Why shaving dulls even the sharpest of razors
Human hair is 50 times softer than steel, yet it can chip away a razor’s edge, a new study shows.
Department
Materials Science and Engineering
School of Engineering first and second quarter 2020 awards
Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the past two quarters.
Novel gas-capture approach advances nuclear fuel management
Multidisciplinary team uses metal organic frameworks to extract radioactive krypton from fuel-reprocessing gasses.
Chemists make tough plastics recyclable
New method for producing thermoset plastics allows them to be broken down more easily after use.
A mechanical way to stimulate neurons
Magnetic nanodiscs can be activated by an external magnetic field, providing a research tool for studying neural responses.
A wizard of ultrasharp imaging
To oversee its new cutting-edge electron microscopy systems, MIT sought out Frances Ross’ industry-honed expertise.
COMMANDing drug delivery
A new computational method fine-tunes delivery of therapeutics to specific brain regions.
Guided discovery in teaching structural mechanics
By emphasizing the process of discovery, instructors in course 2.001 (Mechanics and Materials I) provide engineering students a career-building foundation.
Exploring interactions of light and matter
Juejun Hu pushes the frontiers of optoelectronics for biological imaging, communications, and consumer electronics.
Twelve MIT faculty honored as “Committed to Caring” for 2020-2021
Honor recognizes faculty mentors who devote true attention to students’ well-being.
MIT Energy Initiative awards eight seed fund grants for early-stage MIT energy research
Annual MITEI awards support research on battery storage, smart grids, and carbon emissions reduction.
Engineers use “DNA origami” to identify vaccine design rules
In lab tests, virus-like DNA structures coated with viral proteins provoke a strong immune response in human B cells.
Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand
Method could shed light on nitric oxide’s role in the neural, circulatory, and immune systems.
Engineers design a device that operates like a brain synapse
Ion-based technology may enable energy-efficient simulations of the brain’s learning process, for neural network AI systems.
Seven from MIT win 2020 Hertz Fellowships
Award recognizes scholars who pursue graduate studies focusing on “bold, risk-taking research.”