Three teams with MIT alumni won @kochinstitutemit’s 2019 image awards: 1. Suman Bose and Robert Langer: Cell therapy comes from within. Researchers in the labs of Robert Langer and Daniel Anderson are engineering “smart” cells (blue) and seeding them on an implantable chip (black). As the cells mature (green), they secrete proteins (red) that can fight disease in the surrounding tissue. The biocompatible device not only allows the cells to grow in their natural environment and deliver exactly the right amount of drug when needed, it also protects the system from destruction by immune cells. 2. Robert Langer: This image juxtaposes a molecular dynamics simulation (left) and an electron microscopy image (right) of sorafenib. Sorafenib, like many other cancer drugs, can spontaneously form intricate nano-scale structures that change how the drug behaves. The Langer Lab uses smart algorithms to compare simulations to reality and analyze or predict the assembly of these nanostructures under various conditions. Their findings allow them to design better versions of the drugs to improve patient outcomes. 3. Sangeeta N Bhatia: Natural killer (NK) cells are frontline defenders against infection. The labs of Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia and Galit Alter seek to visualize the process of activation and attack. The NK cell seen here has been deposited on a glass slide alongside parasites and therapeutic antibodies. Preparing for battle, its surface transforms from smooth to bumpy, and protrusions start to emerge. Malaria is the enemy this time, but similar approaches are also being tested against cancer. From @kochinstitutemit #mitalumni #cancerresearch