BU Scientists Advance Efforts to Predict the Behavior of Bacterial Colonies

Using COMETS simulations, researchers showed how metabolism, nutrient use, and physical growth shape colony structure and genetic diversity By Maureen Stanton Microbes — tiny organisms invisible to the naked eye — rarely live in isolation. They form dynamic communities that shape ecosystems in our bodies, soils, oceans, and industries. Despite their microscopic size, these communities […]

Remembering Boston University Professor Margrit Betke

Margrit Betke, a pioneering computer scientist, award-winning researcher, and deeply admired mentor, passed away peacefully on August 13 after a long illness. She will be remembered for her extraordinary contributions to artificial intelligence (AI), her dedication to her students and colleagues, and her vision of using technology for the greater good. At Boston University, where […]

Keith Brown to Bring Expertise to AI Materials Institute

NSF Awards $20M to Multi-Institutional Project The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), in partnership with Intel, will invest $20 million over five years to establish the Artificial Intelligence Materials Institute (NSF AI-MI), a collaboration among researchers at Boston University, Cornell University and the City University of New York. The NSF AI-MI will accelerate and transform […]

NIH Awards $3.1M Grant to Kayhan Batmanghelich for Pulmonary Biomarker Research

AI-driven approach integrates Multi-Modal Data and Biomechanics for Better Diagnosis and Tracking of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) By Maureen Stanton Kayhan Batmanghelich, Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Hariri Institute Junior Faculty Fellow and AIR Affiliate at Boston University, was awarded a $3.1 million competitive renewal R01 grant from the National Institutes of […]

Predicting the Future of Protein Science  

Boston University Professors Dima Kozakov and Sandor Vajda Win Top Honors at Global CASP16 Competition in Category of Multiprotein Complexes By Maureen Stanton A BU-led interdisciplinary research team, bringing together expertise in biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, and theoretical physics, has won top honors at the internationally renowned  CASP16 (Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction) competition. The […]

Mayank Varia and Collaborators Win Best Paper at ACM CS&Law 2025

By Maureen L. Stanton Legal-Tech Framework enables confidential reporting of private misconduct settlements At the intersection of technology and justice, Boston University Professor Mayank Varia, with an interdisciplinary research team from Northwestern University, introduces a new, fully-integrated policy and technical approach to balance private settlement confidentiality with public oversight. Their work, honored with the Best […]

New Research Tackles Future of Encryption in the Age of Quantum Computing

By Maureen L. Stanton Today’s encryption faces mounting risks—from escalating cyberattacks to the looming threat of quantum computing. As digital systems grow more complex and reliant on cloud and third-party services, vulnerabilities multiply. JP Morgan, for instance, reports that it blocks 45 billion hacking attempts daily. But the bigger threat is on the horizon: “Q-Day”—the […]

Brian DePasquale receives 2025 Scialog NCE award for neurobiology and changing ecosystems research

By Maureen L. Stanton Brian DePasquale, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and Hariri Institute faculty fellow at Boston University, is among the distinguished researchers selected for the inaugural Scialog: Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems (NCE) award. This Scialog initiative is a three-year initiative that aims to spark new science exploring neurobiological response to rapid and extensive […]