Rapid test for Covid-19 shows improved sensitivity
A CRISPR-based test developed at MIT and the Broad Institute can detect nearly as many cases as the standard Covid-19 diagnostic.
Department
Biological Engineering
A new way to make bacteria more sensitive to antibiotics
SMART researchers find exposing bacteria to hydrogen sulfide can increase antimicrobial sensitivity in bacteria that do not produce H2S.
A new tool for modeling the human gut microbiome
Bacteria linked to Crohn’s disease are difficult to grow in the lab, but MIT engineers have found a way.
MindHandHeart announces a record 24 Community Innovation Fund projects
Fund has launched a special summer round to spearhead projects addressing mental health, well-being, and racial justice at MIT.
Rapid antibody development yields possible treatment for yellow fever
The experimental drug has shown promise in early-stage clinical trials conducted in Singapore.
![“The biology [around gut bacteria’s influence on health] is fairly complex, and we’re still in the early days of unravelling it, but there have been a number of clinical studies that have reported benefits to restoring gut health, and that’s our north star: the clinical data,” Finch co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Smith PhD ’14 says.](/sites/default/files/styles/term_page__news_article/public/images/202007/MIT-Finch-01.jpg?itok=-8olXqg-)
Finch Therapeutics unleashes the power of the gut
The company is developing treatments that restore gut bacteria in people struggling with a range of diseases.
Engineering superpowered organisms for a more sustainable world
MIT students explore algal water purifiers, programmable soil bacteria, and other biological engineering approaches to food and water security.
Faculty receive funding to develop artificial intelligence techniques to combat Covid-19
C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute awards $5.4 million to top researchers to steer how society responds to the pandemic.
Engineers use “DNA origami” to identify vaccine design rules
In lab tests, virus-like DNA structures coated with viral proteins provoke a strong immune response in human B cells.
A focused approach to imaging neural activity in the brain
New molecule for imaging calcium in neurons reduces crosstalk from neighboring neurons.
Experimental peptide targets Covid-19
Computational modeling yields a protein fragment that could bind to coronavirus spike proteins and destroy them.
MIT-Takeda program launches
Research projects will harness the power of artificial intelligence to positively impact human health.
Counting your antigens
A new platform that precisely quantifies antigens presented on cell surfaces may help researchers and clinicians improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.
Eleven from MIT awarded 2020 Fulbright Fellowships
Graduating seniors and recent alumni will spend upcoming year abroad on Fulbright grants.
Six from MIT awarded research funding to address Covid-19
Multi-institutional MassCPR initiative announces more than $16.5 million to support 62 Boston-area projects.