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TINY MOTOR Tufts researchers have developed the world’s first single-molecule electric motor—just a nanometer across. Tufts chemist Charles Sykes says the work may lead to a new class of medical and engineering devices. full story

DIETING SUCCESS The medical school’s Michael Dansinger, the nutrition doc for the Biggest Loser reality TV show, says lifestyle change and accountability are still the best prescriptions for weight loss. full story

GAMING THE FUTURE Would most of us take a test to learn if we had Alzheimer’s or cancer, even if there was no cure? Would we take the test if the results weren’t always accurate? The answer is a resounding yes to both questions, according to an online survey done by Tufts Medical Center. full story

YOUNG INVESTIGATORS Three Morehouse College undergraduates conducted research at the School of Engineering this summer through the national Leadership Alliance, which encourages underrepresented students to pursue science careers. “Research experiences are invaluable for keeping the pipeline flowing from undergrad to graduate school” for these students, says Yvette Dalton-McCoy, Tufts’ associate director of graduate diversity programs. full story

URBAN SHRINK Once-thriving Sunbelt cities hardest hit by the recession are reinventing themselves by downsizing. “What we don’t do enough of is look at what happens when there is depopulation and figure out how to reconfigure places so that there is a high quality of life for those left behind,” says Justin Hollander, the Tufts urban planning expert who writes about “smart decline” in his new book Sunburnt Cities. full story

ALPACA Rx Using a protein from the blood of alpacas, a team of researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is developing a cheaper, more portable antitoxin to treat botulism, a paralytic illness that sometimes can be fatal. full story

JOB HUNTING Why does job growth remain stagnant while corporations continue to grow? “Going through a wrenching recession like the one we have just experienced, companies have become much sharper about how to do more with less,” says the Fletcher School’s Bhaskar Chakravorti. full story

ANEURISM RISK Tufts researchers are building models to calculate the odds that aortic aneurysms will rupture—data that will help identify high-risk patients. full story

MORE NEWS Keep up with all the latest Tufts news and events at now.tufts.edu.