Toying with biological systems
By swapping microbial genes, Chris Voigt designs cells with novel functions.
Metabolic errors can spell doom for DNA
New study could explain why variant enzymes boost the risk of cancer for some people.
Seeing what’s inside a tumor
Imaging technology could help researchers test new drugs for treating brain cancer.
How cancer cells get by on a starvation diet
New study shows that tumor cells, deprived of glucose, alter their metabolism to use other sources of sustenance.
Seeing cancer in three dimensions
Scientists find that the 3-D structure of a cancer cell’s chromosomes plays a big role in which genes get deleted or copied.
MIT senior Stephanie Lin wins Rhodes Scholarship
Student in biology, applied international studies will study at Oxford next year.
Living cells say: Can you hear me now?
Researchers find that cells’ chemical signaling includes a way to tell whether signals are being received or not.
Uncovering a key player in metastasis
MIT cancer biologists determine how platelets in the bloodstream help cancer cells form new tumors.
Shutting off inflammation
A new way to curb inflammatory cells could lead to treatments for diseases including atherosclerosis and cancer.
Killing a cancer cell from the inside out
Synthetic biologists design a gene circuit that, when delivered to cancer cells, forces them to commit suicide.
Ultrasensitive particles offer new way to find cancer
Tiny particles that measure microRNA levels in tissue samples could help diagnose and monitor many diseases.
Tumor cells go against the flow
Microfluidic model helps explain how fluid’s flow in bodily tissue influences tumor cell migration.
New lung cancer gene found
Cancer biologists identify a driving force behind the spread of an aggressive type of lung cancer.
Study explains why men are at higher risk for stomach cancer
MIT researchers show how estrogen protects women from the gastric inflammation that can lead to cancer.