science wire

Nanotechnology could help fight diabetes
Injectable nanogel can monitor blood-sugar levels and secrete insulin when needed. Injectable nanoparticles developed at MIT may someday eliminate the need for patients with Type 1 diabetes to constantly monitor their blood-sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin. The nanoparticles were designed to sense glucose levels in the body and respond by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin, thereby replacing the function of pancreatic islet cells, which are destroyed in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical
New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

Potential flu pandemic lurks
MIT study identifies influenza viruses circulating in pigs and birds that could pose a risk to humans. In the summer of 1968, a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong Kong. This strain, known as H3N2, spread around the globe and eventually killed an estimated 1 million people. A new study from MIT reveals that there are many strains of H3N2 circulating in birds and pigs that are genetically similar to the 1968 strain and have the potential to generate a pandemic if they leap to humans.

How to make factory conditions better
After years of research into global production systems, an MIT political scientist is convinced that government, not just the private sector, must help keep workers safe.

Finding a gecko in the crowd
A combination of crowdsourcing and computer vision could identify individuals within endangered populations. Keeping track of individuals in an endangered population of animals is a cumbersome and time-consuming task. Conservationists physically tag animals in the wild to better follow them over time.

Special deal on photon-to-electron conversion: Two for one!
New technique developed at MIT could enable a major boost in solar-cell efficiency. Throughout decades of research on solar cells, one formula has been considered an absolute limit to the efficiency of such devices in converting sunlight into electricity: Called the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit, it posits that the ultimate conversion efficiency can never exceed 34 percent for a single optimized semiconductor junction.

No to all of the above
MIT engineers find that in the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage. Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of cartilage, MIT engineers have now discovered how the earliest stages of arthritis make the tissue more susceptible to damage from physical activities such as running or jumping.

Building the new New Orleans, block by block
MIT urbanist's new book shows how active neighborhood communities helped revitalize the city after Hurricane Katrina.

Deep in the field
Book details how economist Robert Townsend has spent two decades in rural Thailand, exploring the links between household finances and economic growth.

Early warning signs of population collapse
Spatial measurements of population density could reveal when threatened natural populations are in danger of crashing. Many factors - including climate change, overfishing or loss of food supply - can push a wild animal population to the brink of collapse. Ecologists have long sought ways to measure the risk of such a collapse, which could help wildlife and fishery managers take steps to protect endangered populations.

Research advances therapy to protect against dengue virus
Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of infection by the dengue virus, yet there is no specific treatment for the disease. Now a therapy to protect people from the virus could finally be a step closer, thanks to a team at MIT. In a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the researchers, from MIT's Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research, present a novel approach to developing a dengue therapy using mutated antibodies.

NASA selects MIT-led TESS project for 2017 mission
$200 million project will launch telescopes to perform full-sky search for transiting exoplanets. Following a three-year competition, NASA has selected the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project at MIT for a planned launch in 2017.

A mighty wind
Thrusters powered by ionic wind may be an efficient alternative to conventional atmospheric propulsion technologies.

Sorting out the structure of a Parkinson’s protein
Computer modeling may resolve conflicting results and offer hints for new drug-design strategies. Clumps of proteins that accumulate in brain cells are a hallmark of neurological diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Over the past several years, there has been much controversy over the structure of one of those proteins, known as alpha synuclein.

How hard is it to ’de-anonymize’ cellphone data?
A new formula that characterizes the privacy afforded by large, aggregate data sets may be discouraging, but could help sharpen policy discussion.

New solar-cell design based on dots and wires
MIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.

Robot meets world
A new way of reasoning about what happens when a robot's limb strikes an object could lead to more efficient and reliable robotic-control systems.

Can control theory make software better?
Techniques used to ensure that airplanes won't stall out in flight could be adapted to prove that computer programs won't divide by zero. "Formal verification" is a set of methods for mathematically proving that a computer program does what it's supposed to do. It's universal in hardware design and in the development of critical control software that can't tolerate bugs; it's common in academic research; and it's beginning to make inroads in commercial software.

Breaking down the Parkinson’s pathway
New study is first to analyze how affected brain cells respond during different behavioral tasks. The key hallmark of Parkinson's disease is a slowdown of movement caused by a cutoff in the supply of dopamine to the brain region responsible for coordinating movement. While scientists have understood this general process for many years, the exact details of how this happens are still murky.

Making cloud computing more efficient
For database-driven applications, new software could reduce hardware requirements by 95 percent while actually improving performance.

Sizing up Japan, after the disaster
MIT political scientist examines Japanese stasis after nuclear meltdown at Fukushima. Around the world, people watched in horror as an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, soon followed by the slow-motion meltdown of a nuclear reactor in Fukushima.

MIT ’cheetah’ robot rivals running animals in efficiency
Robot's custom-designed electric motors are powerful and efficient. A 70-pound "cheetah" robot designed by MIT researchers may soon outpace its animal counterparts in running efficiency: In treadmill tests, the researchers have found that the robot - about the size and weight of an actual cheetah - wastes very little energy as it trots continuously for up to an hour and a half at 5 mph.

How to predict the progress of technology
MIT researcher finds Moore's Law and Wright's Law best predict how technology improves. Researchers at MIT and the Santa Fe Institute have found that some widely used formulas for predicting how rapidly technology will advance - notably, Moore's Law and Wright's Law - offer superior approximations of the pace of technological progress.

FCC chairman to speak at MIT
Julius Genachowski will field questions on wireless spectrum policy during 'Fireside Chat' at Stata Center On Wednesday, March 6 at 4 p.m., Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the United States Fed

Researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon
New analysis points the way to optimizing efficiency of an integrated system for harvesting sunlight to make storable fuel.

MIT’s Ernest J. Moniz nominated Secretary of Energy
President Obama's pick is head of the MIT Energy Initiative and a former undersecretary of energy.

MIT report identifies keys to new American innovation
From 'Main Street' firms to multinationals, improvements possible in funding of research, collaboration among manufacturers.

How human language could have evolved from birdsong
Linguistics and biology researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech. "The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak.

Engineering cells for more efficient biofuel production
Yeast research takes a step toward production of alternatives to gasoline. In the search for renewable alternatives to gasoline, heavy alcohols such as isobutanol are promising candidates. Not only do they contain more energy than ethanol, but they are also more compatible with existing gasoline-based infrastructure.

Picture-perfect
Quick, efficient chip cleans up common flaws in amateur photographs. Your smartphone snapshots could be instantly converted into professional-looking photographs with just the touch of a button, thanks to a processor chip developed at MIT.

Beefing up public-key encryption
MIT researchers show how to secure widely used encryption schemes against attackers who have intercepted examples of successful decryption.

Preview of the MIT Production in the Innovation Economy Report
Researchers will discuss their findings and recommendations on U.S. innovation and manufacturing during a briefing at the National Academy of Sciences ?? Embargoed report available upon request.

A cooler way to protect silicon surfaces
New room-temperature process could lead to less expensive solar cells and other electronic devices. Silicon, the material of high-tech devices from computer chips to solar cells, requires a surface coating before use in these applications. The coating "passivates" the material, tying up loose atomic bonds to prevent oxidation that would ruin its electrical properties.

Research update: Imaging fish in 3-D?
Automated system for high-speed analysis of vertebrate larvae could aid drug development.' Zebrafish larvae - tiny, transparent and fast-growing vertebrates - are widely used to study development and disease. However, visually examining the larvae for variations caused by drugs or genetic mutations is an imprecise, painstaking and time-consuming process.

Humans and robots work better together following cross-training
Swapping of roles improves efficiency as well as robots' confidence and humans' trust. Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.

Cell circuits remember their history
MIT engineers design new synthetic biology circuits that combine memory and logic. MIT engineers have created genetic circuits in bacterial cells that not only perform logic functions, but also remember the results, which are encoded in the cell's DNA and passed on for dozens of generations.

Bringing a new perspective to infectious disease
Enlisted in the fight against HIV, MIT engineers and scientists contribute new technology, materials and computational studies. With the recent launch of MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science , MIT News examines research with the potential to reshape medicine and health care through new scientific knowledge, novel treatments and products, better management of medical data, and improvements in health-care delivery.

India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought
New timeline suggests India's size before this collision was much smaller than generally assumed. The peaks of the Himalayas are a modern remnant of massive tectonic forces that fused India with Asia tens of millions of years ago. Previous estimates have suggested this collision occurred about 50 million years ago, as India, moving northward at a rapid pace, crushed up against Eurasia.

Purification on the cheap
System developed at MIT cleans 'produced water' from natural gas wells, could lead to improved desalination plants for developing countries. Increased natural gas production is seen as a crucial step away from the greenhouse gas emissions of coal plants and toward U.S. energy independence.

A safer way to vaccinate
Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins could offer a better alternative to traditional vaccines. Vaccines usually consist of inactivated viruses that prompt the immune system to remember the invader and launch a strong defense if it later encounters the real thing. However, this approach can be too risky with certain viruses, including HIV.

Big medical data
At the intersection of medicine and computer science, researchers look for clinically useful correlations amid mountains of information.

Storing data in individual molecules
An international team of researchers demonstrates the possibility of molecular memory near room temperature. Moore's law - the well-known doubling of computer chips' computational power every 18 months or so - has been paced by a similarly steady increase in the storage capacity of disk drives.

Putting the squeeze on cells
By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications. Living cells are surrounded by a membrane that tightly regulates what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier is necessary for cells to control their internal environment, but it makes it more difficult for scientists to deliver large molecules such as nanoparticles for imaging, or proteins that can reprogram them into pluripotent stem cells.

Microbiologists eavesdrop on the hidden lives of microbes
Scientists track ocean microbe populations in their natural habitat to create a 'day in the life' montage. Microbiologists who study wild marine microbes, as opposed to the lab-grown variety, face enormous challenges in getting a clear picture of the daily activities of their subjects. But a team of scientists from MIT and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute recently figured out how to make the equivalent of a nature film, showing the simultaneous activities of many coexisting species in their native habitat over time.

Rare earth oxides make water-repellent surfaces that last
Ceramic forms of hydrophobic materials could be far more durable than existing coatings or surface treatments. Water-shedding surfaces that are robust in harsh environments could have broad applications in many industries including energy, water, transportation, construction and medicine. For example, condensation of water is a crucial part of many industrial processes, and condensers are found in most electric power plants and in desalination plants.

The high value of water
Study: People willing to pay more for running water report much higher levels of happiness when they have it. If you're reading this, odds are you've already used running water in your home today. But you're in a minority: Globally, at least a billion people have no nearby source of water, while of the remaining six billion or so, only 42 percent have running water in their homes or a tap in the yard, according to the World Health Organization.

President Reif writes to MIT community regarding Aaron Swartz
At 4:15 p.m. today, MIT President L. Rafael Reif emailed the following message to the MIT community.

How to treat heat like light
New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves. An MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors. The approach relies on engineered materials consisting of nanostructured semiconductor alloy crystals.

New material harvests energy from water vapor
Polymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power microand nanoelectronic devices. MIT engineers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.

Chips that can steer light
Record-setting 'optical phased arrays' could lead to better laser rangefinders, smaller medical-imaging devices and even holographic TVs.

Guaranteed delivery -- in ad hoc networks
A new algorithm for message dissemination in decentralized networks is faster than its predecessors but, unlike them, guarantees delivery.

How to stop leaks -- the way blood does
Harnessing the principle that allows blood to clot, MIT researchers are working on new synthetic materials to plug holes. When you get a cut, blood starts to flow from the wound. But very quickly, complex biochemical processes spring into action, creating a scaffolding of molecules to block the hole, and then building up an impervious clot to stanch the flow.

The hidden history of Bengali Harlem
MIT professor's new book details the overlooked waves of South Asian immigrants to the United States.

Research update: Jumping droplets help heat transfer
Scalable nanopatterned surfaces designed by MIT researchers could make for more efficient power generation and desalination. Many industrial plants depend on water vapor condensing on metal plates: In power plants, the resulting water is then returned to a boiler to be vaporized again; in desalination plants, it yields a supply of clean water.

Cellphone data helps pinpoint source of traffic tie-ups
Study: Congestion can be alleviated throughout a metropolitan area by altering the trips of drivers in specific neighborhoods.

Tissue engineering: Growing new organs, and more
Research could lead to better ways to heal injuries and develop new drugs.

The subculture of cheese
MIT anthropologist looks inside the growing world of do-it-yourself American cheese-makers. Heather Paxson is available for s to discuss the research underlying her new book, "The Life of Cheese." Crafting high-quality artisanal cheese is not complicated, but it's also not easy.

Tiny compound semiconductor transistor could challenge silicon’s dominance
MIT researchers develop the smallest indium gallium arsenide transistor ever built.

The robotic equivalent of a Swiss army knife
Reconfigurable robot a step toward something that can become almost anything. The device doesn't look like much: a caterpillar-sized assembly of metal rings and strips resembling something you might find buried in a home-workshop drawer.

Precisely engineering 3-D brain tissues
New design technique could enable personalized medicine, studies of brain wiring. Borrowing from microfabrication techniques used in the semiconductor industry, MIT and Harvard Medical School (HMS) engineers have developed a simple and inexpensive way to create three-dimensional brain tissues in a lab dish.

The music of the silks
Researchers synthesize a new kind of silk fiber - and find that music can help fine-tune the material's properties. Pound for pound, spider silk is one of the strongest materials known: Research by MIT's Markus Buehler has helped explain that this strength arises from silk's unusual hierarchical arrangement of protein building blocks.

Maria Zuber appointed vice president for research
Claude Canizares will take a new role as a vice president with responsibility for international partnerships.

Funneling the sun’s energy
MIT engineers propose a new way of harnessing photons for electricity, with the potential for capturing a wider spectrum of solar energy. The quest to harness a broader spectrum of sunlight's energy to produce electricity has taken a radically new turn, with the proposal of a "solar energy funnel" that takes advantage of materials under elastic strain.