A highly multi-disciplinary research team at the Wyss Institute has made a significant breakthrough to help patients with Rett syndrombe by leveraging an AI-driven drug discovery process in combination with innovative disease modeling. Their study identified a drug known as vorinostat as a promising treatment for Rett syndrome, demonstrating disease-modifying abilities across multiple neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in preclinical models. The Wyss-enabled startup Unravel will be initiating a clinical trial to assess the drug in female patients with Rett syndrome later this year.  

In a recent study published in Engineering, researchers have unveiled a novel programmable spin-logic gate that operates without the need for initialization. By integrating spin-orbit torque (SOT) with an in-plane Oersted field generated by an Au line, this device can perform complete Boolean logic operations in a single step, offering a new approach for in-memory computing architectures. The findings highlight the potential for non-volatile spin-logic devices to enhance processing efficiency and scalability in future computing systems.

This article reports on a new study published in Engineering that presents a reliability-based code calibration procedure for pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer I-section beams. The research focuses on determining optimal partial safety factors for web-crippling under end-two-flange and interior-two-flange loading cases, contributing to more reliable design guidelines for these materials in civil engineering applications.

Using an inexpensive electrode coated with DNA, MIT researchers designed disposable diagnostics that could be adapted to detect a variety of diseases, including cancer or infectious diseases such as influenza and HIV.

Researchers from China Agricultural University and Jiangsu University have developed a new control mechanism for electric tractors. Their study, published in Engineering, details a system that enhances operational quality and energy efficiency through real-time data interaction and collaborative task management. The innovations include a high-performance controller and a hierarchical real-time operating system that optimize tractor performance.

Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today.  The report provides a comprehensive account of how droughts compound poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.

The newly established Photonics Innovation Award recognizes outstanding scientists whose groundbreaking research has expanded the frontiers of photonics and embodies the innovative spirit of Professor Federico Capasso, founding editor of the journal “Nanophotonics”.

Following a rigorous and unanimous selection process by the award committee, Dr. Charles Roques-Carmes of Stanford University was chosen for his broad and original contributions to the field of photonics.