Topic
Microbes
-
Painting a fuller picture of how antibiotics act
Machine learning reveals metabolic pathways disrupted by the drugs, offering new targets to combat resistance.
May 9, 2019 -
Designing ocean ecological systems in the lab
Associate Professor Otto Cordero and colleagues discover simple assembly rules for marine microbiomes.
April 25, 2019 -
The complex world of carbohydrate chemistry
Drawn to MIT by its “amazing women who were doing science,” Professor Laura Kiessling explores sugar-protein interactions that influence cell behavior.
April 24, 2019 -
New technique pinpoints milestones in the evolution of bacteria
Results show bacterial genomes provide “shadow history” of animal evolution.
February 7, 2019 -
Study: Much of the surface ocean will shift in color by end of 21st century
Climate-driven changes in phytoplankton communities will intensify the blue and green regions of the world’s oceans.
February 4, 2019 -
Sallie “Penny” Chisholm awarded the 2019 Crafoord Prize
Institute Professor honored for discovering <i>Prochlorococcus,</i> the most abundant photosynthesizing organism on Earth.
January 22, 2019 -
Technique identifies electricity-producing bacteria
Microbes screened with a new microfluidic process might be used in power generation or environmental cleanup.
January 11, 2019 -
Engineering "capture compounds" to probe cell growth
Researchers develop a method to investigate how bacteria respond to starvation and to identify which proteins bind to the “magic spot” — ppGpp.
December 17, 2018 -
Surviving one of Earth’s most extreme environments
New research finds a unique component of cell membranes in an archaea species conveys protection against acidic surroundings.
December 14, 2018 -
Tracking the footprints of protein synthesis
Researchers refine a method to quantify protein production, show that the precision with which bacteria and eukaryotes tune their gene expression is remarkably similar.
December 14, 2018 -
3Q: Eric Alm on the mysteries of the microbiome
“A diet or treatment of the microbiome may lead to increased diversity, but that does not mean it's better or healthier for you,” says the engineering professor.
December 7, 2018 -
MIT engineers repurpose wasp venom as an antibiotic drug
Altered peptides from a South American wasp’s venom can kill bacteria but are nontoxic to human cells.
December 7, 2018 -
Bursting bubbles launch bacteria from water to air
Study illuminates new mode of bacteria dispersal.
November 15, 2018 -
Studying the hotbed of horizontal gene transfers
Global Microbiome Conservancy research reveals surprising new insights into human gut microbiomes.
October 22, 2018 -
Probiotics and antibiotics create a killer combination
Delivered together, the two join forces to eradicate drug-resistant bacteria.
October 17, 2018 -
Detangling DNA replication
Researchers identify an essential protein that helps enzymes relax overtwisted DNA so each strand can be copied during cell division.
September 17, 2018 -
How phytoplankton survive in ocean gyres with low nutrient supplies
Model of nutrient recycling may explain longstanding mystery.
September 14, 2018 -
Biological engineers discover new antibiotic candidates
Screen of human proteins reveals some with antimicrobial power.
August 20, 2018 -
A single-injection vaccine for the polio virus
Nanoparticles could offer a new way to help eradicate the disease worldwide.
May 21, 2018 -
Jeff Gore: A physicist exploring population dynamics of microbes
MIT professor sees many “big, deep questions in biology” that benefit from study by both physicists and life scientists.
May 14, 2018