Biological engineers discover new antibiotic candidates
Screen of human proteins reveals some with antimicrobial power.
Scene at MIT: PhD baby and her amazing mama
A new daughter helped Alejandra Falla PhD ’18 gain perspective on life — and her tiny MIT regalia stole the show at Commencement.
A single-injection vaccine for the polio virus
Nanoparticles could offer a new way to help eradicate the disease worldwide.
Jeff Gore: A physicist exploring population dynamics of microbes
MIT professor sees many “big, deep questions in biology” that benefit from study by both physicists and life scientists.
Artificial antimicrobial peptides could help overcome drug-resistant bacteria
With aid of computer algorithm, researchers develop peptides more powerful than those found in nature.
With The Herman Project, home bakers become citizen scientists
Network tracks the evolution of microbial communities in sourdough starter mixtures shared around the world.
Understanding microbial competition for nitrogen
Interactions among microorganisms account for nitrite accumulation just below the sunlit zone, with implications for oceanic carbon and nitrogen cycling.
Determining the timing of methanogen evolution
Scientists conclude methane-producing microbes date back 3.5 billion years, supporting the hypothesis that they could have contributed to early global warming.
Scientists find different cell types contain the same enzyme ratios
New discovery suggests that all life may share a common design principle.
Timothy Lu seeks to combat disease by reprogramming biological systems
Synthetic biologist hopes to develop treatments for cancer and other diseases.
A microbial approach to agriculture
A new special subject, Agricultural Microbial Ecology, takes students to Israel.
New type of virus found in the ocean
The unusual characteristics of these abundant, bacteria-killing viruses could lead to evolutionary insights.
Microbial communities demonstrate high turnover
New research provides insight into the behavior of microbial communities in the ocean.
Celebrating a decade of interdisciplinary microbiology
The Microbiology Graduate PhD Program spans 50 labs across 10 departments and divisions, offering a broad approach to microbial science and engineering.
Boosting the antibiotic arsenal
New strategy could enable existing drugs to kill bacteria that cause chronic infections.