Giving farmers a more sustainable way to protect crops
Led by Andee Wallace PhD ’20, Robigo uses cutting-edge biotechnology to engineer microbes to fight pests, reducing the need for harmful chemical pesticides.
Gage Coon: An Earth scientist exploring the power of microbes
The PhD student’s research on how microorganisms digest compounds in their environment could enable advances in wastewater treatment.
The importance of indoor airflow patterns in spreading airborne disease
Researchers explore how a key factor can mitigate or promote tuberculosis transmission.
MIT engineers connect bacteria to create living transistors
By wiring together colonies of these bacteria, the researchers built circuits that can perform complicated calculations.
Why some nitrogen-processing enzymes are more efficient than others
New findings could help researchers design synthetic catalysts that convert nitrogen gas to ammonia, a key step in fertilizer production.
How an influx of salt may affect microbial ecosystems
As sea levels rise and saltwater seeps into freshwater, stressed aquatic populations may retain overall growth even as diversity declines, MIT scientists find.
Climate change may produce “fast-food” phytoplankton
With warmer ocean temperatures, the composition of marine plankton could shift from protein-rich to carb-heavy, a new study suggests.
Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic
MIT researchers uncovered the roles of bacterial species from the environment as they consume biodegradable plastic.
Understanding how “marine snow” acts as a carbon sink
A new study finds hitchhiking bacteria dissolve essential ballast in ubiquitous “snow” particles, which could counteract the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon.
Designing a more resilient future for plants, from the cell up
Foray Bioscience, founded by Ashley Beckwith SM ’18, PhD ’22, is engineering single plant cells to create new materials and meet growing demand.
Some early life forms may have breathed oxygen well before it filled the atmosphere
A new study suggests aerobic respiration began hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought.
3 Questions: Using AI to accelerate the discovery and design of therapeutic drugs
Professor James Collins discusses how collaboration has been central to his research into combining computational predictions with new experimental platforms.
A protein found in the GI tract can neutralize many bacteria
The protein, known as intelectin-2, also helps to strengthen the mucus barrier lining the digestive tract.
3 Questions: Using computation to study the world’s best single-celled chemists
Assistant Professor Yunha Hwang utilizes microbial genomes to examine the language of biology. Her appointment reflects MIT’s commitment to exploring the intersection of genetics research and AI.
Darcy McRose and Mehtaab Sawhney ’20, PhD ’24 named 2025 Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering
McRose, an environmental microbiologist, is recognized for researching the ecological roles of antibiotics in shaping ecosystems, agriculture, and health.