Spectrum, a magazine from the MIT Office of Resource Development, profiled Prof. Darrell J. Irvine and his work on new materials that help the immune system fight disease.

Learn more about potential solutions for body armor, as inspired by the “dinosaur eel” in Popular Science’s television show “The Future of.” Prof. Christine Ortiz was interviewed for the “Combat” episode, first broadcast during the week of Sept. 7, 2009.

another link to the video

Prof. Lorna Gibson’s work on oseteochondral scaffolds is covered in the Aug. 16 NY Times.

Prof. Lorna J. Gibson and her colleagues recently published an article on their work on a new “scaffolding” material that has potential for patients with missing or damaged cartilage in joints. The story was further reported by Forbes magazine.

Monitoring a tumor for weeks or months after a biopsy, tracking its growth and how it responds to treatment, would be invaluable, says Prof. Michael Cima, who has developed the first implantable device that can do just that. The cylindrical, 5-millimeter implant contains magnetic nanoparticles coated with antibodies specific to the target molecules. Target molecules enter the implant through a semipermeable membrane, bind to the particles and cause them to clump together. That clumping can be detected by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The device is made of a polymer called polyethylene, which is commonly used in orthopedic implants. The semipermeable membrane, which allows target molecules to enter but keeps the magnetic nanoparticles trapped inside, is made of polycarbonate, a compound used in many plastics.

See the MIT News Office for the full story.