Biology
7 win presidential early career honors
November 8, 2010
MIT has greatest number of recipients from a single institution.
Cancer’s hiding spots revealed
October 29, 2010
Discovery that tumor cells can escape from chemotherapy could lead to new treatments that prevent relapse.
Also labeled: Cancer, Koch Institute
Force of habit
October 26, 2010
New study shows that costs and rewards of behavior help the brain form optimal habits.
Going nature one better
October 22, 2010
MIT researchers aim to learn biology’s secrets for making tough, resilient materials out of simple components, and then improve on them.
Fueling up for 26.2 miles
October 21, 2010
HST student develops model that can help marathon runners pace themselves to a strong finish.
Younger brains are easier to rewire
October 21, 2010
Study of blind patients supports the idea that there is a period early in a person’s development when brain regions can switch functions.
Teasing out malaria’s genetic secrets
October 18, 2010
Biological engineer’s new approach to studying gene control could lead to new drug targets.
Susan Lindquist wins National Medal of Science
October 15, 2010
The Whitehead Institute member and MIT biology professor is one of 10 chosen to receive the top U.S. science honor.
Nerve-cell regeneration quest is fast tracked
October 12, 2010
Microchip technology rapidly identifies compounds for regrowing nerves, in live animals.
Surprising similarities between human and zebrafish tumors
October 7, 2010
New finding that tumor cells in both species have too many chromosomes could help pinpoint genes that drive cancer development.
5 from MIT win NIH awards
September 30, 2010
The grants are designed to promote risky, innovative research with the potential to transform a field of study.
Making stem-cell therapy a reality
September 30, 2010
In Killian Award lecture, Rudolf Jaenisch outlines progress and possibilities for treating human disease with stem cells.
Also labeled: Awards, honors and fellowships, Faculty, Stem cells, Whitehead Institute, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Parkinson's
An unexpected twist in cancer metabolism
September 17, 2010
A cancer-cell quirk could be exploited to develop new drugs that starve tumors.
Also labeled: Cancer, Koch Institute
Solar cell, heal thyself
September 7, 2010
New self-assembling photovoltaic technology can keep repairing itself to avoid any loss in performance.
MIT hosts 28 Amgen Scholars this summer
September 3, 2010
Undergraduates invited to conduct hands-on research with MIT faculty
A better way to grow stem cells
August 23, 2010
New synthetic surfaces overcome challenges posed by existing methods for cultivating stem cells.
Lunch with a Laureate: Robert Horvitz
August 3, 2010
Presented by the MIT Museum and the Cambridge Science Festival
Also labeled: Alumni/ae, Cancer, Education, teaching, academics, Genetics, Neuroscience, Nobel Prizes, Policy
Super-sizing a cancer drug minimizes side effects
July 28, 2010
Researchers design a new version of cisplatin that spares the kidneys, letting doctors use higher doses.
Proteins linked to longevity also linked to Alzheimer’s
July 27, 2010
Sirtuins appear to control production of the devastating protein fragments that form plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
RNA offers a safer way to reprogram cells
July 26, 2010
New technique holds promise to revert cells to an immature state that can develop into any cell type.
Lunch with a Laureate: Jack Szostak
July 22, 2010
Presented by the MIT Museum and the Cambridge Science Festival
Imaging fish on the fly
July 19, 2010
New MIT technology allows high-speed study of zebrafish larvae, often used to model human diseases.
Gerald Fink awarded 2010 Gruber Genetics Prize
June 30, 2010
Will receive $500,000 prize in November
Jeroen Saeij named 2010 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
June 18, 2010
Biologist hopes to uncover new genetic risk factors for infectious disease as well as new therapies.
Chemical biologist and entrepreneur Carolyn Bertozzi awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize
June 2, 2010
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley scientist honored for biotechnology innovations
Giving proteins a new glow
June 1, 2010
MIT chemists have designed a way to fluorescently label proteins that could shed light on protein functions never before seen.
Also labeled: Chemistry and chemical engineering, Proteins
More precise food-allergy diagnoses
May 21, 2010
It turns out that many people mistakenly think they have food allergies. A new technology aims to erase all doubt.
MIT awarded 3 HHMI grants to promote excellence in science education
May 20, 2010
Drennan, Walker named HHMI Professors
Exposing collagen's double life
May 14, 2010
Discovery that the rigid structural protein can switch to a floppy shape could lead to new treatments for heart disease.
Stubbe wins prestigious Welch Award
May 13, 2010
Professor of chemistry and biology honored for her work on enzymes involved in DNA and RNA synthesis


























