Addressing nuclear challenges, from radiation detection to power in space
Assistant Professor Jake Hecla is developing tools to cool space-based reactors, detect the presence of nuclear weapons, and better understand emerging nuclear technologies.
Department
Nuclear Science and Engineering
School of Engineering welcomes new faculty in 2026
The newest MIT engineering faculty are conducting research across a diverse range of subject areas.
Powering up for a pivotal moment
From a nuclear revival to qubits, the MIT Energy Initiative’s annual research conference tracked deployment of today’s technologies to discovery of tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
Startup plans to rejuvenate the nuclear power industry with a new manufacturing approach
Founded by Jake Jurewicz ’14, SM ’15, Blue Energy aims to manufacture giant pieces of nuclear reactors at shipyards and ship them on barges for final assembly.
Giving AI a “crystal clear” view of the materials world
New research can help AI models understand crystalline materials in 3D and reason about their properties.
3 Questions: Putting nuclear waste into perspective
Professor Haruko Wainwright believes the risks posed by radioactive wastes cannot be properly assessed without also considering the hazards of chemical wastes.
AI helps design new materials that work in the real world
The “CrysVCD” tool developed at MIT could cut the huge amounts of time and money spent on screening out chemically unstable designs.
Paving the way for greener ammonia production
New MIT research could lead to better materials for a fossil-fuel-free process for making the chemical that's essential to fertilizer and other products.
Researchers uncover hidden pore network within nuclear fuel
New understanding of how nuclear fuel breaks down and changes in an operating nuclear reactor could help keep some reactors running longer, will inform the next generation of nuclear reactor fuel systems.
MIT researchers tackle the economic realities of fusion power
Their new study aims to give budding industry a framework for understanding how fusion can be profitable.
A new way to watch heat move through electronics
MIT researchers can now precisely measure how heat moves through multilayered materials like computer chips.
Solving the solvent problem
By focusing on electrolytes, MIT scientists are making sodium-metal batteries a more practical energy storage option.
Working to automate nuclear plant operations
PhD student Lauren Fortier is building on the experience she gained operating a nuclear plant for the Navy to solve a critical hurdle in the wider adoption of the energy source.
MIT projects selected for funding under US Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission
Initial research projects advance national priorities across natural resources, manufacturing, nuclear physics, and more.
MIT student leaders: Q&A with men’s soccer captain Dilin Meloni
The rising senior is passionate about soccer, nuclear fusion, and advocating on behalf of his fellow student-athletes at MIT.