Anne Trafton
Inhalable CRISPR-based treatment for cystic fibrosis, lung disease on the horizon
A nanoparticle developed by MIT chemical engineer Daniel Anderson and colleagues can deliver messenger RNA encoding CRISPR gene-editing proteins to ...
Vaccine pill? RNA-based capsule could also deliver therapies for gastrointestinal disease
Like most vaccines, RNA vaccines have to be injected, which can be an obstacle for people who fear needles. Now, ...
Sticky substance that barnacles use to cling to rocks inspires biocompatible glue to quickly seal wounds
Inspired by the sticky substance that barnacles use to cling to rocks, MIT engineers have designed a strong, biocompatible glue ...
Face mask that not only protects against COVID — but diagnoses it as well? ‘Next-gen wearable biosensors’ are as sensitive as standard lab tests
Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a novel face mask that can diagnose the wearer with Covid-19 within ...
MIT’s Timothy Lu’s gene therapy innovation: Programming cells to fight infection
In high school and college, Timothy Lu spent a lot of time programming computers. But as his college graduation approached, ...
Video: MIT scientists create plants that glow in the dark
Imagine that instead of switching on a lamp when it gets dark, you could read by the light of a ...
Cracking cancer: Could treatment lie in harnessing immune system defense mechanism?
For the first time, MIT biologists have now identified a mechanism that the immune system uses to eliminate genetically imbalanced ...
Happy and sad memories are genetically controlled
A new study from MIT finds that [positive and negative emotions] are controlled by two populations of neurons that are ...
Scientists can now guide CRISPR gene editing with light
CRISPR allows scientists to delete or replace any target gene in a living cell. MIT researchers have now added an ...
Leap forward in cancer research attributed to CRISPR tumor modeling
By sequencing the genomes of tumor cells, thousands of genetic mutations have been linked with cancer. Sifting through this deluge ...
Gene expression goes realtime with MRI
Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also ...
Bionic plants developed at MIT focus on the “tech” half of biotech
Researchers at MIT have enhanced plants' abilities using nanomaterials, specifically carbon nanotubes. The cyborg plants can perform supercharged photosynthesis or ...
An easier way to control genes
MIT researchers have shown that they can turn genes on or off inside yeast and human cells by controlling when ...
Controlling genes with light
Although human cells have an estimated 20,000 genes, only a fraction of those are turned on at any given time, ...
Researchers suggest ways to maximize delivery of siRNA
The following is an excerpt. Nanoparticles that deliver short strands of RNA offer a way to treat cancer and other ...
Researchers build most complex synthetic biology circuit yet
Using genes as interchangeable parts, synthetic biologists design cellular circuits that can perform new functions, such as sensing environmental conditions ...