Yukiko Yamashita has spent much of her career exploring how asymmetrical cell divisions occur, producing one differentiated cell along with another stem cell. Her research has shed light on the immortality of germline cells and the function of “junk DNA.”
Via @MIT on Twitter: Congrats to Raja Chari SM ’01 for completing his first spacewalk!
A new method turns byproducts from petroleum refining into lightweight carbon fiber. Unlike its conventional counterparts, this material has compressional strength, so it could be useful for load-bearing applications, such as in cars, aircraft, or spacecraft.
Postdoc Digbijay Mahat became a cancer researcher to improve health care in Nepal. But when the Covid-19 pandemic exposed a new level of resource disparities, he leapt in to help his homeland navigate Covid testing and vaccine rollouts.
A new web comic highlights the work of Joy Buolamwini SM ’17, who studies algorithmic bias in computer vision systems. She is also founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, which aims to create a world with more ethical and inclusive technology.
Via @mitmensrowing on Instagram: “Another foggy morning. #standwithukraine”
Having trouble hearing? Just turn up your shirt. That’s the idea behind a new “acoustic fabric,” inspired by the human ear, that converts sounds into electrical signals. The fabric can capture sounds ranging from a quiet library to heavy traffic.