National Science Foundation (NSF)

A comparison of blood vessels imaged with short-wave fluorescence imaging (right) and near-infrared fluorescence imaging (left). Both images rely on a fluorescent dye called ICG, but the vessels can be seen more clearly with short-wave fluorescence imaging.

Fluorescent dye could enable sharper biological imaging

Technique could allow doctors and researchers to generate clearer images of blood vessels and other tissues.

April 6, 2018

Artist’s view of the young Earth as it is believed to have looked 3.5 billion years ago

Determining the timing of methanogen evolution

Scientists conclude methane-producing microbes date back 3.5 billion years, supporting the hypothesis that they could have contributed to early global warming.

April 4, 2018

David Goldston, director of MIT’s Washington Office

3Q: David Goldston on the new federal budget

Director of MIT Washington Office calls bill “very good news for science funding.”

April 4, 2018

Researchers have found that a solid oxide protective coating for metals can, when applied in sufficiently thin layers, deform as if it were a liquid, filling any cracks and gaps as they form.

Self-healing metal oxides could protect against corrosion

Researchers find an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide, though solid, can flow like a liquid instead of cracking.

April 3, 2018

The cryo-EM-generated GATOR1 structure can provide insights into its function.

Structure of key growth regulator revealed

Researchers identify the molecular structure of the GATOR1 protein complex, which regulates growth signals in human cells, using cryo-electron microscopy.

March 28, 2018

Bottom view of the 19 CUORE towers installed in the cryostat.

Scientists report first results from CUORE neutrino experiment

Data could shed light on why the universe has more matter than antimatter.

March 26, 2018

Diagram illustrates the crystal lattice of a proposed battery electrolyte material called Li3PO4. The researchers found that measuring how vibrations of sound move through the lattice could reveal how well ions – electrically charged atoms or molecules – could travel through the solid material, and therefore how they would work in a real battery. In this diagram, the purple pyramid-like shapes...

A new way to find better battery materials

Design principles could point to better electrolytes for next-generation lithium batteries.

March 25, 2018

Using its undulating tail and a unique ability to control its own buoyancy, SoFi can swim in a straight line, turn, or dive up or down.

Soft robotic fish swims alongside real ones in coral reefs

Made of silicone rubber, CSAIL’s “SoFi” could enable a closer study of aquatic life.

March 21, 2018

Researchers at MIT and the Australian National University have found that seismic waves are essentially blind to a very common substance found throughout the Earth's interior: water.

Scientists find seismic imaging is blind to water

Findings may lead scientists to reinterpret seismic maps of the Earth's interior.

March 14, 2018

The NMR spectrometer in the Quantum Engineering Group (QEG) lab

Scientists gain new visibility into quantum information transfer

Advance holds promise for “wiring” of quantum computers and other systems, and opens new avenues for understanding basic workings of the quantum realm.

March 8, 2018