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Forbes

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed a new vaccine that “could be potentially used against a broad array of coronaviruses like the one that causes Covid-19 and potentially forestall future pandemics,” reports Alex Knapp for Forbes. “The vaccine involves attaching tiny pieces of virus that remain unchanged across related strains to a nanoparticle,” explains Knapp.

Fast Company

Ministry of Supply, a clothing brand founded by MIT alumni, has developed a machine-washable, heated jacket, reports Rebecca Barker for Fast Company. “The issue with a lot of heated garments is that they want you to know that they’re heated garments,” says co-founder Gihan Amarasiriwardena '11. “The controller is on the outside, for example, they’re often times made out of kind of cheap shell material, so it doesn’t look as high quality. We think of the heating system as a secondary element, because we think the design of the garment can stand on its own.”

Forbes

MIT Profs. Angela Belcher, Emery Brown, Paula Hammond and Feng Zhang have been honored with National Medals of Science and Technology, reports Michael T. Neitzel for Forbes. Additionally, R. Lawrence Edwards '76 received a National Medal of Science and Noubar Afeyan PhD '87, a member of the MIT Corporation, accepted a National Medal on behalf of Moderna. The recipients have been awarded “the nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievements and leadership in science and technology,” explains Neitzel. 

The Boston Globe

Lithios, a startup cofounded by Mohammad Alkhadra PhD '22 and Prof. Martin Bazant, is developing “a clean and relatively cheap way to access vast amounts of lithium,” reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. “Lithios has developed a lithium-absorbing material that can be made into electrodes using the same technologies created to make electrodes for lithium-ion batteries,” explains Bray. 

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe’s Angelina Parrillo interviews Jasmina Aganovic ’09 about her beauty company Arcaea, which reconstructs data from extinct flowers to produce fragrances. “I viewed fragrance as this remarkable emotional storytelling category and people don’t view science as being associated with creativity, emotion, or storytelling,” Aganovic says. “I think that that’s very far from the truth.”

Somewhere on Earth

Prof. Michael Strano joins “Somewhere on Earth” podcast host Gareth Mitchell to discuss how he and his colleagues developed tiny batteries that could be used to power cell-sized robots. Roughly the thickness of a human hair, the new battery can create a current by capturing oxygen. “I would say we're making the LEGOs, the building blocks that go into robots,” Strano says. “We’re building the parts and it's an exciting time for the field.”

The Boston Globe

Falmouth’s Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium has unveiled a new chocolate candy named Dr. Bob’s Dark Chocolate Maple Syrup Cream – inspired by Prof. Bob Langer’s love of maple, reports Jon Chesto in The Boston Globe. “To make the Dr. Bob’s candy, the staff takes the maple cream chocolates and then drizzles maple syrup over them as a topping,” writes Chesto. 

TechCrunch

Researchers at MIT have developed tiny batteries capable of powering cell-sized robots that can “execute tasks as varied as targeting drug delivery inside the human body to checking pipelines for gas leaks,” reports Brian Heater for TechCrunch. “Despite the barely visible size, the researchers say the batteries can generate up to 1 volt, which can be used to power a sensor, circuit or even a moving actuator.”

Wired

Prof. Martin Bazant speaks with Wired reporter Emily Mullin about the importance of proper battery disposal to reduce waste and ensure the materials can be reused. “What we don’t want is to be losing critical minerals from the supply chain,” explains Bazant. “We have to be able to recycle them.”

Boston Business Journal

Writing for the Boston Business Journal, MITEI Director William Green emphasizes that in order to address the climate crisis, "we need to convene universities, industry, and government to address the challenges of every sector including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and the electric grid." Green notes: "We at MIT are searching for real climate solutions that the public will adopt, and that merit the huge investments necessary for wide deployment. By working collaboratively to solve these complex issues we will successfully address the greatest threat facing humanity today." 

Boston 25 News

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed a new technique that removes lead from water using repurposed beer yeast, reports Boston 25 News. The researchers “developed a hydrogel capsule to hold the yeast after it is cleaned, freeze-dried, and ground into a powder,” explains Boston 25. “Researchers said the yeast capsules could be modified to remove other dangerous contaminants from water, including PFAS and microplastics.” 

Forbes

Prof. Sara Seager, Prof. Robert Langer and Prof. Nancy Kanwisher have been awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize for their work in the three award categories: astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience, respectively, reports Michael T. Nietzel for Forbes. According to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, this award honors scientists with outstanding research “that has broadened our understanding of the big, the small and the complex,” writes Nietzel. 

Nature

Prof. Kristala Prather, head of MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering, speaks with Nature reporter Alessio Lavino about what inspired her research on metabolic engineering and how her work in industry helped shape her career in academia. “The potential to educate, encourage and support the next generation of scientists and engineers in an educational setting gives me a chance to amplify my impact far beyond what I could ever personally do as an individual,” says Prather. “I cannot think of any higher honor than serving in a capacity that enables me to facilitate their emergence.”

Scientific American

Researchers at MIT have created a noise-blocking sheet of silkworm silk that could “greatly streamline the pursuit of silence,” reports Andrew Chapman for Scientific American. “The silk sheet, which is enhanced with a special fiber, expands on a technology also found in noise-canceling headphones,” explains Chapman. “These devices create silence by sampling the ambient noise and then emitting sound waves that are out of phase with those in the environment. When the ambient and emitted waves overlap, they cancel each other out.” 

MassLive

Researchers at MIT have developed a fiber capable of suppressing sound that is made up of “silk, canvas and other common materials,” reports Charlie McKenna for MassLive. “The silk is barely thicker than human hair and is made by heating the materials and drawing them into a fiber,” explains McKenna. “Since each material flows at the same temperature, they can be pulled into a fiber while maintaining their structure.”