Screen could offer better safety tests for new chemicals
Using specialized liver cells, a new test can quickly detect potentially cancer-causing DNA damage.
Monthly birth control pill could replace daily doses
Long-lasting capsule can remain in the stomach and release contraceptive drugs over several weeks.
New pathway for lung cancer treatment
MIT researchers identify pyrimidine biosynthesis as a target for the treatment of small cell lung cancer.
![“The major research directions and technology platforms that [my] lab is known for today came out of this process where the students or I had a crazy idea, and then the lab executed on it, with all the twists and turns along the way,” says Paul Blainey, associate professor of biological engineering.](/sites/default/files/styles/term_page__news_article/public/images/201910/MIT-Blainey.jpg?itok=sTavLw_j)
Biological engineer Paul Blainey creates new tools to advance biomedical research
His technology platforms have benefited genomics, diagnostics, and drug screening.
Computer science in service of medicine
Senior Kristy Carpenter aims to leverage artificial intelligence and other computational tools to develop new, more affordable drugs.
Detecting patients’ pain levels via their brain signals
System could help with diagnosing and treating noncommunicative patients.
Guided by AI, robotic platform automates molecule manufacture
New system could free bench chemists from time-consuming tasks, may help inspire new molecules.
Model predicts cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s, up to two years out
Researchers hope the system can zero in on the right patients to enroll in clinical trials, to speed discovery of drug treatments.
Speeding up drug discovery for brain diseases
Whitehead Institute team finds drugs that activate a key brain gene; initial tests in cells and mice show promise for rare, untreatable neurodevelopmental disorder.
MIT “Russian Doll” tech lands $7.9M international award to fight brain tumors
Researchers from MIT's Koch Institute will work with teams in the UK and Europe to use nanoparticles to carry multiple drug therapies to treat glioblastoma.
Drug makes tumors more susceptible to chemo
Compound that knocks out a DNA repair pathway enhances cisplatin treatment and helps prevent drug-resistance.
Merging cell datasets, panorama style
Algorithm stitches multiple datasets into a single “panorama,” which could provide new insights for medical and biological studies.
New approach could accelerate efforts to catalog vast numbers of cells
Data-sampling method makes “sketches” of unwieldy biological datasets while still capturing the full diversity of cell types.
The fluid that feeds tumor cells
The substance that bathes tumors in the body is quite different from the medium used to grow cancer cells in the lab, biologists report.
Model learns how individual amino acids determine protein function
Technique could improve machine-learning tasks in protein design, drug testing, and other applications.