Research

MIT chemical engineers discovered that they could force antibodies and other proteins to form layers by attaching each protein to a polymer tail. The proteins and polymers repel each other, so the molecules arrange themselves in a structure that minimizes the interactions between the protein and polymer segments.

3-D antibody arrays offer better sensing

New tool could help diagnose malaria and other diseases.

January 4, 2017

“Understanding how our innate immune system works is important for thinking about the development of new ways to treat infectious disease,” says MIT associate professor of chemistry Elizabeth Nolan.

Exploring the tug-of-war over metals during infection

Chemist Elizabeth Nolan studies the battle between microbes and hosts for essential metals.

January 4, 2017

MIT scientists have found that extreme precipitation events in California should become more frequent as the Earth’s climate warms over this century.

Study finds more extreme storms ahead for California

New technique predicts frequency of heavy precipitation with global warming.

January 3, 2017

MIT researchers describe a way to make atom interferometry with Bose-Einstein condensates even more precise by eliminating a source of error endemic to earlier designs.

Hyperprecise measurement with Bose-Einstein condensates

New atom interferometer could measure inertial forces with record-setting accuracy.

December 27, 2016

On Dec. 8, 151 SuperUROP students presented their work at the SuperUROP Research Review.

Bots, bit flips, and catching the bus

Engineering undergrads showcase their research after one semester of yearlong SuperUROP projects.

December 22, 2016

Debris and damage from Hurricane Ivan in Pensacola, Florida, Sept. 17, 2004

New approach calculates benefits of building hazard-resistant structures

Calculation developed by MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub shows that when building in areas prone to natural disasters, it pays to make informed decisions.

December 21, 2016

Researchers have discovered that in people with dyslexia the brain has a diminished ability to acclimate to a repeated input — a trait known as neural adaptation.

Distinctive brain pattern may underlie dyslexia

Study suggests reduced plasticity could account for reading difficulties.

December 21, 2016

MIT postdoc Jörn Venderbos (left) and graduate student Vladyslav Kozii co-authored a new paper with Biedenharn Career Development Assistant Professor of Physics Liang Fu proposing that a class of superconducting materials can host Majorana fermions near absolute zero, and their existence can be verified using nuclear magnetic resonance.

Majorana fermions predicted in a superconducting material

MIT researchers propose a new method for verifying the existence of a theoretical quasiparticle.

December 21, 2016

MIT researchers believe they have finally captured the process of quantum melting — a phase transition in quantum mechanics, in which electrons that have formed a crystalline structure purely through their quantum interactions melt into a more disordered fluid, in response to quantum fluctuations to their density.

Scientists detect a quantum crystal of electrons and “watch” it melt

New observations confirm an 80-year-old quantum theory.

December 20, 2016

“I ended up choosing AeroAstro because the people in the major I find are very passionate about not only aerospace but space exploration, and I really liked that vibe,” senior Marlyse Reeves says.

Growing a network of role models

Senior Marlyse Reeves is building a supportive community of women in aerospace engineering.

December 20, 2016

This mosaic image of the Crab Nebula was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Features of this nebula and other astrophysical phenomena are being studied at MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Chikang Li brings the Crab Nebula to the lab

Plasma Science and Fusion Center researcher figures out the kink in the crab.

December 19, 2016

MIT oceanographers have found that some small marine organisms — mostly bacteria — have a surprisingly low limit to the amount of oxygen they need to breathe.

New study sets oxygen-breathing limit for ocean’s hardiest organisms

Bacteria can survive in marine environments that are almost completely starved of oxygen.

December 19, 2016

In 2016, MIT CSAIL researchers worked on a range of projects in robotics, theory, wireless technology, software systems, and other disciplines.

Ingestible robots, glasses-free 3-D, and computers that explain themselves

A look at 16 of the coolest things that happened at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in 2016.

December 16, 2016

“Say there are toxic gases leaking in a building, and you need to close a valve inside, but it’s dangerous to send people in,” says Sangbae Kim, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. “Now, there is no single robot that can do this kind of job. I want to create a robotic first responder that can potentially do more than a human and help in our lives.”

Taking a leap in bioinspired robotics

Mechanical engineer Sangbae Kim builds animal-like machines for use in disaster response.

December 16, 2016

New MIT research could offer a way of making tiny movable parts with no solid connections between the pieces, potentially eliminating a major source of wear and failure in microelectromechanical machines. The new system uses a layer of liquid droplets to support a tiny, movable platform.

Movable microplatform floats on a sea of droplets

New technique offers precise, durable control over tiny mirrors or stages.

December 16, 2016

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3-D antibody arrays offer better sensing

Exploring the tug-of-war over metals during infection

Study finds more extreme storms ahead for California

Hyperprecise measurement with Bose-Einstein condensates

Bots, bit flips, and catching the bus

New approach calculates benefits of building hazard-resistant structures

Distinctive brain pattern may underlie dyslexia

Majorana fermions predicted in a superconducting material

Scientists detect a quantum crystal of electrons and “watch” it melt

Growing a network of role models

Chikang Li brings the Crab Nebula to the lab

New study sets oxygen-breathing limit for ocean’s hardiest organisms

Ingestible robots, glasses-free 3-D, and computers that explain themselves

Taking a leap in bioinspired robotics

Movable microplatform floats on a sea of droplets

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