Chemistry

Researchers have found a way to make tiny particles that can be injected into the body, where they emit short-wave infrared light. The advance may open up a new way of making detailed images of internal body structures such as fine networks of blood vessels.

Nanoparticles open new window for biological imaging

“Quantum dots” that emit infrared light enable highly detailed images of internal body structures.

April 10, 2017

A new safety test for foodborne pathogens is based on a novel type of liquid droplet that can bind to bacterial proteins. This interaction, which can be detected by either the naked eye or a smartphone, could offer a much faster and cheaper alternative to existing food safety tests.

New technology could offer cheaper, faster food testing

Specialized droplets interact with bacteria and can be analyzed using a smartphone.

April 5, 2017

Collaborative research by Bradley Pentelute, the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor in Chemistry, and scientists at UCLA and Harvard Medical School, used cryo-electron microscopy to understand the mechanisms behind anthrax bacteria toxin delivery system (shown here).

MIT receives $7.5 million to enhance structural biology research

Beckman Foundation grant helps secure cryo-electron microscopy at MIT.nano facility.

April 4, 2017

As part of a $35 million materials science discovery program, The Toyota Research Institute will support three MIT-affiliated projects directed at advancing technologies that underpin the future of mobility and autonomous systems and energy storage, such as rechargeable batteries used in hybrid and electric cars.

Multi-university effort will advance materials, define the future of mobility

With support from the Toyota Research Institute, MIT faculty will focus on next-generation energy storage.

April 3, 2017

Researchers have developed a rubber-like fiber, shown here, that can flex and stretch while simultaneously delivering both optical impulses, for optoelectronic stimulation, and electrical connections, for stimulation and monitoring.

Stretching the boundaries of neural implants

Rubbery, multifunctional fibers could be used to study spinal cord neurons and potentially restore function.

March 31, 2017

Research scientist Bogdan Fedeles and postdoc Supawadee Chawanthayatham have discovered a mutational signature that reveals liver cell exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen.

Detecting mutations could lead to earlier liver cancer diagnosis

New technique can reveal exposure to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, before tumors develop.

March 27, 2017

Ellen Swallow Richards (back row, far left) stands in 1888 with students from the MIT Women’s Laboratory, which she founded in the previous year.

Scene at MIT: Ellen Swallow Richards leads the Woman's Laboratory

A trailblazing industrial and environmental chemist, Ellen Swallow Richards was MIT’s first female graduate and first female instructor.

March 21, 2017

Researchers at MIT have devised tiny “microlenses” from complex liquid droplets, such as these pictured here, that are comparable in size to the width of a human hair.

Scientists make microscopes from droplets

With chemistry and light, researchers can tune the focus of tiny beads of liquid.

March 10, 2017

MIT rates No. 1 in 12 subjects in 2017 QS World University Rankings

MIT ranked within the top 5 for 19 of 46 subject areas.

March 8, 2017

MIT earth scientists have found evidence that eukaryotes — the domain of life comprising animals, plants, and protists — were present on Earth as early as 2.33 billion years ago, right around the time when oxygen became a permanent fixture in the atmosphere.

Study suggests complex life was present on Earth 2.33 billion years ago

New estimate predates earliest fossil evidence by 800 million years.

March 6, 2017

Clara Dresselhaus (left) and MIT graduate student Leora Cooper experience the red carpet at the 2017 Academy Awards, through sponsorship from GE. The women were invited to walk in honor of their grandmother, the late Mildred Dresselhaus, who starred in a recent GE campaign focused on supporting women in the STEM fields.

3Q: Leora Cooper on the legacy of her grandmother, Mildred Dresselhaus

After Dresselhaus’ recent passing, GE invited PhD candidate Leora Cooper to walk the red carpet at the 2017 Academy Awards in her grandmother's stead.

February 27, 2017

MIT researchers have designed a machine that can rapidly produce large quantities of customized peptides.

New technology offers fast peptide synthesis

Automated manufacturing could make it easier to develop and test new peptide drugs.

February 27, 2017

CEHS postdoc winners, from left to right: Yehuda Brody (2nd place), Supawadee Chawanthayatham (1st place), and Victor Hernandez-Gordillo and Annelien Zweemer (3rd-place tie).

Center for Environmental Health Sciences selects 2017 poster winners

Annual poster session showcases recent work on biological effects of exposure to environmental agents.

February 23, 2017

Graduate student Seongjun Park holds an example of a new flexible fiber, which is no bigger than a human hair and has successfully delivered a combination of optical, electrical, and chemical signals back and forth into the brain.

Tiny fibers open new windows into the brain

Three-in-one design allows genetic, chemical, optical, and electrical inputs and outputs.

February 21, 2017

This high-resolution transmission electron micrograph of particles made by the research team shows the particles’ highly uniform size and shape. These are iron oxide particles just 3 nanometers across, coated with a zwitterion layer. Their small size means they can easily be cleared through the kidneys after injection.

A new contrast agent for MRI

New iron oxide nanoparticles could help avoid a rare side effect caused by current contrast agents.

February 14, 2017

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