Writing for The Washington Post, Prof. M. Taylor Fravel examines whether the Covid-19 pandemic is providing China an opportunity to improve its position in the South China Sea. Fravel writes that, “China’s actions in the South China Sea reflect continuity, not opportunism.”
MIT startup Ministry of Supply is producing 3-D printed facemasks that come with lab-certified filters, reports Abbey Niezgoda for NECN. Co-founder and alumnus Gihan Amarasiriwardena says that, "We were born out of MIT, so science is on our roots, and we take an engineering approach to any product we create."
Forbes contributor Deborah Quilter highlights how AgeLab researchers have launched a survey, called CareHive, of nonprofessional caregivers to assess what they are experiencing and what they need. Quilter writes that, “because of its deep examination of the hidden details of life, CareHive exposes obstacles that caregivers don’t necessarily think to mention.”
Prof. Eric Alm speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter David Winning about how wastewater could be used to help track the spread of Covid-19. “The flu is pretty tricky to test in wastewater,” says Alm. “For Covid-19, we’re fortunate that it is excreted in large enough amounts.”
Fourth-year student Steven Truong discusses the challenges he has faced during the Covid-19 pandemic and his hopes for the future of scientific research. Truong hopes, "we can take this sense and spirit of collaboration, and go forward and tackle the hardest problems in society and solve the most pressing issues in the world.”
NBC News reporter Celine Bossart spotlights Bright Cellars, a wine delivery service founded by two MIT graduates.
A rapid new diagnostic test built by MIT researchers uses CRISPR to detect Covid-19, reports Joe Palca for NPR. Palca notes that the researchers hope the “simplicity of the test will make it easy to deploy. It also means there could even be a home version someday.”
MIT startup Ministry of Supply (MoS) has fashioned a face mask based off of “informed choices in material, design, and filtration,” reports Lauren Steele for Fast Company. “Because it’s 3D printed, MoS was able to quickly iterate new prototypes in hours and test the shape and texture of different fabrics, meaning the resulting mask is a great fit and very comfortable,” writes Steele.
Boston 25 reporter Drew Karedes spotlights how MIT researchers developed a new test for identifying Covid-19 that could potentially be used at home. “One of our goals is to allow people to figure out if they have the virus in a safe environment, such as their own home,” explains Prof. Feng Zhang.
Boston Globe reporter David Abel writes that researchers from MIT, Biobot Analytics (an MIT startup) and other institutions have found that samples from wastewater treatment plants could provide insights into the spread of Covid-19 in specific areas.
MIT researchers have developed a new Covid-19 diagnostic test using CRISPR that “gives results as simply as a pregnancy test does,” reports Carl Zimmer for The New York Times. “We’re excited that this could be a solution that people won’t have to rely on a sophisticated and expensive laboratory to run,” says Prof. Feng Zhang.
Gizmodo reporter Ryan Mandelbaum writes that MIT researchers have found that single-celled organisms can survive in atmospheres similar to what may be present on many exoplanets. “This should open up—continue to push—astronomers on what kinds of planets might be habitable,” says Prof. Sara Seager.
STAT reporter Sharon Begley writes that MIT researchers have used CRISPR to develop a rapid diagnostic for Covid-19. “It’s inexpensive, does not require a lab, and can return results within an hour using a paper strip, not unlike a pregnancy test,” explains Prof. Feng Zhang. “This helps address the urgent need for widespread, accurate, inexpensive, and accessible Covid-19 testing.”
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the NIH, spotlights a study by MIT researchers that characterizes the cells targeted by Covid-19. The findings, “might ultimately help to explain why some people are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 than others, and how exactly to target the virus with drugs, immunotherapies, and vaccines," writes Collins.
Inside Science reporter Charles Q. Choi writes that a new study by MIT researchers finds that microbes “can survive and grow in 100% hydrogen atmospheres, suggesting life could potentially evolve on a much broader range of alien worlds than is often considered.”