Marcus Woo writes for Wired about how researchers have published a number of articles providing new information on the human epigenome, which controls which genes get switched on or off. “It is giving us a view of the living, breathing genome in motion, as opposed to a static picture of DNA,” explains Prof. Manolis Kellis.
Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post reports that a team led by Professor Manolis Kellis has released the most complete map of the human epigenome to date. “The researchers tied specific cell changes to 58 different biological traits,” writes Feltman. “Sometimes the epigenomic changes of a cell reveal possible clues about disease.”
Work on mapping the human epigenome, led by Professor Manolis Kellis, could reveal the origins of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, reports Carolyn Johnson for The Boston Globe. “The research was one major piece of a $240 million National Institutes of Health program that funded 88 grants over 10 years,” Johnson explains.
“Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a chair that uses magnets to assemble itself from six pieces underwater,” reports Ben Hooper for UPI. The team, led by Dr. Skylar Tibbits of the MIT Self-Assembly Lab, released a video showing how the pieces come together in turbulent water.
MIT researchers have developed a new silver nanoparticle-based paper test that can quickly detect dengue, yellow fever and Ebola, reports Vicki Davison for Scientific American. In addition to the paper test, the researchers are also working on developing a mobile application to ease diagnosis.
For the first time, researchers have mapped the epigenome, identifying the switches that can turn individual genes on or off, reports Sharon Beagley for Reuters. Says Prof. Manolis Kellis of the need to understand the epigenome, "The only way you can deliver on the promise of precision medicine is by including the epigenome.”
Researchers have mapped the epigenome, shedding light on how genes are controlled, which could be useful in understanding disease, reports Gina Kolata for The New York Times. “We now have an unprecedented view of the living human genome,” says Prof. Manolis Kellis.
The Naked Scientists feature Prof. Nicholas Makris explaining his research on the evolution of violin design and performing on the lute. Makris explains his finding that the violin’s “F-hole length increased from the Amati time period to the Guarneri time period," making the instrument's sound more powerful.
Mary Bowerman writes for USA Today that while the Mars One Project has narrowed its applicants to the top 100, MIT researchers question whether the technology exists to accomplish the mission. "A lot of the technologies you need to sustain life on Mars are very much in development,” says Ph.D. candidate Sydney Do.
Following the announcement of the shortlist for participants for the Mars One project, Michael Rundle of The Huffington Post reports on an MIT study indicating that current technology makes the mission infeasible. Even with additional technology “the Mars One mission would become exceedingly expensive and unsustainable” over time, explains Ph.D candidate Sydney Do.
A new study conducted by MIT researchers examines the unique acoustical properties of Cremona-era violins’ F-shaped holes, writes Douglas Quenqua for The New York Times. “The scientists found that the length of the holes, not the width, and the strength of the back plate had the biggest effects on sound quality,” Quenqua explains.
Matt Cantor of USA Today writes that by examining the key features that augment a violin’s sound, MIT researchers have found that the shape and design of the “f-holes” give the instrument its acousitcal power. The researchers also found that the instrument’s shape evolved gradually over time, by chance.
MIT researchers have found that few health care studies use the random assignment method, considered to be the gold standard in scientific research, reports U.S. News & World Report. The researchers “analyzed hundreds of studies about improving health care and found that only 18 percent of those conducted in the United States used the random assignment method.”
The Economist writes about a new MIT study examining the development of violin design, which was found to have evolved by chance. The researchers also found that the shape and length of the violin’s “f-holes” give the instrument its acoustical power.
A new study conducted by researchers from MIT found that a violin’s acoustic power comes from the design of the instrument, writes Joseph Dussault of The Christian Science Monitor. The researchers also found that the “violin’s distinctive, f-shaped sound hole came not as a result of human ingenuity, but rather a series of random mutations.”