PhD student Constantine Tzouanas studies how processes involving individual cells shape whether pathogens will defeat their hosts — or vice versa. In addition to uncovering leads to new treatments, he seeks to better understand how the body works as a unified system.
Medical journals are typically evaluated by their “impact factor,” based on citations, but a new “diversity factor” reflects impact on health outcomes for all patients. “We want to be able to track this over time, so we can tell if we are making headway,” says Leo Celi.
BrightMarkers are invisible fluorescent tags embedded in 3D-printed objects to enhance motion tracking, virtual reality, and object detection. Unlike QR codes, which can be tampered with, these markers are invisible to the naked eye.
Engineers used scaffolds of folded DNA to assemble arrays of quantum rods that could be used in highly efficient micro-LEDs. DNA is appealing as a manufacturing material “because it can be biologically produced, which is both scalable and sustainable,” says Mark Bathe.
Andy Sun of MIT Sloan is working to improve the electricity grid so it can reliably integrate renewable energy. “The decarbonization of our energy system is fundamental,” he says. “We should embrace this future that we have to get to.”
IMES postdoc Sirma Orguc SM ’16, PhD ’21 uses computational neuroscience to probe the brain for clues on its function. She’s inspired by the MIT community’s “great energy for science [and] great motivation to contribute to important problems that our society faces.”
In 24.213 (Philosophy of Film), students examine movies, art, and ethics from both producer and audience perspectives. “What I'm trying to do is have the students simultaneously engage with the philosophical topics, but also just engage with the film on its own,” says Justin Khoo.