MIT researchers have developed a new method of delivering drugs to the gastrointestinal tract via ultrasound waves, reports Alexandra Ossola of Popular Science. The new drug-delivery method could prove effective in treating diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
MIT researchers have developed a self-sustaining water-purification system for a remote Mexican village, according to The Guardian. “The villagers are able to operate and maintain the water purification system themselves,” The Guardian reports.
Robert Preidt writes for U.S. News & World Report that MIT researchers have found that ultrasound waves can be used to deliver drugs to the digestive system. Preidt explains that the new approach, “might potentially benefit people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.”
MIT researchers have developed an ultrasound device that can deliver medication to the digestive system, reports Leah Samuel for The Boston Globe. The researchers “found that using ultrasound enhanced absorption of the drugs they tested up to tenfold,” writes Samuel.
MIT researchers have created an algorithm that outperforms humans when searching for patterns in data sets, reports Rachel Feltman for The Washington Post. The algorithm uses “raw datasets to make models predicting things such as when a student would be most at risk of dropping an online course.”
Seung Lee writes for Newsweek that MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that can outperform humans in finding patterns in data sets. The system takes “two to 12 hours for what a human could only do over the course of several months.”
Graduate student Sampriti Bhattacharyya speaks with Boston Herald reporter Jordan Graham about her startup Hydroswarm, which is developing teams of underwater drones to map the ocean. “There is so much potential out there. We had a space era. With all the subsea robotics, it could be a new era in ocean exploration,” says Bhattacharyya.
MIT researchers have developed a new system that can help identify patterns in data sets, reports Tomas Morzon for UPI. The researchers explained that the new system could be a “crucial asset in finding what components of a data set should be analyzed in order to draw conclusions.”
Richard Waters of the Financial Times writes about Prof. David Mindell’s new book, “Our Robots, Ourselves,” which examines robotics and automation. Waters writes that, “Mindell brings an altogether refreshing perspective to a field that can sometimes get lost in the ‘what if.’”
Washington Post reporter Rachel Feltman writes that MIT researchers have uncovered how seals use their whiskers to sense their surroundings. The findings could “help aquatic vehicles track schools of fish or sources of pollution.”
Forbes reporter Bruce Dorminey writes about a new MIT study showing that refueling at the moon would make Mars missions more efficient. Prof. Olivier de Weck explains that this strategy could “represent a savings of $5.8 billion per mission.”
MIT researchers have engineered viruses that take advantage of quantum physics, mimicking the process of photosynthesis, to enhance energy transfer, reports Alexandra Ossola for Popular Science. The work could result in “solar panels that transmit energy with unprecedented efficiency,” writes Ossola.
In an article for New Scientist, Lisa Grossman writes that Prof. Paulo Lozano is developing a miniature propulsion system for steering CubeSats, a type of tiny satellite, around in space. “We want to offer space access to people who don’t currently have space access,” explains Lozano.
Writing for BetaBoston, Nidhi Subbaraman reports that Prof. Polina Anikeeva has received a new grant from DARPA to investigate ways to stimulate specific neurons in the body using fibers or nanoparticles. “Zapping key nerves with a current, ultrasound, or with light is expected to treat a range of conditions,” Subbaraman explains.
In a new paper, Prof. Andrew Lo argues that the FDA should apply less stringent criteria when approving experimental drugs for terminal diseases that have few treatment options, writes Ed Silverman for The Boston Globe. “For terminal patients with no existing treatments, it seems to make sense to be more lenient,” says Lo.