In a surprising discovery, MIT scientists have found tiny loops in the genomes of dividing cells. Enabled by a new high-resolution mapping technique, the findings overturn a long-held belief that the genome loses its internal 3D structure when cells divide.
Why do some quantum materials scale — making it into computer hard drives, TV screens, and medical diagnostics — while others stall? MIT researchers evaluated quantum materials’ potential for commercial success, and identified promising candidates.
Giorgio Rizzo harnesses plant chemistry to design sustainable fertilizers that could reshape modern farming. He aims to bring these innovations from lab to market at a low cost, helping farmers boost crop yields without compromising soil health.
MIT researchers developed a method that can predict how plasma will behave in a tokamak reactor given a set of initial conditions. The findings may have “lowered one of the major barriers to achieving large-scale nuclear fusion,” Gizmodo wrote.
One new weapon against cancer is a type of engineered immune cell known as CAR-NK cells, which can be tuned to attack cancer cells. Researchers have come up with a new way to make CAR-NK cells less likely to be rejected by a patient’s immune system.
In a world without MIT, radar wouldn’t have been available to help win World War II. We might not have email, CT scans, time-release drugs, photolithography, or GPS. And we’d lose over 30,000 companies, employing millions of people. Can you imagine?
Since its founding, MIT has been key to helping American science and innovation lead the world. Discoveries that begin here generate jobs and power the economy — and what we create today builds a better tomorrow for all of us.