Antarctic sea ice may not cap carbon emissions as much as previously thought
Study suggests sea ice blocks the flow of carbon both into and out of the ocean, in roughly equal measure.
Oct. 1, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: climate-change environment climate carbon carbon-dioxide microbes research school-of-engineering school-of-science national-science-foundation-nsf civil-and-environmental-engineering computer-modeling eaps ocean-science earth-and-atmospheric-sciences
Ancient microbial life used arsenic to thrive in a world without oxygen
How ancient microbes survived in a world without oxygen has been a mystery. Scientists discovered a living microbial mat that uses arsenic instead of oxygen for photosynthesis and respiration.
Sept. 25, 2020 • ~9 min
Tags: metabolism mars microbes photosynthesis oxygen arsenic astrobiology origin-of-life stromatolites
How a pregnant mouse's microbes influence offspring's brain development – new study offers clues
Microbes in the gut aren't just important for digesting your food. In pregnant women, these gut microbes are producing chemicals that are essential for proper brain development of the fetus.
Sept. 23, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: health medicine biology microbiome microbes viruses pregancy virome vaginal-microbiome
Making tuberculosis more susceptible to antibiotics
Shortening carbohydrates in the bacterial cell wall makes them more vulnerable to certain drugs.
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: chemistry antibiotics microbes research school-of-science national-institutes-of-health-nih
Plants might be able to tell us about the location of dead bodies, helping families find missing people
Researchers are figuring out how plants respond to the presence of human cadavers. The findings could prove important for discovering the locations of murder victims or mass graves.
Sept. 3, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: evolution innovation agriculture plants microbes adaptation genetically-modified-organisms forensics genetically-modified-plants decomposition
Plants might be able to tell us about the location of dead people, helping families find missing people
Researchers are figuring out how plants respond to the presence of human cadavers. The findings could prove important for discovering the locations of murder victims or mass graves.
Sept. 3, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: evolution innovation agriculture plants microbes adaptation genetically-modified-organisms forensics genetically-modified-plants decomposition
A new tool for modeling the human gut microbiome
Bacteria linked to Crohn’s disease are difficult to grow in the lab, but MIT engineers have found a way.
Aug. 6, 2020 • ~7 min
Tags: medicine bacteria microbes disease research mechanical-engineering school-of-engineering national-institutes-of-health-nih biological-engineering health-sciences-and-technology
Emily Balskus wins Waterman Award with $1M in research funding
Emily Balskus has won the Alan T. Waterman Award, the National Science Foundation's most prestigious prize for scientists under 40 in the United States.
Aug. 5, 2020 • ~6 min
Tags: science-technology chemistry cancer bacteria parkinsons-disease fas emily-balskus chemistry-and-chemical-biology colon-cancer caitlin-mcdermott-murphy microbiome microbes gut l-dopa microbiology therapeutics disease national-science-foundation cholesterol metagenomics award catherine-drennan human-health nsf sethuraman-panchanathan
Rapid antibody development yields possible treatment for yellow fever
The experimental drug has shown promise in early-stage clinical trials conducted in Singapore.
July 29, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: covid-19 pandemic microbes vaccines disease research drug-development school-of-engineering biological-engineering koch-institute institute-for-medical-engineering-and-science-imes singapore-mit-alliance-for-research-and-technology-smart
Finch Therapeutics unleashes the power of the gut
The company is developing treatments that restore gut bacteria in people struggling with a range of diseases.
July 23, 2020 • ~8 min
Tags: health medicine bacteria startups microbes microbiology research drug-development school-of-engineering alumniae biological-engineering microboime
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