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Since the first microbial genome was sequenced in 1995, scientists have reconstructed the genomic makeup of hundreds of thousands of microorganisms and have even devised methods to take a census of bacterial communities on the skin, in the gut, or in soil, water and elsewhere based on bulk samples, leading to the emergence of a relatively new field of study known as metagenomics.

Engineers at MIT have developed a groundbreaking method for detecting bioluminescent light within the brain.

By modifying the brain’s blood vessels to express a specific protein, they induced dilation in response to light exposure.

The approach enabled researchers to visualize the dilation using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), facilitating precise localization of light sources within the brain.