Study: High-fat diets make liver cells more likely to become cancerous
New research suggests liver cells exposed to too much fat revert to an immature state that is more susceptible to cancer-causing mutations.
Anything-goes “anyons” may be at the root of surprising quantum experiments
MIT physicists say these quasiparticles may explain how superconductivity and magnetism can coexist in certain materials.
Prefrontal cortex reaches back into the brain to shape how other regions function
Research illustrates how areas within the brain’s executive control center tailor messages in specific circuits with other brain regions to influence them with information about behavior and feelings.
“Wait, we have the tech skills to build that”
From robotics to apps like “NerdXing,” senior Julianna Schneider is building technologies to solve problems in her community.
Post-COP30, more aggressive policies needed to cap global warming at 1.5 C
Global Change Outlook report for 2025 shows how accelerated action can reduce climate risks and improve sustainability outcomes, while highlighting potential geopolitical hurdles.
A “scientific sandbox” lets researchers explore the evolution of vision systems
The AI-powered tool could inform the design of better sensors and cameras for robots or autonomous vehicles.
New study suggests a way to rejuvenate the immune system
Stimulating the liver to produce some of the signals of the thymus can reverse age-related declines in T-cell populations and enhance response to vaccination.
Nuno Loureiro, professor and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, dies at 47
In his 10 years at MIT, Loureiro helped illuminate the physics occurring at the center of fusion vacuum chambers and at the edges of the universe.
3 Questions: Using computation to study the world’s best single-celled chemists
Assistant Professor Yunha Hwang utilizes microbial genomes to examine the language of biology. Her appointment reflects MIT’s commitment to exploring the intersection of genetics research and AI.
MIT community members elected to the National Academy of Inventors for 2025
Professors Ahmad Bahai and Kripa Varanasi, plus seven additional MIT alumni, are honored for highly impactful inventions.
RNA editing study finds many ways for neurons to diversify
Tracking how fruit fly motor neurons edit their RNA, neurobiologists cataloged hundreds of target sites and varying editing rates, finding many edits altered communication- and function-related proteins.
MIT HEALS leadership charts a bold path for convergence in health and life sciences
Angela Koehler, Iain Cheeseman, and Katharina Ribbeck are shaping the collaborative as a platform for transformative research, translation, and talent development across MIT.
Enabling small language models to solve complex reasoning tasks
The “self-steering” DisCIPL system directs small models to work together on tasks with constraints, like itinerary planning and budgeting.
School of Science welcomed new faculty in 2024
Eleven new professors join the departments of Biology; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences; Mathematics; and Physics.
MIT study shows how vision can be rebooted in adults with amblyopia
Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic (“lazy”) eye.