A new peptide may hold potential as an Alzheimer’s treatment
The peptide blocks a hyperactive brain enzyme that contributes to the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
Astrocyte cells critical for learning skilled movements
When astrocyte function is disrupted, neurons in the brain’s motor cortex struggle to execute and refine motion, a new study in mice shows.
Robotic hand can identify objects with just one grasp
The three-fingered robotic gripper can “feel” with great sensitivity along the full length of each finger – not just at the tips.
“Spatial computing” enables flexible working memory
The brain applies rhythms to physical patches of the cortex to selectively control just the right neurons at the right times to do the right things.
Bacterial injection system delivers proteins in mice and human cells
With further development, the programmable system could be used in a range of applications including gene and cancer therapies.
Minds wide open
Alan Lightman’s new book asks how a sense of transcendence can exist in brains made of atoms, molecules, and neurons.
3 Questions: Mriganka Sur on the research origins of the first approved drug to treat Rett syndrome
On March 10 the FDA approved Trofinetide, a drug based on the protein IGF-1. The MIT professor's original research showing that IGF-1 could treat Rett was published in 2009.
2023 MacVicar Faculty Fellows named
Professors Gabrieli, Gubar, Martin, and Sass are honored for exceptional undergraduate teaching.
Pilot, engineer, neuroscientist, bridge-builder
How Elissa Gibson ’22 connected the dots to form her own unique constellation of MIT experiences.
New insights into training dynamics of deep classifiers
MIT researchers uncover the structural properties and dynamics of deep classifiers, offering novel explanations for optimization, generalization, and approximation in deep networks.
MIT-Takeda Program heads into fourth year with crop of 10 new projects
The program leverages MIT’s research expertise and Takeda’s industrial know-how for research in artificial intelligence and medicine.
School of Science presents 2023 Infinite Expansion Awards
Seven postdocs and research scientists honored for contributions to the Institute.
Studies of unusual brains reveal critical insights into brain organization, function
Ev Fedorenko’s Interesting Brains Project highlights the human brain’s remarkable capacity to adapt, reorganize in the face of early damage.
Automating the math for decision-making under uncertainty
A new tool brings the benefits of AI programming to a much broader class of problems.
Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease
Study reveals key cell structures and gene expression changes near amyloid plaques and tau tangles in mouse brain tissue.