Tiny organisms, huge implications for people
A new book by Thomas Levenson examines how germ theory arose, launched modern medicine, and helped us limit fatal infectious diseases.
Engineered bacteria emit signals that can be spotted from a distance
These bacteria, which could be designed to detect pollution or nutrients, could act as sensors to help farmers monitor their crops.
Drawing inspiration from ancient chemical reactions
By studying cellular enzymes that perform difficult reactions, MIT chemist Dan Suess hopes to find new solutions to global energy challenges.
High-speed videos show what happens when a droplet splashes into a pool
Findings may help predict how rain and irrigation systems launch particles and pathogens from watery surfaces, with implications for industry, agriculture, and public health.
AI system predicts protein fragments that can bind to or inhibit a target
FragFold, developed by MIT Biology researchers, is a computational method with potential for impact on biological research and therapeutic applications.
Seeking climate connections among the oceans’ smallest organisms
MIT oceanographer and biogeochemist Andrew Babbin has voyaged around the globe to investigate marine microbes and their influence on ocean health.
Kingdoms collide as bacteria and cells form captivating connections
Studying the pathogen R. parkeri, researchers discovered the first evidence of extensive and stable interkingdom contacts between a pathogen and a eukaryotic organelle.
A new way to determine whether a species will successfully invade an ecosystem
MIT physicists develop a predictive formula, based on bacterial communities, that may also apply to other types of ecosystems, including the human GI tract.
An abundant phytoplankton feeds a global network of marine microbes
New findings illuminate how Prochlorococcus’ nightly “cross-feeding” plays a role in regulating the ocean’s capacity to cycle and store carbon.
Bacteria in the human gut rarely update their CRISPR defense systems
A new study of the microbiome finds intestinal bacterial interact much less often with viruses that trigger immunity updates than bacteria in the lab.
Killing the messenger
A newly characterized anti-viral defense system in bacteria aborts infection through a novel mechanism by chemically altering mRNA.
MIT engineers find a way to protect microbes from extreme conditions
By helping microbes withstand industrial processing, the method could make it easier to harness the benefits of microorganisms used as medicines and in agriculture.
Advancing technology for aquaculture
MIT Sea Grant students apply machine learning to support local aquaculture hatcheries.
When an antibiotic fails: MIT scientists are using AI to target “sleeper” bacteria
Most antibiotics target metabolically active bacteria, but with artificial intelligence, researchers can efficiently screen compounds that are lethal to dormant microbes.
A protein found in human sweat may protect against Lyme disease
Researchers also found that a variant of the protein is not as protective against the bacteria and increases susceptibility to the disease.