Investigating the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis
EAPS scientists find an alternative explanation for mineral evidence thought to signal the presence of oxygen prior to the Great Oxidation Event.
Continuing a legacy of Antarctic exploration
The Summons Lab compares lipids from Antarctic microbial communities to century-old samples.
Comparing primate vocalizations
Study shows Old World monkeys combine items in speech — but only two and never more, unlike humans.
From streams to teams
Graduate student Maya Stokes, a geomorphology expert and ultimate frisbee coach, shows her passion for teaching in the field and on the field.
Study furthers radically new view of gene control
Along the genome, proteins form liquid-like droplets that appear to boost the expression of particular genes.
Using recent gene flow to define microbe populations
New method identifies ecologically and medically relevant bacteria groups.
Professor Emeritus Samuel Bowring, pioneering geologist and expert in geochronology, dies at 65
A professor and mentor for more than 20 years at MIT, Bowring redefined our understanding of some of the most significant events in Earth history.
Uncovering the riches of traditional global medicine
Researchers solve how the kava plant produces its pain-relieving and anti-anxiety molecules, demonstrate an extensible method to scale and optimize production.
Genetic study takes research on sex differences to new heights
Differences in male and female gene expression, including those contributing to height differences, found throughout the body in humans and other mammals.
Featured video: Saving iguanas with science and engineering
Professor Otto Cordero and colleagues ask: Can microbiome engineering make the Galapagos marine iguana more resilient to climate change?
How a declining environment affects populations
Study finds that competition between bacterial species can be upended when conditions deteriorate.
Earliest life may have arisen in ponds, not oceans
Study finds shallow bodies of water were probably more suitable for Earth’s first life forms.
Keeping genetic engineering localized
Researchers are developing a so-called "daisy-chain" gene-drive system that provides controls for genetic engineering of certain populations.
New technique pinpoints milestones in the evolution of bacteria
Results show bacterial genomes provide “shadow history” of animal evolution.
Cracking a tough case
Whitehead Institute and MIT researchers uncover the detailed molecular structure of the sporopollenin polymer, an inert material key for the emergence of land plants.