New CRISPR tool opens up more of the genome for editing
Enzyme can target almost half of the genome’s “ZIP codes” and could enable editing of many more disease-specific mutations.
How should autonomous vehicles be programmed?
Massive global survey reveals ethics preferences and regional differences.
Prior Art Archive aims to improve patent process
New MIT-hosted database is open to both examiners and the wider public, and seeks to reduce the number of wrongly-issued patents.
Taming “information hazards” in synthetic biology research
Cryptography techniques to screen synthetic DNA could help prevent the creation of dangerous pathogens, argues Professor Kevin Esvelt.
MIT and HUBweek showcase ideas and innovators making the future
Institute throws open its doors for the Greater Boston area’s fourth annual celebration of innovation.
MIT Press, Media Lab launch Knowledge Futures Group
First-of-its kind collaboration will leverage the web’s power to create open, community-sourced access to knowledge.
![“If you have a problem, and you look into the problem in nature and see how animals or plants deal with these kinds of problems and extract those design principles, you can try to replicate [them] using engineering approaches,” saysZijay Tang, a PhD candidate in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering.](/sites/default/files/styles/term_page__news_article/public/images/201809/MIT-Tang-01.jpg?itok=cCVJRVTZ)
Inspired by nature, reaching across disciplines
PhD student Zijay Tang is developing a living material that can sense and filter water contaminants.
John de Monchaux, former dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, dies at 81
Architect and planner remembered as a man who brought people together through a combination of wisdom, optimism, and charm.
Scientists alter membrane proteins to make them easier to study
By making hydrophobic sections water-soluble, researchers hope to learn more about protein structures.
Wireless communication breaks through water-air barrier
In a novel system developed by MIT researchers, underwater sonar signals cause vibrations that can be decoded by an airborne receiver.
Novel optics for ultrafast cameras create new possibilities for imaging
Technique can capture a scene at multiple depths with one shutter click — no zoom lens needed.
Artificial intelligence model “learns” from patient data to make cancer treatment less toxic
Machine-learning system determines the fewest, smallest doses that could still shrink brain tumors.
Music as a gateway to shared humanity
Iconic composer A. R. Rahman visits MIT campus to learn more about new technologies.
Helping computers perceive human emotions
Personalized machine-learning models capture subtle variations in facial expressions to better gauge how we feel.
Reveling in a complex, unknowable future
MIT Media Lab and MIT Press announce winners of the Journal of Design and Science essay competition.