The importance of indoor airflow patterns in spreading airborne disease
Researchers explore how a key factor can mitigate or promote tuberculosis transmission.
How the Toxoplasma parasite adapts to crowded conditions in host cells
A new study by Whitehead Institute researchers identifies how the widespread parasite Toxoplasma gondii survives in crowded environments in infected cells, which helps it persist in long-lasting brain cysts.
Drug that targets an inflammatory enzyme could help prevent lung cancer
A new study by MIT researchers shows that inhibiting caspase-1 can reduce the risk of tumor growth.
Cells pulse together as they grow — and malignant cells pulse the longest
MIT researchers discovered a cellular dance that may offer clues to the development of cancer, asthma, and other diseases.
Scientists unveil more than 600 new tissue models of human cancer
Derived from patient tumor samples and available to researchers around the world, the cells will aid the development of new cancer treatments.
Connecting research to policy on Capitol Hill
MIT students and postdocs discussed science funding and research with policymakers in Washington during the MIT Science Policy Initiative’s annual Congressional Visit Days.
Ketogenic diets may increase cancer risk in the small intestine
MIT researchers have found that a ketogenic high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet fuels the growth of intestinal tumors.
MIT engineers whip up a more breathable hydrogel
The new aerated material could enable longer-lasting bandages, implants, and wearable sensors.
The brain’s internal ruler
A simple brain circuit measures objects’ distance from the body using touch signals from a rodent’s whiskers, MIT scientists find.
The rules neurons follow to make sense of what we see
Brain cells take in many signals through thousands of circuit connections. A new study discerns the rules that turn inputs into a functional arrangement for neurons that process vision.
A new approach to cancer vaccination yields more powerful T cells
Using immune-remodeling mRNA molecules, researchers generated T cells that can slow tumor growth and, in some cases, eradicate tumors.
Rethinking how our brains use categories to make sense of the world
Researchers propose a challenge to the traditional view of how the brain uses its ability to categorize.
Rett syndrome study highlights potential for personalized treatments
Using advanced human cell cultures, MIT researchers tracked how two different mutations alter neural circuit development, and how each could be addressed with distinct potential therapeutics.
How chromatin movement helps control gene expression
By monitoring these chromosomal structures over many timescales, MIT researchers found that chromatin helps bring genes closer to their regulatory elements.
How neurons sense bacteria in the gut
Neural interaction with bacteria has important effects on animal brains. A new study investigates how neurons sense bacteria by revealing, in nematodes, the bacterial signals that a key neuron detects.