Computer model could enable bridges and buildings that use less material
MIT researchers developed an approach for generating more buildable structures, bridging the gap between optimized design and real-world construction.
A better way to model the behavior of metal alloys
MIT researchers’ approach captures subtle atomic patterns, improving predictions of material properties.
MIT chemists design impact-resistant plastics
Introducing weaker bonds into polystyrene and rubber helps these materials dissipate energy, making them more resistant to destructive forces.
Scene at MIT: A nanoscientist graduates with her very good boy
Vinny, an unofficial member of the Strano Lab at MIT, dressed up to celebrate Commencement alongside his human, Michelle Quien PhD ’26.
MIT researchers develop a low-cost technique to get lithium out of rocks
The low-temperature process could unlock cleaner lithium from America’s abundant hard rock while minimizing waste.
Learning to teach, learning to discover
MIT senior Nik Sandu bridges scientific research with a strong commitment to teaching and community.
Steel developed at MIT is key to Formula One, Baja 1000, and MIT Motorsports
Ferrium C61 was designed with the aid of computers in a field pioneered at the Institute.
Big strides in cancer detection and treatment from the tiniest technologies
The MIT Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine looks back at 10 years of turning big ideas about nanotechnology into transformative advances for cancer patients.
MIT chemists discover and isolate a new boron-oxygen molecule
The discovery of dioxaborirane could expand the chemistry of boron-based reagents, providing new tools for oxidation reactions in synthesis and materials science.
Researchers “reprogram” materials by quickly rearranging their atoms
A new method for precisely moving columns of individual atoms within a material could give rise to exotic quantum properties.
Solving hard problems in soft electronics
Camille Cunin PhD ’26 is transforming rigid circuitry into stretchable, signal-amplifying devices built for real-world biomedical use.
The hidden structure behind a widely used class of materials
Relaxor ferroelectrics have been used in electronics and sensors for decades, but the source of their unique properties was a mystery until now.
An engineer’s guide to birds
In her new book, “Birds Up Close,” MIT materials engineer Lorna Gibson explores feathers, bones, bills, eggs, and flight, and the mechanics behind birds’ extraordinary abilities.
With a swipe of a magnet, microscopic “magno-bots” perform complex maneuvers
MIT researchers’ new fabrication technique can produce soft, microscopic structures with magnetically activated moving parts.
Light-activated gel could impact wearables, soft robotics, and more
New MIT work advances the growing field of ionotronics, in which data are transferred through ions, potentially providing a bridge between electronics and biological tissue.