Biology

An unexpected twist in cancer metabolismA cancer-cell quirk could be exploited to develop new drugs that starve tumors.

Solar cell, heal thyselfNew self-assembling photovoltaic technology can keep repairing itself to avoid any loss in performance.

A better way to grow stem cellsNew synthetic surfaces overcome challenges posed by existing methods for cultivating stem cells.

Lunch with a Laureate: Robert HorvitzPresented by the MIT Museum and the Cambridge Science Festival

Super-sizing a cancer drug minimizes side effectsResearchers design a new version of cisplatin that spares the kidneys, letting doctors use higher doses.

Proteins linked to longevity also linked to Alzheimer’sSirtuins 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 cellsNew technique holds promise to revert cells to an immature state that can develop into any cell type.

Lunch with a Laureate: Jack SzostakPresented by the MIT Museum and the Cambridge Science Festival

Imaging fish on the flyNew MIT technology allows high-speed study of zebrafish larvae, often used to model human diseases.

Gerald Fink awarded 2010 Gruber Genetics PrizeWill receive $500,000 prize in November

Chemical biologist and entrepreneur Carolyn Bertozzi awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT PrizeLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley scientist honored for biotechnology innovations

Giving proteins a new glowMIT chemists have designed a way to fluorescently label proteins that could shed light on protein functions never before seen.

More precise food-allergy diagnosesIt 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 educationDrennan, Walker named HHMI Professors

Exposing collagen's double lifeDiscovery that the rigid structural protein can switch to a floppy shape could lead to new treatments for heart disease.

Stubbe wins prestigious Welch AwardProfessor of chemistry and biology honored for her work on enzymes involved in DNA and RNA synthesis

Rapid analysis of DNA damage now possibleTechnology offers a new way to test potential cancer drugs, detect effects of hazardous agents in our environment.

Why cancer drugs lose their powerMIT biologists show how tumors can become resistant to the commonly used chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

Weighing the cellMIT biological engineers devise a way to measure, for the first time, how single cells accumulate mass.

Three from MIT win Gates scholarships

To starve a tumorMIT’s Matthew Vander Heiden is part of a new generation of cancer researchers trying to exploit cancer cells’ strange metabolism.

NIMH Director Tom Insel on AutismHosted by the Simons Initiative on Autism and the Brain at MIT

A change of mindOne protein appears to control neurons’ ability to react to new experiences, MIT scientists show.

Bacteria divide like clockworkMIT researchers show how circadian rhythms in bacteria control their rate of reproduction.

Gaining visibility into campus buildings’ real-time energy performance

‘Micro-ants’: Tiny conveyor belts for the 21st centuryA new method of moving tiny particles using magnetic polymer beads and magnetic fields could find uses in microchips and in medicine

How to encourage big ideasA new study suggests certain types of funding — which provide more freedom and focus less on near-term results — lead to more innovative and influential research.