During this episode of NOVA Wonders, Professors Kristala Jones Prather and Kevin Esvelt discuss the future of genetic engineering. Speaking about the evolution of the biotech industry, Prather explains that, "the key observation that really fueled the entire biotech industry was recognizing that D.N.A. is really just a chemical, and the structure is what matters.”
Speaking to Bloomberg’s Emily Chang and Selina Wang, Lecturer Luis Perez-Breva suggests that fear of AI stems from confusing it with automation. Perez-Breva explains that in his view, “we need to make better businesses that actually use this technology and AI to take advantage of the automation and create new jobs.”
Boston Herald reporter Lindsay Kalter writes that a team of MIT researchers has developed a new technique that can deliver medication to specific regions of the brain with extreme precision. “The whole idea here is that instead of treating the entire brain, you can treat small portions of the brain,” explains Prof. Michael Cima.
AP reporter Lauran Neergaard writes that MIT researchers have developed a hair-thin implant that can deliver medications to specific regions of the brain. Neergaard writes that the device, “could mark a new approach to treating brain diseases — potentially reducing side effects by targeting only the hard-to-reach circuits that need care.”
Tony Lee of Mashable spotlights the technique developed by MIT researchers that allows plants to glow when inserted with nanoparticles containing luciferase, an enzyme known to make fireflies glow.
MIT researchers have developed a new capsule that allows HIV medication to be delivered over the course of a week, and could allow patients to forgo daily pills, reports Ed Cara for Gizmodo. Researchers also found that using this method for the pre-exposure pill, “would manifest in approximately a 20 per cent increase in efficacy” for weekly dosage compared to the daily regimen.
HuffPost reporter Sophie Gallagher writes that MIT researchers have developed a new capsule that would allow patients to take a week’s worth of HIV medications in one dose. The researchers believe that, “the innovation could improve the efficacy of HIV preventative treatment by approximately 20%.”
MIT researchers have developed a new slow-release capsule that could free HIV patients from having to take a daily dose of medication, according to the BBC. “Changing a medication so it only needs to be taken once a week rather than once a day should be more convenient and improve compliance,” explains research affiliate Giovanni Traverso.
UPI reporter Alan Mozes writes that MIT researchers have developed a new capsule that could be used to deliver a week’s worth of HIV medications in a single dose. “The new pill sits in the stomach for a full week, as each of seven pill compartments opens up, one-by-one, to deliver a 24-hour dose of three HAART drugs,” Mozes explains.
A new study by MIT researchers found that the Clean Air Act has had a larger impact on reducing the mortality rate than originally thought, reports Alan Moses for U.S. News & World Report. The researchers found that, “the decline in organic aerosol may account for more lives saved than the EPA had estimated.”
Researchers at MIT have developed a process that can produce strong ultrafine nanofibers that can potentially be used in armor, reports Xinhua. The newly developed fibers “combine the desirable qualities of strength, stiffness and toughness in ways that outperform glass fibers or steel wire,” the article explains.
Prof. Michael Strano spoke with CNN’s Nicola Davison about his recent work making plants glow. "We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the devices that we encounter every day. The things that we make out of plastic and circuit boards -- can we replace those with a living plant?" said Strano.
In this video, Reuters reporter Elly Park spotlights a new technique developed by MIT researchers to purify contaminated water. Park explains that the, “highly-selective process can even capture micropollutants, things that can exist in small, but potentially dangerous amounts in water.”
Boston Globe reporter Alex Kingsbury highlights how MIT researchers have developed a new technique that allows plants to glow in the dark. Kingsbury writes that, “In subsequent tests with watercress, arugula, kale, and spinach, the plants glowed for 3.5 hours. Researchers also figured out a way to turn off the glow during daylight hours.”
Boston 25 News reports that MIT researchers have developed a new technique that allows plants to glow in the dark and could potentially be used in the future to transform them into sources of electricity. The researchers demonstrated the technique on several different types of plants, including kale, arugula, spinach, and watercress.