Strain can alter materials’ properties
New field of "strain engineering" could open up areas of materials research with many potential applications.
Department
Materials Science and Engineering
Tough as nails, yet clear enough to read through
MIT researchers uncover the secrets behind a marine creature’s defensive armor — one that is exceptionally tough, yet optically clear.
Seeing beauty in a materials science world
Marshall Scholar Colleen Loynachan tackles materials science problems with a photographer’s perspective.
How the immune system fights off malaria
Study reveals immune cells that are critical to combating the parasite in early stages of infection.
Introducing high school students to laser spectroscopy
Jill Sewell shepherds the Lambda Project in Professor Keith A. Nelson's lab.
Disordered materials hold promise for better batteries
MIT researchers find that contrary to conventional wisdom, cathodes made of disordered lithium compounds can perform better than perfectly ordered ones.
A collaborative effort breaks Fourier's law
MIT researchers find that Fourier's law of heat conduction breaks down at lengths much longer than previously thought.
Graphene can host exotic new quantum electronic states at its edges
New approach to use of 2-D carbon material opens up unexpected properties, could unleash new uses.
3 Questions: Randolph Kirchain on the spread of electronic waste
New study provides a comprehensive look at where a steadily growing quantity of old computers, televisions, and phones end up.
MIT research in concrete gets funding boost
The MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub seeks to advance the scientific basis for evaluating the environmental impact of concrete.
New graphene treatment could unleash new uses
MIT team develops simple, inexpensive method that could help realize material’s promise for electronics, solar power, and sensors.
Remembering Arthur R. von Hippel
MIT Institute Professor Emeritus Mildred Dresselhaus recalls mentor’s influence as she receives award in his name.
Silvija Gradečak seeks to better the world through new materials
Looking for better materials for solar cells, LEDs, and other technology, one molecule at a time.
Faculty highlight: Katharina Ribbeck
Dissecting the inner workings of the mucus barrier could yield better drugs, prevent disease
Four MIT seniors win Marshall Scholarships
Kate Koch, Colleen Loynachan, Kirin Sinha, and Grace Young will study for two years in the UK.