Bioengineering and biotechnology

5 from MIT win NIH awardsThe grants are designed to promote risky, innovative research with the potential to transform a field of study.

Putting carbon dioxide to good useMIT biological engineers have found a way to convert carbon-dioxide emissions to useful building materials, using genetically altered yeast.

A pharmacy on the back of a cellDrugs encapsulated in new MIT nanoparticles can hitch a ride to tumors on the surface of immune-system cells.

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.

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

A new use for goldEngineers turn a drawback — the stickiness of gold nanoparticles — into an advantage.

Building organs block by blockTissue engineers create a new way to assemble artificial tissues, using ‘biological Legos’ — cells transformed into bricks.

Explained: Directed evolutionSpeeding up protein evolution in the lab can yield useful molecules that nature never intended.

Genes as fossilsMIT researchers discover the DNA responsible for creating fossil-like molecules found in ancient rocks.

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

Viruses harnessed to split waterMIT team’s biologically based system taps the power of sunlight directly, with the aim of turning water into hydrogen fuel.

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

Slackers and superstars of the microbial workplaceMIT chemical engineers find that yeast engineered to manufacture drugs vary widely in their productivity

Zooming in on cellsNew microscopy technique offers close-up, real-time view of how proteins kill bacteria

Ecological balancing actPhytoplankton diversity depends on balance between competition and the ocean’s physical dynamics, new research suggests

New technique offers a more detailed view of brain activity‘Cleverly designed' MRI sensors detect dopamine, offering a high-resolution look at what’s happening inside the brain.

Cell-inspired electronicsBy mimicking cells, MIT researcher designs electronic circuits for ultra-low-power and biomedical applications.

With $25 million grant, NSF funds center to investigate the creation of biological machinesHeadquartered at MIT, the new initiative aims to dramatically advance research in complex biological systems and engage underrepresented minority groups

Engineering a new way to study hepatitis CTissue engineers have successfully infected liver cells in the laboratory, allowing a better way to test new drugs.

Mapping the brainMIT scientists are making computers smart enough to see the connections between the brain's neurons

New ‘nanoburrs’ could help fight heart diseaseTargeted nanoparticles can home in on damaged vascular tissue and may be used to deliver drugs that help clear arteries

Y chromosomes evolving rapidlyBy comparing human and chimpanzee Y chromosome sequences, Whitehead Institute geneticists show the Y is undergoing swift change.

Human immune cells — in miceMIT team engineers mice with human immune cells, which could be used to test vaccines for HIV and other diseases.

Nutrient mix shows promise in fighting Alzheimer’sIn clinical trial, new approach developed at MIT improves memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The recession hits scienceMIT report reveals biotechnology funding troubles

Silencing the brain with lightMIT neuroengineers find a new way to quickly and reversibly shut off neurons with multiple colors of light, which could lead to new treatments for epilepsy and chronic pain.

New and improved RNA interferenceResearchers use RNA interference to silence multiple genes at once. The advance, which one expert calls a ‘substantial breakthrough,’ could lead to new treatments for liver diseases.

HHMI lists Tsai team’s advance among 10 biggest stories of 2009Howard Hughes Medical Institute honors discovery of gene protein that could lead to safer drug treatments for Alzheimer’s and other diseases.