news

Purification on the cheapSystem developed at MIT cleans ‘produced water’ from natural gas wells, could lead to improved desalination plants for developing countries.

Some cancer mutations slow tumor growthSurprising result suggests that enhancing these mutations’ impact could offer a new way to treat cancer.

MIT researchers improve quantum-dot performanceNew production method could enable everything from more efficient computer displays to enhanced biomedical testing.

Toward practical compressed sensingResearchers show how the vagaries of real-world circuitry affect the performance of a promising new technique in signal processing and imaging.

Mapping the living cellNew technique pinpoints protein locations, helping scientists figure out their functions.

Addressing the complexities of meritocracyGoals of equality and inclusion are not enough, research shows, as MIT’s annual Diversity Summit seeks ways to further improve a merit-based environment.

Duflo, Lander, Lewin to lead spring-semester MITx coursesEdX takes stock of last semester’s MITx courses; data will be used to improve education online and in the classroom.

Why some immigrants get citizenshipStudy: Country of origin a 'massive disadvantage' for some immigrants, regardless of qualifications.

MIT students create new medical devicesPrecision machine design class links doctors with students to find ways of meeting pressing medical needs for new technology.

Why are Japanese cartoons a global hit?MIT scholar’s new book heralds ‘creative collaboration’ with the masses as the key to anime’s worldwide popularity.

A physicist and her neutrinosMIT senior Christie Chiu has found her focus: the study of tiny particles.

A safer way to vaccinatePolymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins could offer a better alternative to traditional vaccines.

Big medical dataAt the intersection of medicine and computer science, researchers look for clinically useful correlations amid mountains of information.

Cardiac development needs more than protein-coding genesBiologists find that long non-coding RNA molecules are necessary to regulate differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiac cells.

Storing data in individual moleculesAn international team of researchers demonstrates the possibility of molecular memory near room temperature.

Putting the squeeze on cellsBy deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications.

Microbiologists eavesdrop on the hidden lives of microbesScientists track ocean microbe populations in their natural habitat to create a ‘day in the life’ montage.

Rare earth oxides make water-repellent surfaces that lastCeramic forms of hydrophobic materials could be far more durable than existing coatings or surface treatments.

Hard times in ChicagoMIT anthropologist’s new book recounts the painful aftermath when steel plants suddenly closed in the American heartland.

Research update: Multiple steps toward the ‘quantum singularity’Over three days in December, four research groups announced progress on a quantum-computing proposal made two years ago by MIT researchers.