Prof. Benedetto Marelli and his colleagues have created “packaging that can react to changes in the food it contains to better indicate when it has gone bad,” reports Karmela Padavic-Callaghan for New Scientist. The biodegradable plastic-like wrap, which is made from silk, changes color when it is exposed to rotting foods and degrades quickly in soil.
A number of MIT startups including Scale AI and Alto Pharmacy have named to CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list, “which highlights private companies that are chasing some of the market’s biggest opportunities and growing despite a tough capital markets environment and slowing economy.” CNBC explains that: “Many of the Disruptor 50 companies have a social or environmental purpose that is core to their business model, including climate change, sustainable development, health care, financial inequities, and an inefficient global supply chain.”
Boston Globe reporter Robert Weisman spotlights Integrated Biosciences, a startup co-founded by MIT researchers that is using artificial intelligence to identify anti-aging drug candidates. “We’re trying to go after aging and aging-associated disorders,” says postdoc Felix Wong. “We all know loved ones who have suffered from some of these conditions.”
Augmental, an MIT spinoff, has developed MouthPad, an assistive device that provides wearers the ability to control Bluetooth-connected devices using their tongue, reports Haje Jan Kamps for TechCrunch. “The wide variety of control options embedded into the MouthPad means that it can be used in conjunction with many different devices,” writes Kamps.
Research from MIT and elsewhere have developed a mobile app that uses computer-vision techniques and AI to detect post-surgery signs of infection as part of an effort to help community workers in Kirehe, a district in Rwanda’s Eastern province, reports Shefali Malhotra for Science. “The researchers are now improving the app so it can be used across more diverse populations such as in Ghana and parts of South America,” writes Malhotra.
Hala Hanna, executive director of Solve, writes for The Boston Globe about how to empower young people to address and solve today’s problems. “Engaging young people is not just a moral imperative, it is also a strategic one,” writes Hanna. “By investing in our youth and promoting civic engagement, we can help shape a generation of passionate, informed, and engaged citizens ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow and make a lasting impact on the world around them.”
Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company founded by Jason Kelly BS ’03, PhD ’08, Reshma Shetty PhD ‘08, Barry Canton PhD ’08, Austin Che PhD ’08 and Professor Tom Knight, is working to develop synthetic fragrances, reports Scott Kirsner for The Boston Globe.
Augmental, a startup co-founded by MIT graduates, has developed a Bluetooth mouthpiece that makes it easier for individuals with mobility issues to use computers, reports WHDH. “People with severe hand impairment are isolated in this world and it’s just not fair,” says co-founder Tomás Vega SM ‘19. “So, our interface seeks to help those people and enable them to access and to share with the world.”
Prof. Zeynep Ton established the “Good Jobs Institute” to improve the quality of frontline jobs, reports Adrian Wooldridge for Bloomberg.
Venti Technologies, a startup co-founded by MIT professors and alumni that builds autonomous vehicles for industrial and logistics centers, has raised $29 million in Series A funding. The company’s “target customer comes from the wide range of supply chain businesses that operate across warehouses, ports and other shipping and logistics environments where vehicles — currently driven by humans — are central to operations,” writes Ingrid Lunden for TechCrunch.
Prof. John Hart, co-founder of VulcanForms, speaks with Rana Foroohar at the Financial Times about the digital manufacturing company, which uses 3D printing with metals to create parts. “Everything we see around us, with the exception of ourselves and the food we grow, is manufactured,” says Hart. “Now, post-pandemic, several forces are aligning to reshape how we make things. We understand the need for agile supply chains. We realize how important production is for our economic and national security. And third, we need to decarbonize, which will require the growth of new manufacturing systems at scale.”
Alum Sophie Bai, founded B.A.I Biosciences and through her research has created Pavise, a skincare line focusing on sun care and aging, reports Celia Shatzman for Forbes. “I believe skincare starts with sun care, because 90% of skin problems are caused by UVA,” says Bai.
Prof. Li-Huei Tsai and Prof. Ed Boyden co-founded Cognito Therapeutics after their research found that gamma waves could help clear amyloid plaques, which are known to appear in Alzheimer’s patients, reports Ryan Cross for The Boston Globe. “It was the most surprising result I’ve ever got in my life,” says Tsai. “When we published our first paper, most people said, ‘I don’t believe it. This is too good to be true. How can something this simple have this kind of effect?’”
Kirin Sinha ‘14 founded Illumix, a technology company that combines 2D models to interactive 3D models to provide immersive AR experiences, reports Rebecca Suhrawardi for Forbes. “Illumix is enabling high-quality and real-time virtual try-on which has implications for the fashion industry ranging from higher conversion rates, fewer returns, and more environmentally-friendly,” says Sinha.
Pickle Robot, an MIT startup, has developed a container unloading robot, reports Brian Heater for TechCrunch. “Pickle has been single-mindedly focused on the specific problem since its inception, actually beginning life attempting to tackle the even more complex task of loading containers,” explains Heater.