Using synthetic biology and AI to address global antimicrobial resistance threat
Driven by overuse and misuse of antibiotics, drug-resistant infections are on the rise, while development of new antibacterial tools has slowed.
Magnetic mixer improves 3D bioprinting
MagMix, an onboard mixing device, enables scalable manufacturing of 3D-printed tissues.
3 Questions: Using AI to accelerate the discovery and design of therapeutic drugs
Professor James Collins discusses how collaboration has been central to his research into combining computational predictions with new experimental platforms.
Study finds cell memory can be more like a dimmer dial than an on/off switch
The findings may redefine how cell identity is established and enable the creation of more sophisticated engineered tissues.
MIT scientists engineer starfish cells to shape-shift in response to light
The research may enable the design of synthetic, light-activated cells for wound healing or drug delivery.
Lincoln Laboratory and National Strategic Research Institute launch student research program to tackle biothreats to national security
MIT students who participated in the pilot program developed tools to rapidly screen for novel biosynthetic capabilities.
Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential
MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics has developed a new class of mRNA molecules that can sense where they are in the body, for more targeted and powerful treatments.
Coloring outside the lines
Mathias Kolle’s color-changing materials take inspiration from butterflies and mollusks.
Christopher Voigt named head of the Department of Biological Engineering
Synthetic biology expert to succeed Angela Belcher as department head effective Aug. 1.
Inaugural J-WAFS Grand Challenge aims to develop enhanced crop variants and move them from lab to land
Matt Shoulders will lead an interdisciplinary team to improve RuBisCO — the photosynthesis enzyme thought to be the holy grail for improving agricultural yield.
3 Questions: Cullen Buie on a new era for cell therapies
The associate professor of MechE reflects on how his company, Kytopen, has grown and shifted focus in developing safer immunotherapies.
A global lab for teaching and practicing synthetic biology
A pandemic-fueled transformation of the MIT course MAS.S64 (How to Grow (Almost) Anything) leads to next steps in democratizing synthetic biology.
Engineered bacteria could help protect “good” gut microbes from antibiotics
Microbes that safely break down antibiotics could prevent opportunistic infections and reduce antibiotic resistance.
An “oracle” for predicting the evolution of gene regulation
Researchers create a mathematical framework to examine the genome and detect signatures of natural selection, deciphering the evolutionary past and future of non-coding DNA.
Volta Labs: Improving workflows for genetic applications
Udayan Umapathi SM ’17 and Will Langford SM ’14, PhD ’19 are co-founders of a Media Lab spinoff building a full-stack platform to enable automation for genomics and genetic engineering.