School of Science

A genome-wide analysis has revealed genes that are essential for neuron survival, as well as genes that protect against the effects of Huntington’s disease.

Genetic screen offers new drug targets for Huntington’s disease

Neuroscientists identify genes that modulate the disease’s toxic effects.

January 30, 2020

Mehtaab Sawnhey is a 2020 Churchill Scholar.

Mehtaab Sawhney named 2020 Churchill Scholar

MIT senior will pursue graduate studies in mathematics at Churchill College, Cambridge University.

January 30, 2020

A preserved heart muscle (1) is removed and replaced with a soft synthetic matrix (2). The two structures (inner cardiac tissue and synthetic matrix) (3) are bonded using a newly developed adhesive, TissueSil (4). The resulting piece is the biohybrid heart containing the preserved intracardiac structures and synthetic heart muscle (5).

Engineers design bionic “heart” for testing prosthetic valves, other cardiac devices

Device made of heart tissue and a robotic pumping system beats like the real thing.

January 29, 2020

MathWorks fellows with Anantha Chandrakasan (back row, center), dean of the MIT School of Engineering. Not pictured: Fellows Pasquale Antonante, Alireza Fallah, and Kate Reidy.

Accelerating the pace of engineering

The 2019-20 School of Engineering MathWorks Fellows are using MATLAB and Simulink to advance discovery and innovation across disciplines.

January 28, 2020

Biology major Rachel Shen sees what most of us can’t: the impurities in our water, the matrices of plant cells, and the invisible processes that cycle nutrients in the oceans.

Testing the waters

MIT sophomore Rachel Shen looks for microscopic solutions to big environmental challenges.

January 28, 2020

Left to right: Anna Frebel, Wesley Harris, and Harry Tuller are recognized as MIT faculty “Committed to Caring.”

Communicating respect for graduate students

Anna Frebel, Wesley Harris, and Harry Tuller honored by graduate students as “Committed to Caring.”

January 27, 2020

Finding solutions amidst fractal uncertainty and quantum chaos

Math professor Semyon Dyatlov explores the relationship between classical and quantum physics.

January 25, 2020

Deborah Hung’s talk kicked off a four-part Independent Activities Period seminar series, Microbes in Health and Disease.

The new front against antibiotic resistance

Deborah Hung shares research strategies to combat tuberculosis as part of the Department of Biology's IAP seminar series on microbes in health and disease.

January 23, 2020

MIT Associate Professor Noelle Eckley Selin (left) and former graduate student Emil Dimanchev SM ’18 used a new method to analyze the impacts of current and proposed state-level renewable energy and carbon pricing policies. Their study yielded some unexpected outcomes on the health benefits of the policies they examined.

Study: State-level adoption of renewable energy standards saves money and lives

MIT researchers review renewable energy and carbon pricing policies as states consider repealing or relaxing renewable portfolio standards.

January 22, 2020

Experiments identified one gene, which the researchers named Bradyzoite-Formation Deficient 1 (BFD1), as the only gene both sufficient and necessary to prevent the transition from tachyzoite to bradyzoite stages of T. gondii infection. The findings may inform research into potential therapies for toxoplasmosis, or even a vaccine.

Putting a finger on the switch of a chronic parasite infection

Researchers find master regulator needed for Toxoplasma gondii parasite to chronically infect host; promising step toward infection treatment, prevention.

January 21, 2020