Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

MIT engineers created a carbon-cement supercapacitor that can store large amounts of energy. Made of just cement, water, and carbon black, the device could form the basis for inexpensive systems that store intermittently renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy.

The amount of data generated by scientists today is massive, thanks to the falling costs of sequencing technology and the increasing amount of available computing power. But parsing through all that data to uncover useful information is like searching for a molecular needle in a haystack.

In a step forward for genetic engineering and synthetic biology, researchers have modified a strain of Escherichia coli bacteria to be immune to natural viral infections while also minimizing the potential for the bacteria or their modified genes to escape into the wild.

'The problem comes when interventions such as medications or particular kinds of diets affect the composition of the microbiota and create an altered state, called dysbiosis.'

Cerulean Scientific Inc., a leader in medical device innovation, is excited to announce the appointment of Tim Hopper as Chief Executive Officer by its Board...

Using artificial intelligence, MIT researchers discovered a class of compounds that can kill methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterium that causes more than 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around its body, creating an oxygen reservoir and acting as a barrier between the spider's lungs and the water.

Patients who undergo skin injuries endure hospital stays, infection and/or succumb to death; therefore, advances in wound healing aim to improve clinical practices underlying macroscale healing to effectively intervene in microscale pathophysiology. As a result, strategies that optimize wound healing have motivated the design of new therapeutic products.

Researchers have discovered ancient Roman concrete-manufacturing strategies that incorporated self-healing. Applying this knowledge toward modern cement production, they hope to improve the material's environmental impact.

A new chip recreates the human vagina's unique microbiome

A saliva sample and two hours is all you need to learn whether you currently have the virus or antibodies inside your body.

BioAutoMATED is a new MIT system that can generate artificial intelligence models for biology research. The open-source, automated machine-learning platform aims to help democratize AI for research labs.

Using an RNA sensor, MIT engineers designed a new way to trigger cells to turn on a synthetic gene. Their approach could make it possible to create targeted therapies for cancer and other diseases, by ensuring that synthetic genes are activated only in specific cells.

A breakthrough in "organoid" development could unleash a new way of treating infertility and diseases that target the ovaries.

Bringing a new drug to market costs billions of dollars and can take over a decade. These high monetary and time investments are both strong contributors to today's skyrocketing health care costs and significant obstacles to delivering new therapies to patients. One big reason behind these barriers is the lab models researchers use to develop drugs in the first place.

This is the chance to improve women's vaginal health.

Life, uh, finds a way.

Futurists, including some medical doctors, are signing up to be decapitated—and then have their brains frozen. But without a body, what will their minds become?

The FDA can now approve drugs that haven't been tested in animals, but don't expect drug companies to switch gears too quickly.

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Synthetic biologists are converting microbial cells into living devices that are able to perform useful tasks ranging from the production of drugs, fine chemicals and…