Fox News reporter Kayla Rivas features Prof. Richard Larson’s work developing a new algorithm that could be used to help more accurately pinpoint sources of Covid-19 infections in sewer systems. The algorithm could be used to help “toggle between normal testing to an emergency schedule to locate asymptomatic cases fast before they infect others.”
Boston Globe reporter Corrie Pikul spotlights Prof. Li-Huei Tsai’s work finding that exposure to a specific pattern of rhythmic lights and sound bursts could potentially serve as a non-invasive treatment for Alzheimer’s. “These are really surprising findings,” says Tsai. “We are seeing multiple different cellular responses that are consistent with increased brain health.”
Forbes contributor Monica Haider writes about Droplette, a startup founded by MIT alumnae Madhavi Gavini and Rathi Srinivas. Droplette has developed an “innovative device [that] delivers over the counter skincare actives such as vitamin C, retinol, collagen and peptides by penetrating the skin with a fast-moving mist.”
TechCrunch reporter Danny Crichton spotlights r2C, a startup founded by three MIT alums that is aimed at analyzing and improving lines of code. “With r2c’s technology, developers can scan their codebases on-demand or enforce a regular code check through their continuous integration platform,” writes Crichton.
Forbes contributor Adi Gaskell writes that CSAIL researchers have developed a machine learning system that can determine whether a task is best performed by a human or AI. The researchers developed the system to be “capable of learning and adapting as it goes, such that it can identify,” Gaskell explains, “when the expert isn't available or whether they have a certain level of experience, before choosing whether to defer to them.”
BuzzFeed reporter Arianna Rebolini spotlights Prof. Sherry Turkle’s book, “”Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other.” Rebolini writes that in her book, Turkle “argues that the increasing integration of the internet into our daily lives has led to a growing sense of isolation — that the connections we make on social media don’t function as authentic communication.”
Biobot Analytics, an MIT startup, is testing sewage in regions across the U.S. as part of an effort to detect where the coronavirus is circulating “even before people start showing up at hospitals and clinics and before they start lining up for Covid-19 tests,” writes Maggie fox for CNN.
STAT reporter Kate Sheridan spotlights the work of Kartik Ramamoorthi PhD ’14 and his gene therapy company Encoded. Sheridan explains that Encoded’s first gene therapy will “target Dravet syndrome — a rare condition that can cause seizures, cognitive deficits, and mobility problems.”
MIT researchers have developed a heated, reusable mask that could help filter out viruses such as Covid-19, reports Kayla Rivas for Fox News. “The contraption is said to slow particles down and inactivate viruses in mere seconds by the mesh and temperatures reaching 90°C, or 194°F,” writes Rivas.
MIT researchers have unveiled a new autonomous modular boat, called the Roboat II, which that uses lidar, GPS and other sensors to navigate its surroundings, reports Kyro Mitchell for Popular Mechanics. The Roboat II “can attach itself to other Roboat II’s to form one large vessel, which is then controlled by a main ‘leader’ boat.”
Katie Rae, CEO and managing partner of The Engine, speaks with Forbes reporter David Jeans about the second round of funding raised by The Engine and how the venture is looking to help support tough tech ideas. “These are things with often longer [investment] timeframes,” Rae says. “They’ve almost always been backed by government-led research, and now they are ready to translate into companies.”
TechCrunch reporter Danny Crichton writes that The Engine has announced a second round of funding aimed at supporting tough tech startups. Crichton notes that, “with this latest news from The Engine, it seems clear that Boston’s tough tech ecosystem will continue to have a pipeline of interesting and compelling companies.”
Cometeer, an MIT startup, offers a new way to deliver and consume craft coffee at home, reports Elizabeth Segran for Fast Company. The coffee arrives in the form of frozen pucks to help "retain all the complex flavors of the bean, as if a coffee expert had brewed it for you.”
In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Scott Sheffield argues that “circuit breakers” – strict closures for limited periods of time - could be used to help reduce Covid-19 infections. Sheffield and his co-authors explain that circuit breakers could “interrupt viral spread and bring case counts down without the long-lasting social and economic pain of extended lockdowns.”
Researchers from MIT Lincoln Laboratory have developed a new quantum chip with integrated photonics, a “vital step to advance the evolution of trapped-ion quantum computers and quantum sensors,” reports Paul Smith-Goodson for Forbes.