Like ancient mariners, ancestors of Prochlorococcus microbes rode out to sea on exoskeleton particles
A new study shows the carbon-capturing phytoplankton colonized the ocean by rafting on particles of chitin.
An unprecedented view of gene regulation
MIT engineers’ new technique analyzes the 3D organization of the genome at a resolution 100 times higher than before.
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.
Scientists track evolution of microbes on the skin’s surface
A new analysis reveals how Staphylococcus aureus gains mutations that allow it to colonize eczema patches.
Searching across deep time to understand “ecogenesis”
Geobiologist Greg Fournier seeks to uncover the conditions leading to the emergence of life.
New nanoparticles can perform gene editing in the lungs
Using these RNA-delivery particles, researchers hope to develop new treatments for cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases.
A new control switch could make RNA therapies easier to program
Using this approach, researchers hope to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules selectively to cancer cells or other target cells.
New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease
“Single-cell profiling” is helping neuroscientists see how disease affects major brain cell types and identify common, potentially targetable pathways.
Brandon Ogbunu is a radical collaborator
MLK Visiting Professor tries to “maximize connection time” while studying protein evolution.
Scientists discover a new way of sharing genetic information in a common ocean microbe
Prochlorococcus, the world’s most abundant photosynthetic organism, reveals a gene-transfer mechanism that may be key to its abundance and diversity.
Uncovering how cells control their protein output
Gene-Wei Li investigates the rules that cells use to maintain the correct ratio of the proteins they need to survive.
New CRISPR-based tool inserts large DNA sequences at desired sites in cells
Known as PASTE, the technique holds potential for treating a variety of diseases caused by faulty genes.
Alzheimer’s risk gene undermines insulation of brain’s “wiring”
In people carrying APOE4, a key brain cell mismanages cholesterol needed to insulate neurons properly — another sign APOE4 contributes to disease by disrupting brain lipids.
Scientists unveil the functional landscape of essential genes
Researchers harness new pooled, image-based screening method to probe the functions of over 5,000 essential genes in human cells.
Nanosensors target enzymes to monitor and study cancer
By analyzing enzyme activity at the organism, tissue, and cellular scales, new sensors could provide new tools to clinicians and cancer researchers.