New therapeutic brain implants could defy the need for surgery
MIT researchers created microscopic wireless electronic devices that travel through blood and implant in target brain regions, where they provide electrical stimulation.
A new way to understand and predict gene splicing
The KATMAP model, developed by researchers in the Department of Biology, can predict alternative cell splicing, which allows cells to create endless diversity from the same sets of genetic blueprints.
Designing better, longer-lasting medicines
Adding amino acids to certain protein-based medications can improve stability and effectiveness. New MIT research demonstrates how it works.
In a surprising discovery, scientists find tiny loops in the genomes of dividing cells
Enabled by a new high-resolution mapping technique, the findings overturn a long-held belief that the genome loses its 3D structure when cells divide.
MIT engineers solve the sticky-cell problem in bioreactors and other industries
Their system uses electrochemically generated bubbles to detach cells from surfaces, which could accelerate the growth of carbon-absorbing algae and lifesaving cell therapies.
Matthew Shoulders named head of the Department of Chemistry
A leading researcher in protein folding biochemistry and next-generation protein engineering techniques will advance chemistry research and education.
Study finds key role for non-neural brain cells in processing vision
MIT researchers employed a novel application of tools and analysis to show that astrocytes ensure neural information processing by maintaining ambient levels of the neurotransmitter chemical GABA.
The first animals on Earth may have been sea sponges, study suggests
MIT researchers traced chemical fossils in ancient rocks to the ancestors of modern-day demosponges.
Inflammation jolts “sleeping” cancer cells awake, enabling them to multiply again
Chemotherapy-induced injury of organ tissue causes inflammation that awakens dormant cancer cells, which may cause new tumors to form.
Study finds cell memory can be more like a dimmer dial than an on/off switch
The findings may redefine how cell identity is established and enable the creation of more sophisticated engineered tissues.
A comprehensive cellular-resolution map of brain activity
An international collaboration of neuroscientists, including MIT Professor Ila Fiete, developed a brain-wide map of decision-making at cellular resolution in mice.
3 Questions: On biology and medicine’s “data revolution”
Professor Caroline Uhler discusses her work at the Schmidt Center, thorny problems in math, and the ongoing quest to understand some of the most complex interactions in biology.
Locally produced proteins help mitochondria function
Researchers developed an approach to study where proteins get made, and characterized proteins produced near mitochondria, gaining potential insights into mitochondrial function and disease.
Imaging tech promises deepest looks yet into living brain tissue at single-cell resolution
By combining several cutting-edge imaging technologies, a new microscope system could enable unprecedentedly deep and precise visualization of metabolic and neuronal activity, potentially even in humans.
Mapping cells in time and space: New tool reveals a detailed history of tumor growth
Researchers developed a tool to recreate cells’ family trees. Comparing cells’ lineages and locations within a tumor provided insights into factors shaping tumor growth.