Targeting DNA
MIT biological engineers have developed a modular system of proteins that can detect a particular DNA sequence in a cell and then trigger a specific response, such as cell death. This system can be customized to detect any DNA sequence in a mammalian cell and then trigger a desired response,…
Read MorePersonalized heart models for surgical planning
Researchers at MIT and Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a system that can take MRI scans of a patient’s heart and, in a matter of hours, convert them into a tangible, physical model that surgeons can use to plan surgery. The models could provide a more intuitive way for surgeons…
Read MoreShalek Named 2015 Beckman Young Investigator
Alex Shalek, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, core faculty member at the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute and of the Broad Institute, has been named a 2015 Beckman Young Investigator. The Arnold and Beckman Foundation’s support will help provide the Shalek lab…
Read MoreFaculty Spotlight: Polina Golland
Pattern Recognition: To the layperson, an image—say, an MRI of the brain—is a diagnostic test. Yet to MIT Professor Polina Golland and her team, that individual image is just one tiny piece in a complicated puzzle where no one yet knows the full picture. “When you look at 10 people who…
Read MoreNew material opens possibilities for super-long-acting pills
Medical devices designed to reside in the stomach have a variety of applications, including prolonged drug delivery, electronic monitoring, and weight-loss intervention. However, these devices, often created with nondegradable elastic polymers, bear an inherent risk of intestinal obstruction as a result of accidental fracture or migration. As such, they are…
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