Biological Engineering

MIT professors James Collins (left) and Feng Zhang are co-authors of a new paper reporting that an RNA-targeting CRISPR enzyme can be harnessed as a highly sensitive detector able to indicate the presence of as little as a single molecule of a target RNA or DNA.

Scientists unveil CRISPR-based diagnostic platform

New system adapts tool known for gene editing; to be used in rapid, inexpensive disease diagnosis.

April 13, 2017

Eleven from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2017

Prestigious honor society announces 228 new members this year.

April 12, 2017

Researchers have found a way to make tiny particles that can be injected into the body, where they emit short-wave infrared light. The advance may open up a new way of making detailed images of internal body structures such as fine networks of blood vessels.

Nanoparticles open new window for biological imaging

“Quantum dots” that emit infrared light enable highly detailed images of internal body structures.

April 10, 2017

Research scientist Bogdan Fedeles and postdoc Supawadee Chawanthayatham have discovered a mutational signature that reveals liver cell exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen.

Detecting mutations could lead to earlier liver cancer diagnosis

New technique can reveal exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, before tumors develop.

March 27, 2017

A new paper from an MIT-led team demonstrates that Alaska can offer a significant foothold for Asian flu viruses, enabling them to enter North America.

Tracking the spread of bird flu

Asian flu strains can enter North America through Alaska, study finds.

March 17, 2017

MIT graduate programs earn top marks from US News

Graduate engineering and economics programs are No. 1 in the nation; MIT Sloan is No. 4.

March 14, 2017

Mild heating of graphene oxide sheets makes it possible to bond particular compounds to the sheets’ surface, a new study shows. These compounds in turn select and bond with specific molecules of interest, including DNA and proteins, or even whole cells. In this image the treated graphene oxide on the right is nearly twice as efficient at capturing cells as the untreated material on the left.

Graphene sheets capture cells efficiently

New method could enable pinpoint diagnostics on individual blood cells.

March 3, 2017

A team of MIT biological engineers has developed a method to measure levels of the iron-containing protein heme inside the malaria parasite. “One of our long-term goals is ultimately being able to tie insights from these studies back to thinking about drug discovery and targeting pathways that regulate heme,” says Jacquin Niles, an MIT associate professor of biological engineering.

Taking aim at a key malaria molecule

Measuring the parasite’s heme levels could help scientists develop better antimalarial drugs.

February 27, 2017

Charles Jennings, director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research Neurotechnology program.

3Q: US patent office’s ruling on CRISPR

Charles Jennings of MIT’s McGovern Institute discusses the intellectual property dispute over the gene-editing technique.

February 22, 2017

Researchers have found that the hydrogel’s mostly watery environment helps keep nutrients and programmed bacteria alive and active. When the bacteria reacts to a certain chemical, the bacteria are programmed to light up, as seen on the left.

Living sensors at your fingertips

Cell-infused gloves and bandages light up when in contact with certain chemicals.

February 15, 2017

At StartMIT Innovation Night, innovators discuss their founders’ journeys and the impact they’ve made along the way.

StartMIT’s Innovation Night

Innovators from a range of fields discuss their pioneering work and their founders’ journey.

January 26, 2017

Kevin Kung, a Tata Fellow and PhD candidate in biological engineering, feeds rice husks into the torrefaction reactor in his lab at MIT. A thermochemical process will convert the biomass to a more energy-dense form, making it easier to transport and use as fuel.

Tapping the hidden value of farm waste

MIT researchers are developing mobile torrefaction technology that can convert biomass into clean-burning fuel, unlocking potential income for farmers.

January 25, 2017

Feng Zhang named James and Patricia Poitras Professor in Neuroscience

CRISPR pioneer named to inaugural chair created by Patricia and James Poitras '63, founders of MIT’s Poitras Center for Affective Disorders Research.

January 13, 2017

Feng Zhang of MIT and the Broad Institute was named a runner-up for TIME's 2016 Person of the Year for his work on CRISPR gene editing. Zhang shared the honor with Emmanuelle Charpentier at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin; Jennifer Doudna at the University of California at Berkeley; Carl June at the University of Pennsylvania; and Kathy Niakan at the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Feng Zhang named a runner-up for TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year

MIT and Broad Institute scientist shares recognition with four other scientists for developing CRISPR gene-editing systems.

December 7, 2016

“…[I]f humans behave similarly to mice in response to this treatment, I would say the potential is just enormous, because it’s so noninvasive, and it’s so accessible,” says Li-Huei Tsai, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience, when describing a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Unique visual stimulation may be new treatment for Alzheimer’s

Noninvasive technique reduces beta amyloid plaques in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.