Materials science and engineering

A sample of nearly pure copper is deposited on an iron electrode after extraction through an electrochemical process developed by researchers in the lab of MIT Associate Professor Antoine Allanore.

Developing new ways to advance copper production

U.S. Department of Energy grant will support the Allanore lab's advancement of copper production from sulfur-based minerals.

September 25, 2018

The MIT.nano building, at the center of campus adjacent to the Great Dome, has expansive glass facades that allow natural light into the labs while giving visitors a clear view of the research in action.

A big new home for the ultrasmall

MIT.nano building, the largest of its kind, will usher in a new age of nanoscale advancements.

September 23, 2018

“If you have a problem, and you look into the problem in nature and see how animals or plants deal with these kinds of problems and extract those design principles, you can try to replicate [them] using engineering approaches,” saysZijay Tang, a PhD candidate in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering.

Inspired by nature, reaching across disciplines

PhD student Zijay Tang is developing a living material that can sense and filter water contaminants.

September 17, 2018

MIT neuroscientists have devised a way to measure dopamine in the brain for more than a year, using microfabricated sensors that are so tiny they don’t lead to the formation of scar tissue.

New sensors track dopamine in the brain for more than a year

Tiny probes could be useful for monitoring patients with Parkinson’s and other diseases.

September 12, 2018

2018 MIT Materials Research Laboratory Summer Scholars, are: (front l-r) Michael Molinski, Fernando Nieves Muñoz, Danielle Beatty, Sabrina Shen, Julianna La Lane, Simon Egner; (back l-r) Elizabeth Hallett, Alvin Chang, Sarai Patterson, Ekaterina Tsotsos, Ryan Tollefsen, and Abigail Nason.

Interns at the forefront of new technology

Materials Research Laboratory summer interns tackle materials science challenges, contribute to faculty research labs, and gain new skills.

September 10, 2018

A new way to remove ice buildup without power or chemicals

Passive solar-powered system could prevent freezing on airplanes, wind turbines, powerlines, and other surfaces.

August 31, 2018

3-D-printed colloidal crystals viewed under a light microscope.

MIT researchers 3-D print colloidal crystals

Technique could be used to scale-up self-assembled materials for use as optical sensors, color displays, and light-guided electronics.

August 30, 2018

Photos illustrate how the tiny droplets produced by a mesh barrier prevent plants from being pummeled by the larger droplets from either rainfall or the spraying of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. The smaller droplets in the image at right have little effect on the plant, while the droplets at left batter its leaves heavily.

New approach makes sprayed droplets hit and stick to their targets

Using a simple mesh screen may allow farmers to dramatically reduce the amount of pesticides they spray.

August 28, 2018

Could a dry spaghetti noodle ever be coerced to break into only two pieces?

MIT mathematicians solve age-old spaghetti mystery

It’s nearly impossible to break a dry spaghetti noodle into only two pieces. A new MIT study shows how and why it can be done.

August 13, 2018

For the first time, the researchers from MIT and AFFOA have produced fibers with embedded electronics that are so flexible they can be woven into soft fabrics and made into wearable clothing.

Introducing the latest in textiles: Soft hardware

Researchers incorporate optoelectronic diodes into fibers and weave them into washable fabrics.

August 8, 2018

Advanced Fiber workshop participants compare the differences between weft knit and warp knit for sweater construction at FIT in New York City. Pictured (clockwise from left) are Veronica Apsan, Melanie Wong, Jesse Doherty, Erika Anderson, Sebastian Pattinson, David Merchan, and Calvin Zhong.

Inventing future fabrics

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America workshop challenges pioneering MIT and FIT students to conceive new ideas.

July 31, 2018

An instrument called a rheometer can measure mechanical properties of materials. The blue-colored gel on the stage of the instrument is the material. The rheometer is used to measure the modulus of the material, to gain an understanding of its stiffness and degree of dynamics.

Light-controlled polymers can switch between sturdy and soft

New material reversibly changes its structure in response to different wavelengths of light.

July 18, 2018

School of Engineering second quarter 2018 awards

Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the last quarter.

July 17, 2018

Michele Bustamante, a postdoc in the MIT Materials Systems Laboratory, won a Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship for her research analyzing supply risks and cost dynamics for key metals in high technology.

Where economics and materials science meet

Postdoc Michele Bustamante wins Congressional Fellowship for her research analyzing supply risks and cost dynamics for key metals in high technology.

July 11, 2018

MIT engineers have designed nanoparticles that can be attached to T cells and release T-cell-stimulating molecules called cytokines (yellow spheres). These cytokines activate T cells (blue) to attack nearby tumor cells.

Nanoparticles give immune cells a boost

Drugs carried in cellular “backpacks” help T cells to destroy tumors.

July 9, 2018

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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