feed but the content is primarily biomedical. Included here for coverage of the publication, not for direct AI signal.