HIV genome bends over backwards to help virus take over cells
Differently shaped RNA molecules allow HIV to express different genes from the same RNA sequence.
3 Questions: Harnessing wave power to rebuild islands
In the Maldives, an MIT team is conducting experiments to combat sea-level rise by redirecting natural sand movement.
3 Questions: The rapidly unfolding future of smart fabrics
Soon, your clothes may be able to monitor your vital signs, analyze the results, and warn you of health risks.
Researchers map tiny twists in “magic-angle” graphene
Results could help designers engineer high-temperature superconductors and quantum computing devices.
When baby planets melt
MIT scientists identify first magmas generated in solar system’s building blocks, unexpectedly answering questions about meteorites and formation of rocky planets.
In a suddenly remote spring, library support services carry on
Despite closing campus locations, the MIT Libraries continue to provide vital support for teaching, learning, and research.
Optogenetics with SOUL
The Feng lab has developed a next-generation optogenetic system for non-invasive stimulation of neurons.
SHERLOCK-based one-step test provides rapid and sensitive Covid-19 detection
New CRISPR-based research tool delivers results in an hour; researchers share protocol and kits to advance research and move toward clinical validation.
Study: Life might survive, and thrive, in a hydrogen world
When searching for extraterrestrial life, astronomers may want to look at planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres.
Technique could enable cheaper fertilizer production
Chemical engineers take a step toward generating ammonia with small-scale, electrochemical reactors.
3 Questions: Michael Yaffe on treating Covid-19 patients with acute respiratory distress
MIT professor and intensivist/trauma surgeon explains the new challenges that Covid-19 brings to treating patients in acute respiratory distress.
How growth of the scientific enterprise influenced a century of quantum physics
In a new book, Professor David Kaiser describes dramatic shifts in the history of an evolving discipline.
Understanding how fluids heat or cool surfaces
Textbook formulas for describing heat flow characteristics, crucial in many industries, are oversimplified, study shows.
Dirty carbon reveals a sophisticated side
Coal could someday be used to make a variety of useful devices, researchers suggest.
Muscle signals can pilot a robot
CSAIL's Conduct-A-Bot system uses muscle signals to cue a drone’s movement, enabling more natural human-robot communication.