Agriculture

Janus emulsion droplets are captured in the process of changing form in response to the presence of contamination by a food pathogen in a lab setting. The emulsions can be viewed by the naked eye and, with the aid of a handheld sensor currently in development, can quantify the presence and amount of bacterial contamination in food.

MIT spinout seeks to transform food safety testing

An affordable, easy-to-use handheld sensor, soon to enter the market, can indicate the presence of bacterial contaminants in food in seconds.

April 9, 2019

Researchers in MIT’s Open Agriculture Initiative grow basil under controlled environmental conditions to study how taste and other features are affected.

The future of agriculture is computerized

Machine learning can reveal optimal growing conditions to maximize taste and other features.

April 3, 2019

A $30 million award from USAID will support MIT over the next five years in developing a Center of Excellence in Energy at Ain Shams University, Mansoura University, and Aswan University, in Egypt. The center will serve to connect researchers at the Egyptian universities with experts at MIT, to seek innovative solutions to the country’s energy challenges.

MIT receives $30 million to help address energy challenges in Egypt

Award from USAID will support research collaborations through new Center of Excellence in Energy at Ain Shams University in Cairo.

March 27, 2019

MIT engineers have developed a way to deliver genes to the chloroplasts of plant cells. In these images, mesophyll cells (right) and epidermal cells (left) in an arugula leaf have been engineered to express a yellow fluorescent protein in their chloroplasts. Cell walls are stained red and chloroplasts are stained blue.

An easier way to engineer plants

MIT-led team uses nanoparticles to deliver genes into plant chloroplasts.

February 25, 2019

J-WAFS commercialization grants are supporting two MIT research teams developing technologies to make current agricultural practices more sustainable.

J-WAFS grants advance sustainable agriculture

Two new J-WAFS Solutions commercialization grants will support novel technologies that aim to improve the economics and resiliency of farming.

February 14, 2019

For tropical growing regions in Brazil and some countries in Africa, differing soil and rock compositions make for a poor match for the fertilizers that are currently on the market. J-WAFS-funded MIT researchers seek to meet this challenge with a new type of fertilizer, and call for more interdisciplinary research to help close yield gaps.

Local rocks can yield more crops

J-WAFS-funded MIT research team shows a new method of fertilizer production can better suit the needs of farms in Africa and around the globe.

February 12, 2019

Researchers mapped out pathways of energy flow that connect the high energy side of the absorbed solar spectrum to the low energy side.

How plants expand their capacity to use solar energy

Research from the lab of assistant professor of chemistry Gabriela Schlau-Cohen advances the understanding of plants' photosynthetic machinery.

February 6, 2019

As drones increasingly take on the job of inspecting growing solar farms, Raptor Maps' software makes sense of the data they collect.

Optimizing solar farms with smart drones

MIT spinoff Raptor Maps uses machine-learning software to improve the maintenance of solar panels.

January 30, 2019

Graduate student Julia Sokol is working on making drip irrigation cheaper and more efficient at MIT’s Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Lab.

Improving crop yields while conserving resources

PhD student Julia Sokol is helping develop drip irrigation technologies that allow farmers to save water and energy.

December 20, 2018

ClimaCell’s weather modeling system updates itself every minute to incorporate the latest information into its predictions.

Weather monitoring from the ground up

ClimaCell uses wireless signals to track and forecast the weather in every 500-meter patch of the Earth’s surface.

December 14, 2018

Throughout the MIT Water Club’s November Water Summit, attendees from industry, government, and academia engaged in detailed discussions on how cities across the globe can meet water scarcity with resilience strategies.

Urban water scarcity takes center stage at MIT Water Summit

Experts gather at MIT to share insights, techniques, and strategies for building resilient urban water systems.

December 6, 2018

Catherine Nikiel works in the Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering.

3 Questions: Catherine Nikiel on tackling global climate change at the regional scale

The civil and environmental engineering PhD student investigates the effects of climate change in the Midwest.

November 29, 2018

Throughout the MIT Joint Program’s agriculture workshop, attendees from industry, government, and academia engaged in detailed discussions with Joint Program agriculture specialists.

The future of food production amid global change

MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change workshop explores risks and opportunities for the agriculture sector.

November 20, 2018

Ricult's platform gives smallholder farmers access to seeds and fertilizers, weather forecasts, and insights on improving crop yield to help lift them and their families out of extreme poverty.

Platform helps farmers out of extreme poverty

Social enterprise Ricult uses digital tools to empower rural farmers in developing countries.

November 14, 2018

Hassan Radoine, director of the School of Architecture and Design at UM6P, presents at MIT on African urbanization.

Addressing Africa's sustainable development

Researchers and experts attend African Sustainable Development Conference at MIT.

October 19, 2018

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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