Cell stiffness may indicate whether tumors will invade
Study shows tumors with softer, larger cells at their periphery are more likely to spread; may suggest new route for cancer therapy.
Drug combination reverses hypersensitivity to noise
Findings in mice suggest targeting certain brain circuits could offer new ways to treat some neurological disorders.
Antarctic ice cliffs may not contribute to sea-level rise as much as predicted
Study finds even the tallest ice cliffs should support their own weight rather than collapsing catastrophically.
![“The major research directions and technology platforms that [my] lab is known for today came out of this process where the students or I had a crazy idea, and then the lab executed on it, with all the twists and turns along the way,” says Paul Blainey, associate professor of biological engineering.](/sites/default/files/styles/term_page__news_article/public/images/201910/MIT-Blainey.jpg?itok=sTavLw_j)
Biological engineer Paul Blainey creates new tools to advance biomedical research
His technology platforms have benefited genomics, diagnostics, and drug screening.
Whitehead Institute team resolves structure of master growth regulator
New research reveals how mTORC1 docks at lysosomal surface.
Open access task force releases final recommendations
Report urges MIT community to openly share the products of its research and teaching.
Giving robots a faster grasp
An algorithm speeds up the planning process robots use to adjust their grip on objects, for picking and sorting, or tool use.
Scientists discover fractal patterns in a quantum material
The X-ray-focusing lens used in the experiment is based on a design used in lighthouses for centuries.
Controlling our internal world
Design principles from robotics help researchers decipher elements controlling mental processes in the brain.
Recovering “lost dimensions” of images and video
Model could recreate video from motion-blurred images and “corner cameras,” may someday retrieve 3D data from 2D medical images.
Assembler robots make large structures from little pieces
Systems of tiny robots may someday build high-performance structures, from airplanes to space settlements.
Study reveals how mucus tames microbes
Specialized sugar molecules called glycans can disarm opportunistic pathogens and prevent infection.
Astronomers use giant galaxy cluster as X-ray magnifying lens
New lens technique spots tiny dwarf galaxy in the first, super-energetic stages of star formation.
“Electroadhesive” stamp picks up and puts down microscopic structures
New technique could enable assembly of circuit boards and displays with more minute components.
Engineers put Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge design to the test
Proposed bridge would have been the world’s longest at the time; new analysis shows it would have worked.