Leg nerves activated by light offer new path to restoring mobility
New optogenetic technique could help restore limb movement, treat muscle tremor.
On the right path to fusion energy
National Academies study recommends a pilot fusion energy program that aligns with MIT's fusion approach and SPARC project.
How different types of knowledge impact the growth of new firms
Study explores the micromechanisms underlying regional economic diversification.
Modeling climate risk where it hits home
A new MIT-led study projects a dramatic increase in annual high-heat days in the U.S. Northeast by the century’s end.
Gut-brain connection signals worms to alter behavior while eating
Study may lead to a better understanding of the digestive tract’s nervous system.
New threat to ozone recovery
Study finds chloroform emissions, on the rise in East Asia, could delay ozone recovery by up to eight years.
Improving crop yields while conserving resources
PhD student Julia Sokol is helping develop drip irrigation technologies that allow farmers to save water and energy.
Saving heat until you need it
A new concept for thermal energy storage involves a material that absorbs heat as it melts and releases it as it resolidifies — but only when triggered by light.
Real-time readouts of thinking in rats
New open-source system provides fast, accurate neural decoding and real-time readouts of where rats think they are.
System monitors radiation damage to materials in real-time
Facility could rapidly provide data on how material properties change in a nuclear reactor.
Engineering "capture compounds" to probe cell growth
Researchers develop a method to investigate how bacteria respond to starvation and to identify which proteins bind to the “magic spot” — ppGpp.
Cracking a tough case
Whitehead Institute and MIT researchers uncover the detailed molecular structure of the sporopollenin polymer, an inert material key for the emergence of land plants.
Mapping the brain, cell by cell
Technique for preserving tissue allows researchers to create maps of neural circuits with single-cell resolution.
Surviving one of Earth’s most extreme environments
New research finds a unique component of cell membranes in an archaea species conveys protection against acidic surroundings.
Tracking the footprints of protein synthesis
Researchers refine a method to quantify protein production, show that the precision with which bacteria and eukaryotes tune their gene expression is remarkably similar.