Materials Research Laboratory: Driving interdisciplinary materials research at MIT
The MRL helps bring together academia, government, and industry to accelerate innovation in sustainability, energy, and advanced materials.
Professor John Joannopoulos, photonics pioneer and Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies director, dies at 78
Over 50 years at MIT, the condensed-matter physicist led the development of photonic crystals, translating discoveries into wide-ranging applications in energy, medicine, and defense.
Researchers glimpse the inner workings of protein language models
A new approach can reveal the features AI models use to predict proteins that might make good drug or vaccine targets.
Planets without water could still produce certain liquids, a new study finds
Lab experiments show “ionic liquids” can form through common planetary processes and might be capable of supporting life even on waterless planets.
AI helps chemists develop tougher plastics
Researchers created polymers that are more resistant to tearing by incorporating stress-responsive molecules identified by a machine-learning model.
MIT tool visualizes and edits “physically impossible” objects
By visualizing Escher-like optical illusions in 2.5 dimensions, the “Meschers” tool could help scientists understand physics-defying shapes and spark new designs.
Ultrasmall optical devices rewrite the rules of light manipulation
Nanophotonic devices developed at MIT are compact, efficient, reprogrammable, adaptive, and able to dynamically respond to external inputs.
How the brain distinguishes oozing fluids from solid objects
A new study finds parts of the brain’s visual cortex are specialized to analyze either solid objects or flowing materials like water or sand.
Mapping cells in time and space: New tool reveals a detailed history of tumor growth
Researchers developed a tool to recreate cells’ family trees. Comparing cells’ lineages and locations within a tumor provided insights into factors shaping tumor growth.
Staff members honored with 2025 Excellence Awards, Collier Medal, and Staff Award for Distinction in Service
The MIT community celebrates their fellow staff members’ talent and dedication to the Institute.
Famous double-slit experiment holds up when stripped to its quantum essentials
MIT physicists confirm that, like Superman, light has two identities that are impossible to see at once.
New machine-learning application to help researchers predict chemical properties
ChemXploreML makes advanced chemical predictions easier and faster — without requiring deep programming skills.
Astronomers discover star-shredding black holes hiding in dusty galaxies
Unlike active galaxies that constantly pull in surrounding material, these black holes lie dormant, waking briefly to feast on a passing star.
What do we owe each other?
A new class teaches MIT students how to navigate a fast-changing world with a moral compass.
Connect or reject: Extensive rewiring builds binocular vision in the brain
A first-of-its-kind study in mice shows neurons add and shed synapses at a frenzied pace during development to integrate visual signals from the two eyes.