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Researchers at MIT and other institutions have created tiny freeze-dried pellets that include all of the molecular machinery needed to translate DNA into proteins, which could form the basis for on-demand production of drugs and vaccines.

To produce biopharmaceuticals on demand, just add water

Freeze-dried cellular components can be rehydrated to churn out useful proteins.

September 22, 2016

Manoshi Datta, a postdoc in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, pipettes bacterial samples in the lab.

MIT researchers prove fast microbial evolutionary bursts exist

Study reveals closely related microbes can diversify rapidly via horizontal gene transfer.

September 22, 2016

MIT neuroscientists have identified tight connections between dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra (red) and neurons in the striatum (green). These connections, which show up as yellow, may play a role in the brain’s decision-making processes.

Newly discovered neural connections may be linked to emotional decision-making

Researchers suspect cells in this brain circuit could also be targets of Parkinson’s disease.

September 19, 2016

“Design is one of many forces that can contribute to improving society. As a physical piece of most people’s lives, it is very important,” says Brent Ryan, an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

Blueprints for renewal

Professor of urban design and public policy Brent Ryan believes good architecture can help revive cities.

September 19, 2016

Sixteen MIT grad students named Siebel Scholars for 2017

MIT graduate students from bioengineering, business, computer science, and energy fields are honored.

September 15, 2016

MIT research scientist Stephanie Dutkiewicz in her office with a display of her phytoplankton model simulation

Computing the ocean’s true colors

Stephanie Dutkiewicz’ phytoplankton models project the future of the ocean as food source and carbon sink.

September 15, 2016

High-capacity nanoparticle

Particles that carry three or more drugs hold potential for targeted cancer therapy.

September 14, 2016

Stephen Lippard wins 2016 Welch Award

MIT professor of chemistry is honored for advancements in chemical research.

September 13, 2016

PhD student Anasuya Mandal arrived on campus with a clear goal for her research. “I wanted to do something that would impact human health at the end of the day, and to make a product that somebody would have in their hands that they would use,” she says.

Benefiting human health through engineering

PhD student Anasuya Mandal’s microneedle device could painlessly monitor the immune system.

September 12, 2016

In a new study, MIT biologists have deciphered the structure of one type of long noncoding RNA and used that information to figure out how it interacts with a cellular protein to control the development of heart muscle cells.

Linking RNA structure and function

Biologists have discovered how an enigmatic type of RNA helps to control cell fate.

September 8, 2016

“Our understanding of our environment is largely shaped by our memory for what’s currently out of sight,” says Caroline Robertson, a postdoc at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research and a junior fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows. “What we were looking for are hubs in the brain where your memories for the panoramic environment are integrated with your current field of view....

How the brain builds panoramic memory

Neuroscientists identify brain regions key to linking different views of our surroundings.

September 8, 2016

Nancy Lynch, the NEC Professor of Software Science and Engineering, and associate head of MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Nancy Lynch named associate head of Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Expert in distributed computing to join department leadership.

September 7, 2016

QS ranks MIT the world’s top university for 2016-17

Ranked No. 1 for the fifth straight year, the Institute also places first in 12 of 42 disciplines.

September 5, 2016

A new technique invented at MIT can precisely measure the growth of many individual cells simultaneously. “The device provides new insights into how cells grow and respond to drugs,” MIT professor Scott Manalis says.

Microchip enables fast, precise measurement of single-cell growth

Device that measures growth of many individual cells simultaneously could lead to rapid tests for antibiotics.