McGovern Institute

When zebra finches first begin to sing, they produce only nonsense syllables similar to the babble of human babies. Now researchers at MIT have uncovered the brain activity that supports the birds’ song-learning process.

Singing in the brain

Neuroscientists identify neural patterns birds use to learn their songs.

November 30, 2015

(Left to right) Edward Boyden, Larry Guth, and Liang Fu

Edward Boyden wins 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

MIT physicists share prize in fundamental physics; Larry Guth and Liang Fu win New Horizons Prizes.

November 9, 2015

Shown here is a ferritin protein complex. MIT researchers are using protein engineering the boost the magnetic characteristics of the protein to track cells.

Engineers design magnetic cell sensors

New protein nanoparticles allow scientists to track cells and interactions within them.

November 2, 2015

To locate objects, brain relies on memory

Neuroscientists identify brain region that holds objects in memory until they are spotted.

October 29, 2015

How the brain keeps time

Study reveals neuron-firing patterns that underlie time measurement.

October 8, 2015

Researchers have found that neuron firing patterns in the inferior temporal (IT) cortex, highlighted here, correlate strongly with success in object-recognition tasks.

How the brain recognizes objects

Neuroscientists find evidence that the brain’s inferotemporal cortex can identify objects.

October 5, 2015

Flickr users tagged a photograph similar to this one
“architecture," “tourism," and "travel.” A machine-learning system that
used a novel training strategy developed at MIT proposed “sky," “roof,”
and “building”; when it used a conventional training strategy, it came up
with “art," “sky,” and "beach.”

More-flexible machine learning

Giving machine-learning systems “partial credit” during training improves image classification.

October 1, 2015

CRISPR systems are found in many different bacterial species, and have evolved to protect host cells against infection by viruses.

New system for human genome editing has potential to increase power and precision of DNA engineering

CRISPR-Cpf1 offers simpler approach to editing DNA; technology could disrupt scientific and commercial landscape.

September 25, 2015

This illustration shows a brain with the amygdala highlighted in the center. In the background are models of the serotonin molecule.

Possible new weapon against PTSD

Blocking a newly identified memory pathway could prevent the disorder.

August 31, 2015

Young brains can take on new functions

Visual cortex of blind children can be remodeled to process language.

August 27, 2015

Wired for habit

Researchers discover neurons in the brain that weigh costs and benefits to drive formation of habits.

August 19, 2015

By analyzing brain regions, researchers can predict clinical responses to cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with social anxiety.

Toward smarter selection of therapy for psychiatric disorders

Researchers find that brain scans can predict the success of treatment for social anxiety disorder.

August 11, 2015

Spit take

A newly discovered feeding behavior in worms could shed light on human heart function.

July 23, 2015

MRIs for a more peaceful world

Neuroscientists and political scientists join together to advance peace and reconciliation.

July 9, 2015

This image illustrates nerve fibers that originate in a part of the prefrontal cortex associated with emotion. The green shows the termination of fibers from a part of the prefrontal cortex in the striatum; the red depicts striosomes; and the yellow shows their overlap. The researchers found that the striatum — particularly the striosomes — may act as a gatekeeper that processes sensory and em...

How we make emotional decisions

Neuroscientists identify a brain circuit that controls decisions that induce high anxiety.

May 28, 2015

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