Biological engineering

“We can, through engineering, convert this organism’s parasitic lifestyle into a more symbiotic relationship,” Jacquin Niles says about the malaria parasite.

Engineering foe into friend

Bose Grant awardee Jacquin Niles aims to repurpose the malaria parasite for drug delivery.

January 22, 2016

This image demonstrates tissue patterns that emerge from genetically programmed human pluripotent stem cells, and was taken on day nine of the MIT study. It shows immunostainings of cell nuclei for CEBPA (red, endodermal marker), SOX10 (green, ectodermal marker), and DAPI (blue, binds to DNA in the nucleus).

Organ-on-a-chip

In a step toward personalized drug testing, researchers coax human stem cells to form complex tissues.

January 6, 2016

To track the family history for a single cell, researchers engineered a microfluidic device that traps first an individual cell and then all of its descendants. The device has several connected channels, each of which has a trapping pocket used to capture single cells in precise locations. After the initial cell grows and divides, its progeny float downstream and are captured in the next available...

Tracing a cellular family tree

New technique allows tracking of gene expression over generations of cells as they specialize.

January 6, 2016

Angela Belcher (pictured), MIT professor of biological engineering and materials science and engineering; Paula Hammond, professor and head of the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering; Po-Yen Chen PhD ’15 (now at Brown University); and others have shown that a novel, high-efficiency, low-cost solar cell can be made using lead recovered from an abundant, old-technology source: lead-acid car bat...

Solar energy from discarded car batteries

An MIT development could benefit both the environment and human health.

December 22, 2015

(Clockwise from top left)
Angela M. Belcher; Sangeeta N. Bhatia; H. Robert Horvitz; and Emery N. Brown.

Four MIT faculty named 2015 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Belcher, Bhatia, Brown, and Horvitz recognized for demonstrating a prolific spirit of innovation and invention resulting in a tangible impact on society.

December 18, 2015

“I think that type of experience where you can conduct real, top-notch research with some of the best professors, post-doctoral students and graduate students in the world is something that's quite unique to MIT,” senior Camilo Ruiz says.

Senior Camilo Ruiz engineers solutions

Biological engineering major pursues collaborations that have broad impact for society.

December 15, 2015

To prevent genetically modified bacteria from escaping into the wider environment, researchers have developed safeguards in the form of two so-called “kill switches,” which they call “Deadman” and “Passcode.” These kill switches can cause synthetic bacteria to die without the presence of certain chemicals.

“Kill switches” shut down engineered bacteria

Synthetic biology technique could make it safer to put engineered microbes to work outside the lab.

December 11, 2015

Kevin Esvelt to join the MIT Media Lab

December 4, 2015

A favorite BioBuilder lab among students, Kuldell says, is called “Eau That Smell,” which involves examining bacteria engineered to smell like ripe bananas at a certain stage of their growth. Students also enjoy “What a Colorful World,” a lab where students study E. coli programmed to change colors. Another lab, “Golden Bread,” has students add beta-carotene to baker’s yeast.

Bringing synthetic biology education to life

Nonprofit provides hands-on experiments to students and teachers worldwide.

December 4, 2015

The researchers used structural knowledge of Cas9 to guide engineering of a highly specific genome-editing tool.

MIT, Broad scientists overcome key CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing hurdle

Team re-engineers system to dramatically cut down on editing errors; improvements advance future human applications.

December 1, 2015

Current and past recipients stand with President L. Rafael Reif and Vanu Bose, son of Amar Bose. (Left to right): Rajeev Ram, Janet Conrad, Jeffrey Grossman, Sangeeta Bhatia, Polina Anikeeva, Nicholas Makris, President Reif, Joel Voldman, Vanu Bose, Jacquin Niles, Joseph Checkelsky, Sara Seager, and Sylvia Ceyer.

Bose Grants fund bold and innovative visions

Four high-risk, high-reward projects launch with support from Professor Amar G. Bose Research Grants.

November 24, 2015

James Collins, the Termeer Professor of Bioengineering at MIT.

Reprogramming biology

Biological engineer James Collins designs genetic circuits with novel functions.

November 14, 2015

(Left to right) Edward Boyden, Larry Guth, and Liang Fu

Edward Boyden wins 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

MIT physicists share prize in fundamental physics; Larry Guth and Liang Fu win New Horizons Prizes.

November 9, 2015

Tackling cancer research from multiple perspectives

Graduate student Tushar Kamath takes an interdisciplinary approach to cancer research.

November 2, 2015

The new Underworlds research project depends on learning and analyzing what is in our “collective gut.”

Real-time epidemiology from urban wastewater

MIT and Kuwait researchers have been awarded $4 million to fund Underworlds, a study of real-time epidemiology using biomarkers in urban sewage.