National Science Foundation (NSF)

MIT researchers find that extratropical storm tracks — the blue regions of storminess in the Earth's middle latitudes — would change significantly with solar geoengineering efforts.

Study: Reflecting sunlight to cool the planet will cause other global changes

Solar geoengineering proposals will weaken extratropical storm tracks in both hemispheres, scientists find.

June 2, 2020

MIT researchers drew on kirigami, a variation of origami that involves cutting paper as well as folding it, to create a friction-boosting material that could be used to coat the bottom of your shoes, giving them a stronger grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.

Coatings for shoe bottoms could improve traction on slick surfaces

Material inspired by Japanese paper-cutting art could help to prevent falls in icy or slippery conditions.

June 1, 2020

MIT chemists have developed a protocol to rapidly produce protein chains up to 164 amino acids long. The flow-based technology could speed up drug development and allow scientists to design novel protein variants incorporating amino acids that don’t occur naturally in cells. The automatic tabletop machine, pictured here, is nicknamed the “Amidator” by the research team.

New technology enables fast protein synthesis

Automated tabletop machine could accelerate the development of novel drugs to treat cancer and other diseases.

May 28, 2020

Search-and-rescue algorithm identifies hidden “traps” in ocean waters

Method may help quickly identify regions where objects — and missing people — may have converged.

May 26, 2020

MIT researchers have discovered a phenomenon that could be harnessed to control the movement of tiny particles floating in suspension. This approach, which requires simply applying an external electrical field, may ultimately lead to new ways of performing certain industrial or medical processes that require separation of tiny suspended materials.

Study finds electrical fields can throw a curveball

Particle-scale phenomenon akin to the swerving of a curveball could allow selective separation of suspended nanomaterials.

May 26, 2020

An MIT study shows that electrical vehicle batteries could have a useful and profitable second life as backup storage for grid-scale solar photovoltaic installations, where they could perform for more than a decade in this less demanding role. This image shows a ‘cut-away’ view of a lithium-ion battery over a background of cars and solar panels.

Solar energy farms could offer second life for electric vehicle batteries

Modeling study shows battery reuse systems could be profitable for both electric vehicle companies and grid-scale solar operations.

May 22, 2020

In this illustration, two sheets of graphene are stacked together at a slightly offset “magic” angle, which can become either an insulator or superconductor. “We placed one sheet of graphene on top of another, similar to placing plastic wrap on top of plastic wrap,” MIT professor Pablo Jarillo-Herrero says. “You would expect there would be wrinkles, and regions where the two sheets would...

Researchers map tiny twists in “magic-angle” graphene

Results could help designers engineer high-temperature superconductors and quantum computing devices.

May 7, 2020

In a step toward small-scale production of ammonia fertilizer, MIT chemical engineers have devised a way to combine hydrogen and nitrogen using an electric current that generates a lithium catalyst.

Technique could enable cheaper fertilizer production

Chemical engineers take a step toward generating ammonia with small-scale, electrochemical reactors.

May 4, 2020

A microinjection device (red) is attached to a citrus tree, providing a way of injecting pesticide or other materials directly into the plant's circulatory system.

Engineers develop precision injection system for plants

Microneedles made of silk-based material can target plant tissues for delivery of micronutrients, hormones, or genes.

April 26, 2020

A glimpse into the microscale world in the ocean: marine bacteria (green and cyan) feed on nutrients exuding from a genetically modified phytoplankton (orange). These bacteria release a substance called DMS that contributes to cloud formation.

Researchers explore ocean microbes’ role in climate effects

When they encounter nutrient oases in the marine desert, marine bacteria release a gas involved in climate regulation.

April 23, 2020

MIT researchers have observed mysterious Majorana fermions in islands of gold. The discovery could lead to new family of robust qubits for quantum computing.

First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal

Physicists’ discovery could lead to a new family of robust qubits for quantum computing.

April 10, 2020

New “refrigerator” super-cools molecules to nanokelvin temperatures

Technique may enable molecule-based quantum computing.

April 8, 2020

MIT engineers have developed nanoparticles that can be delivered to the lungs, where tumor-associated proteases cut peptides on the surface of the particles, releasing reporter molecules. Those reporters can be detected by a urine test.

New sensors could offer early detection of lung tumors

Study shows that a simple urine test can reveal the presence of lung cancer in mice.

April 1, 2020

MIT joins a consortium of supercomputing resources to help speed the search for Covid-19 solutions.

MIT joins White House supercomputing effort to speed up search for Covid-19 solutions

Consortium includes industry, government, and academic institutions.

March 23, 2020

The conductive polymer material was tested for its electrical conductivity while immersed in water to demonstrate its durability and ability to maintain adhesion.

How to get conductive gels to stick when wet

A new way of making polymers adhere to surfaces may enable better biomedical sensors and implants.

March 20, 2020

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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