Cells

Cells as living calculatorsUsing analog computation circuits, MIT engineers design cells that can compute logarithms, divide and take square roots.

Study IDs key protein for cell deathFindings may offer a new way to kill cancer cells by forcing them into an alternative programmed-death pathway.

Mapping the living cellNew technique pinpoints protein locations, helping scientists figure out their functions.

Cardiac development needs more than protein-coding genesBiologists find that long non-coding RNA molecules are necessary to regulate differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiac cells.

Putting the squeeze on cellsBy deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications.

How to stop leaks — the way blood doesHarnessing the principle that allows blood to clot, MIT researchers are working on new synthetic materials to plug holes.

Tiny tools help advance medical discoveriesMIT researchers are designing tools to analyze cells at the microscale.

Professor Roger Kamm visualizes sneaky tumor cells with 3-D assayKamm is studying the mechanics of metastasis, the process of cancer-cell migration from one location in the body to another and the cause of more than 90 percent of cancer deaths.

On the hunt for rare cancer cellsJellyfish-inspired device that rapidly and efficiently captures cancer cells from blood samples could enable better patient monitoring.

How cancer cells break free from tumorsNew MIT study identifies adhesion molecules key to cancer’s spread through the body.

Tracking stem cell reprogrammingBiologists reveal genes key to development of pluripotency, in single cells.

Plants exhibit a wide range of mechanical properties, engineers findBiological structures may help engineers design new materials.

New study finds link between cell division and growth rateFindings answer puzzling question of how cells know when to progress through the cell cycle.

Chris A. Kaiser selected as MIT provostLongtime member of the biology faculty to succeed L. Rafael Reif as the Institute’s senior academic and budget officer.

Picower Institute researchers identify brain cell aberration tied to autism

Researchers achieve RNA interference, in a lighter packagePared-down nucleic acid nanoparticle poses less risk of side effects, offers better targeting.

Piece by pieceMIT biologist Schwartz relishes the challenge of picking apart the cell’s most complex structure.