National Science Foundation (NSF)

Metafluidics.org, a new MIT open-source website, supplies blueprints for microfluidic parts. Pictured are a few photographs from the website.

Microfluidics for the masses

New open-source website features blueprints for lab-on-a-chip devices.

June 13, 2017

Researchers have found one of the last undisturbed tropical peat forests, in the nation of Brunei on the island of Borneo.

Peatlands, already dwindling, could face further losses

Climate change could damage the fragile zones, causing major carbon emissions.

June 12, 2017

This futuristic drawing shows programmable nanophotonic processors integrated on a printed circuit board and carrying out deep learning computing.

New system allows optical “deep learning”

Neural networks could be implemented more quickly using new photonic technology.

June 12, 2017

This artist's conception shows two merging black holes similar to those detected by LIGO. The black holes are spinning in a nonaligned fashion, which means they have different orientations relative to the overall orbital motion of the pair. LIGO found hints that at least one black hole in the system called GW170104 was nonaligned with its orbital motion before it merged with its partner.

LIGO detects merging black holes for third time

Nearly 3 billion light years from Earth, the black holes are the farthest ever detected.

June 1, 2017

Researchers have observed a novel phenomenon in sheets of tantalum arsenide that mimics the behavior of theorized (but never observed) particles called Weyl fermions.

Exploring elusive high-energy particles in an unusual metal

Exotic metal displays behavior that could lead to new infrared detectors.

May 30, 2017

“Our whole goal was to monitor how materials evolve when exposed to radiation,” associate professor Michael Short explains, “but do it in a way that’s online,” without requiring samples to be extracted from that environment and tested in outside devices.

New method enables real-time monitoring of materials during irradiation

Technique will enable continuous measurement of damage to materials in high-radiation environments.

May 30, 2017

Engineers at MIT have come up with a scaling law to describe how objects move through sand. The scaling law can be used to predict how large trucks and cars drive through this material, based on how toy versions of those vehicles drive through an experimental sandbox containing the same grains.

New scaling law predicts how wheels drive over sand

Formula could help optimize construction vehicles, military tanks, and rovers on Mars.

May 29, 2017

Researchers produced colored images on culture plates by using red, green, and blue lights to control the pigment produced by bacteria with “multicolor vision.” The image has been color-corrected in Photoshop to improve contrast.

Bacteria with multicolor vision

Red, green, and blue light can be used to control gene expression in engineered E. coli.

May 26, 2017

“The observations are telling us there will be increases [in extreme rainfall] at almost all latitudes, but if you want to know what’s going to happen at the scale of a continent or smaller, it’s a much more difficult question,” Paul O’Gorman says.

Varied increases in extreme rainfall with global warming

Intensification of extreme rainfall varies from region to region, study shows.

May 15, 2017

MIT students and postdocs with the Science Policy Initiative participated in Congressional Visits Day for the 11th consecutive year.

MIT students and postdocs advocate for science and engineering funding on Capitol Hill

Members of MIT's Science Policy Initiative meet with members of Congress on Science-Engineering-Technology Congressional Visits Day.

May 11, 2017

Twelve National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates interns, co-sponsored by the Materials Processing Center and the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, and two AIM Photonics Academy interns will conduct research from June 15 to August 5 on the MIT campus. 2017 MIT Summer Scholars: (top row, l-r) Alejandro Aponte-Lugo, Stephanie Bauman, Lucia Brunel, Richard Canty, ...

Summer Scholars embrace engineering challenges

Diverse group seeks MIT laboratory internship experiences in materials science, photonics, energy, and biomedical applications.

May 11, 2017

Researchers have found a new approach for reducing the number of loops (red) in a polymer. The method could offer an easy way for manufacturers of industrially useful materials such as plastics or gels to strengthen their materials.

New strategy produces stronger polymers

Simple technique cuts down on loops that weaken materials such as plastic and rubber.

April 24, 2017

Clean power planning

A new study details why it’s prudent to invest in carbon-free electricity now.

April 20, 2017

With support from the NSF CAREER program, three rising faculty stars at MIT will receive funding to explore new frontiers and make a meaningful impact of everyday life.

Three MIT engineering faculty win 2017 NSF CAREER Awards

Support will enable the exploration of new research terrains.

April 10, 2017

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.