Without a key extracellular protein, neuronal axons break and synaptic connections fall apart

Scientists find a protein common to flies and people is essential for supporting the structure of axons that neurons project to make circuit connections.

David Orenstein | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
June 23, 2023 ~7 min

New model offers a way to speed up drug discovery

By applying a language model to protein-drug interactions, researchers can quickly screen large libraries of potential drug compounds.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office • mit
June 8, 2023 ~9 min


Tiny diamond rotor could improve protein studies

A new way of machining microscale rotors from diamond crystal can enable ultrasensitive NMR devices for probing proteins and other materials.

David L. Chandler | MIT News Office • mit
May 24, 2023 ~10 min

New purification method could make protein drugs cheaper

MIT engineers find specialized nanoparticles can quickly and inexpensively isolate proteins from a bioreactor.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office • mit
Feb. 28, 2023 ~7 min

Self-assembling proteins can store cellular “memories”

Using these engineered proteins, researchers can record histories that reveal when certain genes are activated or how cells respond to a drug.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office • mit
Jan. 2, 2023 ~6 min

New tool can assist with identifying carbohydrate-binding proteins

Groundbreaking research can help alleviate the challenges affiliated with studying carbohydrates.

Danielle Randall Doughty | Department of Chemistry • mit
Dec. 22, 2022 ~5 min

Nanosensors target enzymes to monitor and study cancer

By analyzing enzyme activity at the organism, tissue, and cellular scales, new sensors could provide new tools to clinicians and cancer researchers.

Bendta Schroeder | Erika Reinfeld | Koch Institute • mit
Nov. 2, 2022 ~8 min

A “door” into the mitochondrial membrane

Study finds the protein MTCH2 is responsible for shuttling various other proteins into the membrane of mitochondria. The finding could have implications for cancer treatments and MTCH2-linked conditions.

Eva Frederick | Whitehead Institute • mit
Oct. 25, 2022 ~7 min


Study reveals a protein’s key contribution to heterogeneity of neurons

Tomosyn’s tight regulation of neurotransmitter release distinguishes functions of two neuron classes at the fly neuromuscular junction.

David Orenstein | Picower Institute for Learning and Memory • mit
Dec. 7, 2021 ~7 min

Cellular environments shape molecular architecture

Researchers glean a more complete picture of a complex structure called the nuclear pore complex by studying it directly inside cells.

Raleigh McElvery | Department of Biology • mit
Oct. 13, 2021 ~6 min

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