Nancy Hopkins awarded the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal

The MIT professor emerita and influential molecular biologist is being honored for her advocacy for women in science.

Bendta Schroeder | Koch Institute • mit
Jan. 30, 2024 ~10 min

Simons Center’s collaborative approach propels autism research, at MIT and beyond

Team-based targeted projects, multi-mentor fellowships ensure that scientists studying social cognition, behavior, and autism integrate multiple perspectives and approaches to pressing questions.

David Orenstein | Simons Center for the Social Brain • mit
Jan. 30, 2024 ~12 min


The surprising reason why insects circle lights at night: They lose track of the sky

A new study shows how artificial light at night scrambles insects’ normal flight patterns, pulling them off course into orbit around the light.

Yash Sondhi, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Entomology, Mcguire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida • conversation
Jan. 30, 2024 ~9 min

DNA particles that mimic viruses hold promise as vaccines

Using a DNA-based scaffold carrying viral proteins, researchers created a vaccine that provokes a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Jan. 30, 2024 ~8 min

A new drug candidate can shrink kidney cysts

A compound originally developed to treat cancer could be repurposed to treat polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition that can lead to kidney failure.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Jan. 22, 2024 ~7 min

Not all underwater reefs are made of coral − the US has created artificial reefs from sunken ships, radio towers, boxcars and even voting machines

Artificial reefs are structures that humans put in place underwater that create habitat for sea life. A new study shows for the first time how much of the US ocean floor they cover.

D'amy Steward, Master's Student in Biology, University of Guam • conversation
Jan. 18, 2024 ~9 min

Mating anchovies stir up the sea as much as a major storm – and it’s good for the environment too

Anchovies cause a stir as they mate – getting the oceans moving.

Bieito Fernandez Castro, Lecturer in Physical Oceanography, University of Southampton • conversation
Jan. 10, 2024 ~6 min

Why you should care about anchovies having sex

Anchovies cause a stir as they mate – getting the oceans moving.

Bieito Fernandez Castro, Lecturer in Physical Oceanography, University of Southampton • conversation
Jan. 10, 2024 ~6 min


Noninvasive technique reveals how cells’ gene expression changes over time

MIT researchers can now track a cell’s RNA expression to investigate long-term processes like cancer progression or embryonic development.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
Jan. 10, 2024 ~7 min

I set out to investigate where silky sharks travel − and by chance documented a shark's amazing power to regenerate its sabotaged fin

After scientists’ GPS tracking tag was violently removed from one shark’s dorsal fin, they were in for a surprise: The wound didn’t just heal, but the missing tissue grew back.

Chelsea Black, Ph.D. Candidate in Marine Ecosystems and Society, University of Miami • conversation
Jan. 9, 2024 ~8 min

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