https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Researchers have revealed how a common bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), releases lactic acid to acidify its surroundings and suppress the immune-cell signal needed to start a proper response to infection. By silencing the body's defenses, the bacterium can cause persistent and hard-to-treat wound infections. This study explains why some wounds struggle to heal even with treatment and why infections involving multiple bacteria are especially difficult to eradicate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bacteria-suppress-immune-defenses-stubborn.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:40:04 EDT news692539802 Researchers from the Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized Medicine (CAMP), an interdisciplinary research group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and National University of Singapore (NUS), have developed a first-of-its-kind rapid, non-destructive method to monitor iron flux—the movement and rate at which cells take in, store, use and release iron—in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which can provide insights within a minute on the cell's ability to grow cartilage tissue for cartilage repair. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-rapid-iron-flux-cartilage-cell.html Biomedical technology Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:40:12 EST news691329902 Researchers have developed an AI control system that enables soft robotic arms to learn a wide repertoire of motions and tasks once, then adjust to new scenarios on the fly without needing retraining or sacrificing functionality. This breakthrough brings soft robotics closer to human-like adaptability for real-world applications, such as in assistive robotics, rehabilitation robots, and wearable or medical soft robots, by making them more intelligent, versatile, and safe. The research team includes Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology's (SMART) Mens, Manus & Machina (M3S) interdisciplinary research group, and National University of Singapore (NUS), alongside collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-02-brain-ai-soft-robot-arms.html Robotics Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:43:27 EST news689506981 Collaborating researchers have made a breakthrough discovery regarding the intricate defense systems of bacteriophages (phages)—viruses that can specifically target harmful bacteria without harming human cells and beneficial microbes. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-phage-dna-modifications-antibiotic-resistant.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:26:04 EDT news680869561 Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind device to profile the immune function of newborns. Using a single drop of blood, the BiophysicaL Immune Profiling for Infants (BLIPI) system provides real-time insights into newborns' immune responses, enabling the early detection of severe inflammatory conditions and allowing for timely interventions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-kind-device-blood-profile-newborns.html Immunology Mon, 26 May 2025 10:19:05 EDT news667473541 Researchers have developed the world's first near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanosensor capable of real-time, non-destructive and species-agnostic detection of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)—the primary bioactive auxin hormone that controls the way plants develop, grow and respond to stress. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-universal-nanosensor-enables-real-destructive.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 May 2025 11:19:04 EDT news666958741 A team of researchers have developed a novel method that can quickly and automatically detect and monitor microbial contamination in cell therapy products (CTPs) early on during the manufacturing process. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-ai-driven-uv-technique-rapid.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:33:04 EDT news663849181 Researchers have developed a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanosensor capable of simultaneously detecting and differentiating between iron forms—Fe(II) and Fe(III)—in living plants. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-kind-nanosensor-real-iron.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:01:05 EST news659962862 Have you ever wondered if your plants were dry and dehydrated, or if you're not watering them enough? Farmers and green-fingered enthusiasts alike may soon have a way to find this out in real time. Over the past decade, researchers have been working on sensors to detect a wide range of chemical compounds, and a critical bottleneck has been developing sensors that can be used within living biological systems. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-method-dehydration.html Biotechnology Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:05:13 EST news651758706 Researchers have developed a novel method to enhance the ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to generate cartilage tissue by adding ascorbic acid (AA) during MSC expansion. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-method-effectiveness-msc-therapy-cartilage.html Arthritis & Rheumatism Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:07:05 EDT news648223621 Countries globally are rapidly transitioning to a cleaner energy future—accelerating their push for electric vehicles alongside ambitious targets to phase out gasoline and diesel in transportation. Global electric car sales surged by around 25% in the first quarter of 2024 from the same period in 2023 and are projected to reach approximately 17 million units by the end of the year, accounting for more than one in five cars sold globally. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-links-ev-stations-local-business.html Economics & Business Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:10:02 EDT news645278618 Researchers have developed a novel method capable of producing clinical doses of viable autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells in a ultra-small automated closed-system microfluidic chip, roughly the size of a pack of cards. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-production-car-cells-high-density.html Immunology Thu, 27 Jun 2024 06:32:51 EDT news638688766 Researchers have discovered a more efficient method for evaluating the ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to regenerate cartilage. Their novel method is also the first to utilize topological defects in the self-assembly of MSCs to forecast their cartilage regeneration potential. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-method-effectiveness-mesenchymal-stromal-cells.html Medical research Tue, 28 May 2024 09:44:04 EDT news636108241 Collaborating researchers have discovered a link between malaria parasites' ability to develop resistance to antimalarial drugs—specifically artemisinin (ART)—through a cellular process called transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) modification. tRNA modification is a mechanism that allows cells to respond rapidly to stress by altering RNA molecules within a cell. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-mechanism-drug-resistance-malaria-parasite.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 16 May 2024 11:15:05 EDT news635076901 A research collaboration has developed a technology capable of extracting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) directly from pure bone marrow—also known as bone marrow aspirate (BMA), a pivotal source of MSCs—without dilution. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-microfluidic-method-optimize-bone-marrow.html Biomedical technology Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:42:06 EST news619267321 Researchers have discovered a new stress signaling system that enables bacteria cells to adapt and protect themselves against the immune system and certain antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-uncover-bacterial-communication-combat-antimicrobial.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Jul 2023 10:58:05 EDT news608983080 Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and National University Hospital (NUH), have discovered a novel therapy by combining two antibiotics, rifaximin and clarithromycin, to treat Mycobacterium abscessus, a non-tuberculous mycobacterium that causes chronic lung-related infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-combination-therapy-counter-antibiotic-resistant-mycobacterium.html Medications Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:50:48 EDT news605274645 Researchers in Singapore have developed the world's smallest LED (light-emitting diode) that enables the conversion of existing mobile phone cameras into high-resolution microscopes. Smaller than the wavelength of light, the new LED was used to build the world's smallest holographic microscope, paving the way for existing cameras in everyday devices such as mobile phones to be converted into microscopes via only modifications to the silicon chip and software. This technology also represents a significant step forward in the miniaturization of diagnostics for indoor farmers and sustainable agriculture. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-technology-enables-conversion-mobile-cameras.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 04 May 2023 08:37:44 EDT news602408256 Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, and their collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first-ever microneedle-based drug delivery technique for plants. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-world-microneedle-based-drug-delivery-technique.html Biotechnology Tue, 14 Mar 2023 08:49:04 EDT news598002541 Researchers have developed a novel combination therapy using an anticancer agent, mitoxantrone (MTX), together with an antibiotic, vancomycin, for treating bacteria that are resistant to the vancomycin, which is also known as vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE). The therapy uniquely targets both VRE and the host, stimulating the host immune system to more effectively clear bacterial infections and accelerate infected wound healing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-combination-therapy-vancomycin-resistant-bacteria.html Medications Tue, 07 Mar 2023 08:52:04 EST news597401521 Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore and their collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have developed the first ever nanosensor that can detect and distinguish gibberellins (GAs), a class of hormones in plants that are important for growth. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-nanotube-sensors-capable-distinguishing-gibberellin.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 20 Feb 2023 10:58:44 EST news596113120 Researchers at Singapore-MIT and international collaborators have made advances in viral detection in wastewater with the development of a new quantitative RT-qPCR assay that is able to detect the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. Such tests enable wastewater surveillance to accurately trace variant dynamics in any given community or population, and support and inform the implementation of appropriate public health measures tailored according to the specific traits of a particular viral pathogen. In another paper, SMART researchers and collaborators also reviewed the future of wastewater surveillance, outlining challenges and opportunities and mapping its potential to prepare societies for future viral outbreaks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-advances-quantification-viral-pathogens-wastewater.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:34:04 EDT news580379641 Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, and their local collaborators from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) as well as the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), National University of Singapore (NUS) have published a review that discusses the recent advances in non-destructive plant health monitoring, ranging from electrochemical-based arrays to nanosensors and electronic noses, and why tracking plant health is an attractive and sustainable strategy that can be used to optimize crop growth practices. The review aims to inspire future developments of non-destructive technologies for plant health diagnosis. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-non-destructive-sensors-aid-food-sustainable.html Biotechnology Thu, 30 Jun 2022 08:48:04 EDT news575797681 Researchers from the Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicines (CAMP), an Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a new method of detecting adventitious microbial contamination in mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) cultures, ensuring the rapid and accurate testing of cell therapy products (CTP) intended for use in patients. Utilizing machine learning to predict if a culture is clean or contaminated in a near-real time-like manner, this breakthrough method can be used during the cell manufacturing process, compared to less efficient end-point testing. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-microbial-contamination-cell-cultures.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 20 Jun 2022 09:39:45 EDT news574936782 Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP), an Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, have identified a critical quality attribute (CQA) for the possible development of a rapid and sensitive process analytical technology (PAT) for sterility. Specifically, this technology enables the detection of early-stage microbial contaminations in human cell therapy products (CTPs). https://phys.org/news/2022-05-early-stage-microbial-contamination-cell-therapy.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 19 May 2022 09:03:31 EDT news572169803 Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, alongside collaborators at Nanyang Technological University, have identified a novel phage lysin—Abp013—that could be used as an alternative antimicrobial agent against two of the most deadly bacteria: Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-unique-lysin-capable-deadly-multidrug-resistant.html Medical research Thu, 17 Feb 2022 09:08:34 EST news564311306 A joint study by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, may have found the reason why some patients experience diarrhea after taking the antibiotic, amoxicillin-clavulanate, commonly known as Augmentin. It is a widely prescribed antibiotic used to treat many infections including pneumonia and urinary tract infections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-antibiotics-associated-diarrhea.html Medications Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:30:02 EST news563800909 Researchers from the Low Energy Electronic Systems (LEES) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), together with institutional collaborators, have discovered a novel way to perform general inverse design with reasonably high accuracy. This breakthrough paves the way for further development of a burgeoning and fast-moving field that could eventually enable the use of machine learning to accurately identify materials based on a desired set of user-defined properties. This could be revolutionary for materials science and have vast industrial benefits and use cases. https://techxplore.com/news/2022-01-inverse-high-accuracy.html Computer Sciences Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:29:11 EST news560687347 Researchers of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and their local collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have developed a rapid Raman spectroscopy-based method for the detection and quantification of early bacterial infection in crops. The Raman spectral biomarkers and diagnostic algorithm enable the non-invasive and early diagnosis of bacterial infections in crop plants, which can be critical for the progress of plant disease management and agricultural productivity. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-method-early-bacterial-infection-crops.html Plants & Animals Thu, 18 Nov 2021 10:28:35 EST news556453712 Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and their institutional collaborators have developed a rapid point-of-care test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). This simple test, only requiring a drop of blood from a fingertip, can be performed within 10 minutes without the need for a laboratory or specially trained personnel. Currently, no similar NAb tests are commercially available within Singapore or elsewhere. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-ten-minute-covid-immunity.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 12 Nov 2021 10:11:23 EST news555934272