Disease

“Even though there has been a lot of high-resolution, atomic level structural work on amyloids by solid-state NMR, people have really not studied the metal-binding aspects,” says professor Mei Hong.

Chemists reveal amyloid structure

Discovery of how amyloids bind metal ions sheds light on protein function.

May 29, 2017

New research shows that the Zika virus circulated in many regions of the Americas for several months before cases of infection were detected.

Zika virus likely circulated in Americas long before its detection

Analysis of largest collection of Zika genomes to date reveals trajectory and evolution of the virus.

May 24, 2017

MIT Corporation life member and biotech pioneer Henri Termeer dies at 71

Termeer built Genzyme from a startup into a biotech powerhouse, while becoming an innovator in rare-disease drug development.

May 17, 2017

A new study, performed at MIT Medical, shows that most parents were able to successfully perform the Streptococcus (“strep throat”) test on their children.

Home strep test could save time and money

Study at MIT Medical finds most parents are capable of performing the test.

May 10, 2017

MIT researchers created this colon tumor by delivering RNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles to the colon. The RNA can activate or delete specific genes, leading to tumor growth.

New model could speed up colon cancer research

Introducing genetic mutations with CRISPR offers a fast and accurate way to simulate the disease.

May 1, 2017

Hadley Sikes, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is one of an increasing number of MIT faculty members who do what might best be called public engineering — emphasizing the interaction between society and technology.

The creation of a public engineer

Hadley Sikes is bridging the gap between engineering and public policy to solve big social problems at home and abroad.

April 27, 2017

A deconvolved wide-field fluorescence microscope image of human HeLa cancer cells, during late anaphase/early telophase, showing a lagging chromosome. If this fails to get into a daughter cell, it may lead to aneuploidy.

Study helps explain varying outcomes for cancer, Down Syndrome

Differences in chromosome number may underlie variation among genetically identical individuals.

April 6, 2017

A new safety test for foodborne pathogens is based on a novel type of liquid droplet that can bind to bacterial proteins. This interaction, which can be detected by either the naked eye or a smartphone, could offer a much faster and cheaper alternative to existing food safety tests.

New technology could offer cheaper, faster food testing

Specialized droplets interact with bacteria and can be analyzed using a smartphone.

April 5, 2017

Collaborative research by Bradley Pentelute, the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor in Chemistry, and scientists at UCLA and Harvard Medical School, used cryo-electron microscopy to understand the mechanisms behind anthrax bacteria toxin delivery system (shown here).

MIT receives $7.5 million to enhance structural biology research

Beckman Foundation grant helps secure cryo-electron microscopy at MIT.nano facility.

April 4, 2017

In a study of 365,000 NIH grants — nearly every NIH grant awarded for 27 years — researchers found that 31 percent produce articles that are later cited by patents in the biomedical sector.

Study: NIH funding generates large numbers of private-sector patents

New research shows large spillover from the lab to commercial activity.

March 30, 2017

MIT researchers have devised a new vaccine candidate for the Zika virus. “It functions almost like a synthetic virus, except it’s not pathogenic and it doesn’t spread,” says postdoc Omar Khan.

Progress toward a Zika vaccine

Researchers program RNA nanoparticles that could protect against the virus.

March 29, 2017

Research scientist Bogdan Fedeles and postdoc Supawadee Chawanthayatham have discovered a mutational signature that reveals liver cell exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen.

Detecting mutations could lead to earlier liver cancer diagnosis

New technique can reveal exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, before tumors develop.

March 27, 2017

A new paper from an MIT-led team demonstrates that Alaska can offer a significant foothold for Asian flu viruses, enabling them to enter North America.

Tracking the spread of bird flu

Asian flu strains can enter North America through Alaska, study finds.

March 17, 2017

A raindrop, splashing on a porous surface, can release thousands of aerosols, as captured here in high-speed imaging experiments.

A light rain can spread soil bacteria far and wide, study finds

Global precipitation may account for 1 to 25 percent of bacteria emitted from land.

March 7, 2017

After feeding C. elegans worms an equal mix of bacteria that express either red or green fluorescent protein, MIT researchers found that the microbial populations in the worms’ digestive tracts tend to become dominated by one or the other.

Microbiome diversity is influenced by chance encounters

Study finds a role for randomness in the composition of the gut’s microbe populations.

March 3, 2017

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