The environmental toll of disposable masks
A new study calculates the waste generated by N95 usage and suggests possible ways to reduce it.
Microscopy technique makes finer images of deeper tissue, more quickly
Researchers could rapidly obtain high-resolution images of blood vessels and neurons within the brain.
Some brain disorders exhibit similar circuit malfunctions
Study suggests a common mechanism underlies some behavioral traits seen in autism and schizophrenia.
Engineered yeast could expand biofuels’ reach
By making the microbes more tolerant to toxic byproducts, researchers show they can use a wider range of feedstocks, beyond corn.
Lessons from teaching about the pandemic in real-time
Covid-19 class taps experts to help students and the public avoid misinformation as the crisis evolves.
A comprehensive map of the SARS-CoV-2 genome
MIT researchers have determined the virus’ protein-coding gene set and analyzed new mutations’ likelihood of helping the virus adapt.
Biologists discover a trigger for cell extrusion
Study suggests this process for eliminating unneeded cells may also protect against cancer.
Cancer cells soften as they metastasize, study suggests
Developing drugs that prevent this softening might impede tumors’ ability to spread.
A safer way to deploy bacteria as environmental sensors
Encapsulating modified bacteria in tough hydrogel spheres prevents them from spreading genes to other microbes.
Mice naturally engage in physical distancing, study finds
MIT neuroscientists have identified a brain circuit that stops mice from mating with others that appear to be sick.
Synthetic mucus can mimic the real thing
An MIT team has created polymers that replicate the structure of mucins, the molecules that give mucus its unique antimicrobial properties.
Method offers inexpensive imaging at the scale of virus particles
Using an ordinary light microscope, researchers can now obtain images with unprecedented accuracy.
Study: One enzyme dictates cells’ response to a probable carcinogen
Varying levels of a DNA repair enzyme can lead to very different outcomes after exposure to NDMA.
Study reveals how egg cells get so big
Oocyte growth relies on physical phenomena that drive smaller cells to dump their contents into a larger cell.
Study offers an explanation for why the APOE4 gene enhances Alzheimer’s risk
The gene variant disrupts lipid metabolism, but in cell experiments the effects were reversed by choline supplements.