Three anesthesia drugs all have the same effect in the brain, MIT researchers find
Discovering this common mechanism could lead to a universal anesthesia-delivery system to monitor patients more effectively.
Scientists discover genetics behind leaky brain blood vessels in Rett syndrome
By showing the problem derives from genetic mutations that lead to overexpression of a microRNA, MIT researchers’ study points to potential treatment.
How the brain handles the “cocktail party problem”
Using a computational model, neuroscientists showed how the brain can selectively focus attention on one voice among others in a noisy environment.
3 Questions: Fortifying our planetary defenses
MIT astronomers are developing a new way to detect, monitor, and mitigate the threats posed by smaller asteroids to our critical space infrastructure.
3 Questions: On the future of AI and the mathematical and physical sciences
Professor Jesse Thaler describes a vision for a two-way bridge between artificial intelligence and the mathematical and physical sciences — one that promises to advance both.
Finding a nanoscale solution to safer spaceflight
Using boron nitride nanotubes, mechanical engineering doctoral student Palak Patel develops materials for space that block dangerous ionizing radiation.
3 Questions: Building predictive models to characterize tumor progression
Assistant Professor Matthew Jones is working to decode molecular processes on the genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironment levels to anticipate how and when tumors evolve to resist treatment.
How Joseph Paradiso’s sensing innovations bridge the arts, medicine, and ecology
From early motion-sensing platforms to environmental monitoring, the professor and head of the Program in Media Arts and Sciences has turned decades of cross-disciplinary research into real-world impact.
Understanding how “marine snow” acts as a carbon sink
A new study finds hitchhiking bacteria dissolve essential ballast in ubiquitous “snow” particles, which could counteract the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon.
Neurons receive precisely tailored teaching signals as we learn
New work suggests the brain can deliver neuron-specific feedback during learning — resembling the error signals that drive machine learning.
Studying the genetic basis of disease to explore fundamental biological questions
Eliezer Calo’s studies of craniofacial malformations have yielded insight into protein synthesis and embryonic development.
X-raying rocks reveals their carbon-storing capacity
New research by MIT geophysicists could assist efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it underground.
New insights into a hidden process that protects cells from harmful mutations
Research reveals how cells may activate a compensation system that can reduce the effects of harmful genetic mutations. This could inform gene therapy development.
New catalog more than doubles the number of gravitational-wave detections made by LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA observatories
The latest crop of space-time wobbles includes a variety of heavy, fast-spinning, and lopsided colliding black holes.
W.M. Keck Foundation to support research on healthy aging at MIT
Assistant Professor Alison Ringel will investigate the intersection of immunology and aging biology, aiming to define mechanisms that underlie aging-related decline, thanks to a grant from the foundation.