Mechanical engineering

A new microfluidic device isolates target cells (in pink) from the rest of the flow by getting them to stick weakly to the device's ridges, then roll through trenches, and into a collection chamber.

Rolling in the chip

In a new microchip, cells separate by rolling away.

February 24, 2012

Making droplets drop faster

New nanopatterned surfaces could improve the efficiency of powerplants and desalination systems.

February 23, 2012

Nanowires fabricated using the new techniques developed by Silvija Gradečak and her team can have varying widths, profiles and composition along their lengths, as illustrated here, where different colors are used to indicate compositional variations.

A new twist on nanowires

Technology developed at MIT can control the composition and structure of these tiny wires as they grow.

February 22, 2012

MIT team promotes prostate cancer prognosis tool

Group is a semifinalist in MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition

February 14, 2012

Five MIT engineers named to National Academy of Engineering

Several Institute alumni also among 66 new members announced today.

February 9, 2012

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Tonio Buonassisi.

New tool for analyzing solar-cell materials

Website offers a way of optimizing solar cell materials and production.

February 7, 2012

How spider webs achieve their strength

It’s not just the strength of the silk itself, a new study finds; the silk’s way of stretching and the structure of the whole web help it resist damage.

February 2, 2012

Here comes the sun

A new sunflower-inspired pattern increases concentrated solar efficiency.

January 11, 2012

Up, down and all around

One MIT senior traveled the planet’s most remote areas before landing at the Institute, where he now works on engineering better thermoelectric devices.

December 15, 2011