A comprehensive map of the SARS-CoV-2 genome
MIT researchers have determined the virus’ protein-coding gene set and analyzed new mutations’ likelihood of helping the virus adapt.
Biologists discover a trigger for cell extrusion
Study suggests this process for eliminating unneeded cells may also protect against cancer.
Cancer cells soften as they metastasize, study suggests
Developing drugs that prevent this softening might impede tumors’ ability to spread.
A safer way to deploy bacteria as environmental sensors
Encapsulating modified bacteria in tough hydrogel spheres prevents them from spreading genes to other microbes.
Mice naturally engage in physical distancing, study finds
MIT neuroscientists have identified a brain circuit that stops mice from mating with others that appear to be sick.
Synthetic mucus can mimic the real thing
An MIT team has created polymers that replicate the structure of mucins, the molecules that give mucus its unique antimicrobial properties.
Method offers inexpensive imaging at the scale of virus particles
Using an ordinary light microscope, researchers can now obtain images with unprecedented accuracy.
Study: One enzyme dictates cells’ response to a probable carcinogen
Varying levels of a DNA repair enzyme can lead to very different outcomes after exposure to NDMA.
Study reveals how egg cells get so big
Oocyte growth relies on physical phenomena that drive smaller cells to dump their contents into a larger cell.
Study offers an explanation for why the APOE4 gene enhances Alzheimer’s risk
The gene variant disrupts lipid metabolism, but in cell experiments the effects were reversed by choline supplements.
Chemists boost boron’s utility
A strategy for preventing boron-containing compounds from breaking down could help medicinal chemists design new drugs.
Metabolic mutations help bacteria resist drug treatment
Study suggests forcing bacteria to burn more energy could make them more susceptible to antibiotics.
Toward a disease-sniffing device that rivals a dog’s nose
Trained dogs can detect cancer and other diseases by smell. A miniaturized detector can analyze trace molecules to mimic the process.
New surgery may enable better control of prosthetic limbs
Reconnecting muscle pairs during amputation gives patients more sensory feedback from the limb.
Machine-learning model helps determine protein structures
New technique reveals many possible conformations that a protein may take.