MIT spinout Ginkgo Bioworks has not only maintained its founding members, but also recently raised $275 million from investors, writes Matthew Herper for Forbes. Herper predicts that excitement surrounding synthetic biology companies will continue because “private money is getting excited about the idea of designing biology.”
Meghna Chakrabarti of WBUR’s Radio Boston speaks to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello ‘01 about the needs and the status of the island, plans to rebuild infrastructure, and how the new tax plan will affect Puerto Rico’s economy. Rossello was in Boston for the MIT Conference on the Resilient Reconstruction of the Caribbean.
Boston Globe reporter David Abel reports on Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló's ’01 visit to MIT for the Conference for the Resilient Construction of the Caribbean. The governor shared his frustration with proposed federal tax policies while expressing optimism about working with MIT on solutions for climate-resilient reconstruction after this fall’s hurricanes.
CBS Boston spotlights how Portal Instruments, an MIT startup, is bringing a needle-free injector to the market, which could change the way people take medicine. The device, “fires a pressurized spray to penetrate the skin, instead of piercing the skin with traditional needles.”
Washington Post reporter Audrey Hoffer writes about Ori, the flexible robotic furniture system developed by MIT researchers. “We want to change the paradigm to living large in a small footprint. People think square footage and functionality are linearly related, but that’s the old paradigm,” says MIT alumnus and founder Hasier Larrea.
In a WBUR segment about how technology is increasingly being used to assist seniors and caregivers, Rachel Zimmerman highlights Rendever, an MIT spinout, and speaks with Prof. Paul Osterman, Prof. Dina Katabi and Dr. Joseph Coughlin about their work. Zimmerman explains that Coughlin believes “a mix of smart devices and other personal services,” will help people age well.
Writing for HuffPost, Laura Emily Dunn highlights the career of MIT alumna Diane Hoskins, one of two Co-CEOs of Gensler. “I’ve learned that the best way to lead is to identify great people and then trust them to do the job. No matter what business you are in, it’s always about the people,” says Hoskins.
WGBH’s Adam Reilly visits MIT spinout Embr Labs, where researchers have developed a wristband that helps the wearer feel warmer or cooler, and could also help reduce energy consumption. "Even if we could help people use their AC unit and their heating just a fraction of a degree less, the benefits for the world could be tremendous,” explains co-founder and MIT graduate David Cohen-Tanugi.
Rana el Kaliouby, co-founder of MIT spinoff Affectiva, speaks to Asma Khalid from WBUR’s Bostonomix about her company’s work making tech devices that are more emotionally intelligent. “We envision a world where our devices and our technologies are emotional-wear,” says el Kaliouby. “They can sense and respond to your emotions in real time in a way that makes the interaction more positive.”
Recent MIT graduate Charlie Andrews-Jubelt completed the Los Angeles finals round of NBC’s reality competition series, “American Ninja Warrior.” He will now advance to the next round of the competition, which will be held in Las Vegas.
In an article for Forbes, Peter Cohen examines why the Cambridge area has become such a hub for startups. Cohen highlights how universities like MIT contribute to a region’s economic activity and to its supply of innovation and talent. He notes that, “by 2014 MIT alumni had created 30,200 companies with $1.9 trillion in revenue.”
Forbes reporter Jim Clash writes that MIT alumnus and retired astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz is developing a plasma engine that could theoretically, “cut time for manned missions to Mars to as little as 39 days versus the eight months it would take using today’s chemical rockets.”
In an article for Forbes, Champaign Williams highlights a new app developed by two MIT graduates that, “connects millennials and college students in search of temporary housing with baby boomers who have excess space and could use the extra cash.”
MIT alumni Noelle Marcus and Rachel Goor have created a housing app that matches graduate students looking for housing with homeowners looking for assistance with household chores, writes Colleen Flaherty for Inside Higher Ed. Marcus explains that the app could help the “aging population in the U.S. stay in their homes.”
Writing for Science, Jeffrey Mervis features NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidates, which included three MIT affiliates. Mervis highlights how at MIT, Prof. Warren Hoburg, one of this year’s candidates, was focused on developing an, “unmanned, solar-powered airplane that could fly nonstop around the world.”