Company founded by MIT alumnus lets anyone run DNA experiments
MiniPCR bio has sold thousands of its inexpensive polymerase chain reaction machines to researchers and schools around the world.
Department
Biology
Jacqueline Lees and Rebecca Saxe named associate deans of science
Professors will help guide school-level initiatives and strategy.
New drug combo shows early potential for treating pancreatic cancer
Researchers find three immunotherapy drugs given together can eliminate pancreatic tumors in mice.
Mapping the cellular circuits behind spitting
Roundworms change the flow of material in and out of their mouths in response to bright light, revealing a new way for neurons to control muscle cells.
The power of two
Graduate student Ellen Zhong helped biologists and mathematicians reach across departmental lines to address a longstanding problem in electron microscopy.
Engineered yeast could expand biofuels’ reach
By making the microbes more tolerant to toxic byproducts, researchers show they can use a wider range of feedstocks, beyond corn.
Uncovering the mysteries of milk
PhD student Sarah Nyquist applies computational methods to understudied areas of reproductive health, such as the cellular composition of breast milk.
Queen of hearts
Professor Laurie Boyer studies cardiac development, and how we might be able to mend broken hearts.
STEM + humanities = a framework for understanding the world
Natasha Joglekar ’21 is eager to apply her MIT education, with a major in computer science and biology and a minor in women’s and gender studies, to a career in medical research.
MIT J-WAFS awards eight grants in seventh round of seed funding
Ten principal investigators from seven MIT departments and labs will receive up to $150,000 for two years, overhead-free, for innovative research on global food and water challenges.
2021 MITx Prize winners build community on campus and across the globe
MIT instructors honored for creating multidimensional, multidisciplinary online courses that help learners everywhere address real-world problems.
Thirteen from MIT awarded 2021 Fulbright Fellowships
Grants will support their research, graduate study, and teaching abroad in 2021-22.
Lessons from teaching about the pandemic in real-time
Covid-19 class taps experts to help students and the public avoid misinformation as the crisis evolves.
Biologists discover a trigger for cell extrusion
Study suggests this process for eliminating unneeded cells may also protect against cancer.
3 Questions: Sheena Vasquez and Mandana Sassanfar on building an outreach initiative from scratch
Graduate student and outreach director discuss efforts by the Department of Biology’s faculty, students, and staff to engage local community college students in scientific research.