MIT class journeys to fascinating places where mechanical engineering affects biology
For students in 2.788 (Mechanical Engineering and Design of Living Systems), newly discovered phenomena present opportunities for exploration and discovery.
A material difference
A passion for biomaterials inspires PhD candidate Eesha Khare to tackle climate change.
Professor Emeritus Edward Merrill, chemical engineer who helped found the field of bioengineering, dies at 96
Biomaterials pioneer considered “the premier biomedical engineer of the 20th century.”
Machine-learning tool could help develop tougher materials
Engineers develop a rapid screening system to test fracture resistance in billions of potential materials.
Biotech startup uses nanoparticles to induce immune tolerance
Selecta Bioscience’s ImmTOR platform could improve gene therapies and prevent some drug side effects.
Working out makes hydrogels perform more like muscle
Mechanical “training” produces strong, fatigue-resistant, yet soft hydrogels with possible uses in medicine.
Spider silk could be used as robotic muscle
Unusual property of the ultrastrong material could be harnessed for twisting or pulling motions.
Researchers decode molecule that gives living tissues their flexibility
Study reveals atomic structure of tropoelastin, showing what goes wrong in some diseases.
How to build better silk
Reconstituted silk can be several times stronger than the natural fiber and made in different forms.
A living, breathing textile aims to enhance athletic performance
Researchers in the Media Lab's bioLogic group have created a new form of performance fabric that combines biomaterials research with textile design.
Armor plating with built-in transparent ceramic eyes
Tiny sea creatures feature transparent optical systems as tough as their shells.
Paula Hammond named head of Department of Chemical Engineering
An MIT faculty member since 1995, Hammond succeeds Klavs Jensen as ChemE department head.
Tough biogel structures produced by 3-D printing
Stretchable, biocompatible hydrogels with complex patterning could be used in tissue engineering.
Spinning a new version of silk
Simulations and experiments aim to improve on spiders in creating strong, resilient fibers.
How some beetles produce a scalding defensive spray
New analysis shows how bombardier beetles produce an explosive defensive chemical jet.