chemistry and chemical engineering archive

NAE welcomes two from MIT - MIT professors Robert Armstrong and Arvind are among the 65 new members of the National Academy of Engineering. This year the NAE also installed alumnus Irwin Jacobs as the new chairman of the academy. October 6, 2008

Imaging atomic-scale fuel-cell nanoparticles - In a step toward developing better fuel cells for electric cars, engineers at MIT and two other institutions have taken the first images of individual atoms on and near the surface of nanoparticles key to the eco-friendly energy storage devices. October 2, 2008

MIT engineers mass-produce smell receptors in lab - MIT biological engineers have found a way to mass-produce smell receptors in the lab, paving the way for the creation of "artificial noses." Such devices could be used to detect drugs and explosives as well as to understand the molecular basis of smell. September 29, 2008

Three faculty win '08 NIH Pioneer Awards - Three MIT faculty are among 16 scientists nationwide to receive 2008 Pioneer Awards from the National Institutes of Health for their "pioneering -- and possibly transforming -- approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research." September 22, 2008

Deutch stresses all-out energy approach - MIT Institute Professor John Deutch stressed the importance of pursuing every available avenue on energy, in testimony Friday before the U.S. Senate's Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. September 12, 2008

Beyond jewelry: Engineering new uses for gold - The glitter of gold may hold more than just beauty, or so says a team of MIT researchers that is working on ways to use tiny gold rods to fight cancer, deliver drugs and more. But first they must overcome one major difficulty: the rods' surface. August 22, 2008

MIT zeroes in on Alzheimer's structures - MIT engineers report a new computer-based approach to identifying protein structures key to Alzheimer's disease, an important step toward the development of new drugs that could prevent such structures from forming. August 21, 2008

MIT engineers work toward cell-sized batteries - Forget 9-volts, AAs, AAAs or D batteries: The energy for tomorrow's miniature electronic devices could come from MIT-developed microbatteries that are about half the size of a human cell and built with viruses. August 20, 2008

Building microchips from the bottom up - Using a novel system based on molecules that can assemble themselves into precise patterns, MIT researchers have overcome size limitations that would otherwise crimp improvements in data-storage media and electronic microchips. August 14, 2008

Amid food price spike, Nobel laureate eyes fertilizer - One of the reasons food prices have risen sharply is the cost of fertilizer. MIT Nobelist Richard Schrock is among a handful of researchers pursuing less energy-intensive ways to produce ammonia, the main component of fertilizer. August 13, 2008

MIT discovery primed to unleash solar revolution - In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine. July 31, 2008

Langer wins major German science award - Institute Professor Robert Langer has been chosen as one of two winners of the 2008 Max Planck Research Award, a 1.5 million-euro science prize funded by the German government. July 10, 2008

Jack Howard, chemical engineering professor emeritus, 70 - Jack Howard, a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering, died on July 7 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 70. July 8, 2008

Probe may help untangle cells' signaling pathways - MIT researchers have designed a new type of probe that can image thousands of interactions between proteins inside a living cell, giving them a tool to untangle the web of signaling pathways that control most of a cell's activities. June 27, 2008

Polymer expert wins $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize - For Joseph M. DeSimone, the interface between disparate fields and concepts offers the best opportunity for innovation. For his pioneering inventions, entrepreneurship and mentorship, DeSimone has been awarded the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize. June 25, 2008

Harnessing solar energy like plants do - Ask any scientist to name Earth's most abundant source of energy, and the answer comes quickly: sunlight. In one hour, the sun strikes Earth with enough energy to power the entire planet for a year. June 20, 2008

MIT finding could improve colon cancer treatment - A compound that accumulates in cells more readily than a commonly used colorectal cancer drug may be just as useful in treating colorectal tumors, but with fewer side effects, MIT researchers have found. June 17, 2008

Stripes key to nanoparticle drug delivery - In work that could at the same time impact the delivery of drugs and explain a biological mystery, MIT engineers have created the first synthetic nanoparticles that can penetrate a cell without poking a hole in its protective membrane and killing it. June 9, 2008

MIT detector uses nanotubes to sense deadly gases - Using carbon nanotubes, MIT chemical engineers have built the most sensitive electronic detector yet for sensing deadly gases, a low-cost, low-energy portable device that could be carried in a pocket and used to monitor hazardous chemicals. June 5, 2008

Langer a winner of Spain's Asturias award - Institute Professor Robert Langer is one of five scientists to receive a top Spanish honor, the 2008 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. June 5, 2008

Chemical engineering awards - Awards given in MIT Chemical Engineering for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

Chemistry awards - Awards given in MIT Chemistry for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

School of Engineering awards - Awards given in the MIT School of Engineering for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

Center funds environmental health projects for 2008 - The MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, through support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of NIH, has announced its support for six pilot projects, which all began April 1. May 27, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Electrochemical Energy - Paula Hammond on electrochemical energy. May 21, 2008

MIT creates new material for fuel cells - MIT engineers have improved the power output of one type of fuel cell by more than 50 percent through technology that could help these environmentally friendly energy storage devices find a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics. May 16, 2008

Art + technology = clean water in Ecuador - MIT student Kendra Johnson found that to improve water quality in a rural Ecuadorian village, she needed to consider economic issues in addition to technology, and so ended up devising an innovative way of using local arts to pay for the project. May 14, 2008

Alexander Rich receives prestigious Welch Award - For his pioneering work that has helped scientists unlock the mysteries of RNA and DNA, as well as important scientific discoveries that have opened up new fields of science, Alexander Rich had been named the 38th recipient of the Welch Award in Chemistry. May 9, 2008

Team develops safe, effective RNAi technique - A team of researchers from MIT and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has developed safe and effective methods to perform RNA interference, a therapy that holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases including cancer and hepatitis. April 27, 2008

Teams unravel heparin death mystery - An international team of researchers led by MIT has explained how contaminated batches of the blood-thinner heparin were able to slip past traditional safety screens and kill dozens of patients recently in the United States and Germany. April 23, 2008

Gathering 'concrete' evidence - Even though they are among the best-known structures on Earth, the pyramids of Egypt may still hold surprises. This spring, an MIT class is testing a controversial theory that some of these structures may consist of concrete. April 2, 2008

Gleason named associate dean for engineering research - Professor Karen Gleason, the Alexander and I. Michael Kasser Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been named associate dean of engineering for research, Dean Subra Suresh announced this week. April 2, 2008

Shell shock - An MIT materials scientist's research on sea snails has helped transform battery technology and may end the era when cell phones die if they're dropped and PDAs must be replaced if they get dunked in the tub. March 11, 2008

MIT creates gecko-inspired bandage - MIT researchers and colleagues have created a waterproof adhesive bandage inspired by gecko lizards that may soon join sutures and staples as a basic operating room tool for patching up surgical wounds or internal injuries. February 18, 2008

MIT professor discusses future of biofuels - MIT Professor Gregory Stephanopoulos leads a discussion at the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting on the ways scientists and energy policymakers are seeking to make biofuels a significant part of the U.S. energy supply. February 16, 2008

Langer examines biomedical engineering future - MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer speaks about the great challenges facing biomedical engineering as part of a panel announcing the report "Grand Challenges of Engineering" at the annual meeting of the AAAS in Boston on Feb. 15. February 15, 2008

'Cycle-logical' bonding for students, professor - It's not unusual for MIT professors and their students to socialize outside the laboratory. But here's a word of warning to would-be members of Jeff Tester's lab: You might want to think about getting in shape. February 13, 2008

A 'micro pharmacy' inside - A new thin-film coating developed at MIT can deliver controlled drug doses to specific targets in the body following implantation, essentially serving as a "micro pharmacy." The film could eventually be used to deliver drugs for many diseases. February 11, 2008

Stubbe honored by NAS - JoAnne Stubbe, Novartis Professor of Chemistry and professor of biology, has been awarded the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences. January 30, 2008

Team IDs weakness in anthrax bacteria - MIT and New York University researchers have identified a weakness in the defenses of the anthrax bacterium--its dependence on nitric oxide to resist the body's immune response--that could be exploited to produce new antibiotics. January 22, 2008

MIT gas sensor is tiny, quick - Engineers at MIT are developing a tiny sensor that could be used to detect minute quantities of hazardous gases, including toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents, much more quickly than current devices. January 10, 2008

New federal chemical rules to impact MIT - The MIT Environment, Health and Safety Office is asking departments, laboratories and centers at the Institute for help in responding to new federal regulations aimed at preventing the misuse of certain chemicals. January 4, 2008

MIT works toward engineered blood vessels - MIT scientists have found a way to induce cells to form parallel tube-like structures that could one day serve as tiny engineered blood vessels. The researchers found that they can control the cells' development by growing them on a surface with nano-scale patterning. December 17, 2007

Hammond named Bayer Professor - Paula Hammond has been named the MIT Bayer Professor in Chemical Engineering thanks to a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Bayer Foundation that will also support a fellowship for Bradley Niesner, a first-year graduate student in the department. December 14, 2007

MIT creates oil-repelling materials - MIT engineers have designed a class of material structures that can repel oils, a novel discovery that could be used to help protect parts of airplanes or rockets that are vulnerable to damage from being soaked in fuel, like rubber gaskets and o-rings. December 6, 2007

Sculpted 3-D particles could aid diagnostics - MIT engineers have used ultraviolet light to sculpt 3-D microparticles that could be used in medical diagnostics and tissue engineering. The particles might be designed to act as probes to detect certain molecules or to release drugs or nutrients. December 4, 2007

Speed is crucial in breaking protein's H-bonds - By slowing down the application of pressure in atomistic models, MIT researchers studying the architecture of proteins have explained why computer models of proteins' behavior under mechanical duress differ from experimental observations. November 7, 2007

MIT's 'electronic nose' could detect hazards - A tiny "electronic nose, " engineered by MIT researchers using a novel inkjet printing method that prints thin sensor films onto a microchip, could be used to detect hazards including carbon monoxide, harmful industrial solvents and explosives. October 30, 2007

MIT works toward novel therapeutic device - MIT and University of Rochester researchers report important advances toward a therapeutic device that could capture cells flowing through blood and treat them in various ways, such as zapping cancer cells or signaling stem cells to differentiate. October 22, 2007

MIT gel changes color on demand - MIT researchers have created a new structured gel that can rapidly change color in response to a variety of stimuli, including temperature, pressure, salt concentration and humidity. The material could lead to fast, inexpensive sensors. October 21, 2007

Partnership aims to transform drug manufacturing - Novartis and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have launched a long-term research collaboration aimed at transforming the way pharmaceuticals are produced. September 28, 2007

Computer model could improve drugs' effectiveness - MIT researchers have developed a computer modeling approach that could improve a class of drugs based on antibodies, molecules key to the immune system. The model can predict structural changes in an antibody that will improve its effectiveness. September 23, 2007

Polymers hold promise for safer gene delivery - In work that could lead to safe and effective techniques for gene therapy, MIT scientists have found a way to fine-tune the ability of biodegradable polymers to deliver genes, which could be a safer technique than using viruses to carry genes. September 7, 2007

Scientists unraveling the secrets of red tide - In work that could one day help prevent millions of dollars in losses for seaside communities, MIT chemists have demonstrated how tiny organisms likely produce the red tide toxin that periodically shuts down U.S. beaches and shellfish beds. August 30, 2007

MIT researchers work toward fuel-efficient engines - In an advance that could help curb global demand for oil, MIT researchers have demonstrated how ordinary spark-ignition automobile engines can, under certain driving conditions, move into a spark-free operating mode that is fuel-efficient and just as clean. July 23, 2007

Brain discovery could fight deadly tumors - MIT researchers have identified a critical link between two proteins found in brain tumors, a discovery that could eventually help treat a form of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, that kills 99 percent of patients. July 18, 2007

Chemistry awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

School of Engineering awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

Shutting fume hoods will save energy and money - Fume hoods keep chemists from breathing noxious vapors, but a single fume hood running 24 hours uses as much energy as a single-family home. A group of students, staff, and administrators aims to save millions by advocating mindful use of fume hoods. June 1, 2007

MLK scholar sheds light on chemical energy flow - Elucidating the dynamics of molecules that are both long-lasting and elusive is the goal of Wilton Virgo, recently named a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Scholar. Virgo's research focuses on gas molecules in long-lived, highly reactive states. May 30, 2007

MIT urged to educate 'geeks' and 'chiefs' - Professor Yossi Sheffi gave the Charles L. Miller lecture April 5, advocating education not only of "geeks"--world class technical designers--but also of "chiefs"--world-class leaders. May 16, 2007

Genzyme co-founder will discuss energy research - Building a balanced portfolio for energy production is not simply a matter of applying known science to large-scale engineering applications, according to George Whitesides, one of the world's leading engineering and science pioneers. April 27, 2007

Swager wins $500K Lemelson-MIT Prize - Timothy M. Swager, head of the Department of Chemistry, is the winner of the $500,000 2007 Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing sensors that detect vapors of common bomb-making chemicals such as TNT. April 2, 2007

Natural polyester makes new sutures stronger, safer - With the help of a new type of suture based on MIT research, patients who get stitches may never need to have them removed. The novel biopolymer suture is made of materials that can be safely absorbed once the wound is healed. March 22, 2007

Two from MIT win Franklin Institute Awards - MIT Professor Emeritus Klaus Biemann and Professor Merton C. Flemings have won 2007 Franklin Institute Awards, joining the august company of past winners including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Orville Wright. March 15, 2007

Hydrogel particles pave way for new diagnostics - MIT researchers have created an inexpensive method to screen for millions of different biomolecules (DNA, proteins, etc.) in a single sample--a technology that could make possible the development of low-cost clinical bedside diagnostics. March 8, 2007

Chemical engineer: Geothermal is undervalued - MIT Professor Jefferson Tester, who headed a recent study of the potential for ramping up geothermal energy within the U.S., spoke on "Geothermal--An Undervalued Primary U.S. Energy Source" at an MIT Museum event last week. February 13, 2007

Two MIT profs win DOE's Lawrence Award - MIT professors Arup K. Chakraborty and Moungi Bawendi are among eight winners of the 2007 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. February 9, 2007

Flow of tiny bubbles mimics computer circuitry - In work that could dramatically boost the capabilities of "lab on a chip" devices, MIT researchers have created a way to use tiny bubbles to mimic the capabilities of a computer while also performing chemical reactions. February 8, 2007

MIT experts foresee sustainable ethanol production - In recent days, two MIT chemical engineering professors have weighed in on ethanol's potential as an alternative fuel source, expressing optimism that biofuels can become a significant part of the U.S. energy supply. February 8, 2007

Jensen to head chemical engineering - Professor Klavs Jensen has been named head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, effective Feb. 1. January 31, 2007

Scientists create wrinkled polymer 'skin' - An MIT scientist and his colleagues at Harvard University and Seoul National University have demonstrated a promising new method for developing wrinkled hard skins on polymers using a focused ion beam. January 25, 2007

Panel backs 'heat mining' as key U.S. energy source - A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the U.S. has found that mining the heat that resides as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a considerable amount of electricity. January 22, 2007

Nanocomposites yield strong and stretchy fibers - Creating artificial substances that are both stretchy and strong has long been an elusive engineering goal. Inspired by spider silk, MIT researchers have now devised a way to produce a material that begins to mimic this combination of desirable properties. January 18, 2007

Scientists mark 50 years since key RNA discovery - Profound doubts were the frequent response when MIT biophysicist Alexander Rich announced 50 years ago that two single-strand ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules could spontaneously align themselves to form a double helix. January 9, 2007

Micro-RNA research proves Rich's 1961 'suggestion' - In 1961 Alexander Rich made a prophetic suggestion that is just now coming to fruition. January 9, 2007

Engineered yeast improves ethanol production - MIT scientists have engineered yeast that can improve the speed and efficiency of ethanol production, a key component to making biofuels a significant part of the U.S. energy supply. December 7, 2006

Chemists shed light on solar energy storage - Chemistry's role in bridging the gap between solar energy's limited present use and enormous future potential was the topic of a recent article by MIT Professor Daniel G. Nocera and a colleague. December 7, 2006

MIT's anti-microbial 'paint' kills flu, bacteria - A new "antimicrobial paint" developed at MIT can kill influenza viruses that land on surfaces coated with it, potentially offering a new weapon in the battle against a disease that kills nearly 40,000 Americans per year. November 30, 2006

MIT math model could aid natural gas production - MIT engineers have developed a mathematical model that could help energy companies produce natural gas more efficiently and ensure a more reliable supply of this valuable fuel. November 21, 2006

Agile new plastics change shape with heat - Researchers at MIT and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers have invented a class of materials so remarkable for their agility in changing shape as they react to heat, they might be described as acrobatic plastics. November 20, 2006

MIT chemist studies how electrons behave - Troy Van Voorhis likes to watch how things work. This natural curiosity led to his current research on the behavior of electrons, which will now be further supported by a 2006 David and Lucile Packard Foundation fellowship. November 17, 2006

Periwinkle can serve as tiny chemical plant - Some of nature's most complicated chemistry takes place in the shoots and leaves of the periwinkle plant. MIT researchers studying the flowering plant have now figured out how to manipulate those complicated biosynthetic pathways to produce novel compounds. November 15, 2006

Shell president discusses energy future - Shell Oil isn't just about oil anymore. The multinational company is investing in wind, solar, hydrogen and biofuel technologies, said John Hofmeister, president of the company, at MIT during a talk, "Energy Security ... What Does It Take?" November 8, 2006

Green research unites Institute across disciplines - Green design research at MIT has one focal point in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where Professor Timothy G. Gutowski works on environmentally benign manufacturing processes. November 1, 2006

Engineers probe spiders' polymer art - A team of MIT engineers has identified two key physical processes that lend spider silk its unrivaled strength and durability, bringing closer to reality the long-sought goal of spinning artificial spider silk. October 30, 2006

Method unveils ultrafast photochemical reactions - MIT researchers have made a fundamental advance in understanding how different environments affect chemical reactions by devising a novel way to observe ultrafast photochemical reactions--reactions induced by a pulse of laser light--in crystals. September 27, 2006

Materials scientists tame tricky carbon nanotubes - Based on a new theory, MIT scientists may be able to manipulate carbon nanotubes -- one of the strongest known materials and one of the trickiest to work with -- without destroying their extraordinary electrical properties. September 15, 2006

Drennan gives freshmen a 'super' start - Likening her students to superheroes, Catherine Drennan, professor of chemistry, welcomed the Class of 2010 to MIT during the faculty keynote address on Aug. 29. She called chemists "superheroes of making molecules and studying molecules." September 1, 2006

DNA damage study probes inflammation, disease - New research at MIT may help scientists better understand the chemical associations between chronic inflammation and diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. The work could lead to drugs that break the link between the two. July 25, 2006

Colleagues honor Langer for 30 years of innovation - Scientific colleagues from across the nation and the world celebrated the contributions made by Institute Professor Robert Langer with a three-day symposium held July 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. July 20, 2006

'Picturing to Learn' makes science visual - If a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps drawing and visualizing can help science students. An MIT researcher and photographer is exploring this idea through "Picturing to Learn," an educational technique that is being tested at MIT. June 27, 2006

Beetle spawns new material - Inspired by a dime-sized beetle, MIT researchers have produced a new material that can capture and control tiny amounts of water. Potential applications include harvesting water, creating cooling devices and decontamination. June 14, 2006

Chemistry awards - 2006 Awards listings. June 7, 2006

Professor Robert C. Reid dies at 81 - Robert C. Reid, professor emeritus of chemical engineering, died May 18 at Winchester Hospital. He was 81 years old. June 7, 2006

Sensor opens up study of crucial molecule - MIT scientists have discovered a way to monitor a crucial molecule -- nitric oxide -- as it goes about its business within living cells. The researchers have developed a bright fluorescent sensor that helps capture and illuminate NO in living, functioning cells. June 1, 2006

Public database aids drug researchers - Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have released a major upgrade of ChemBank, a publicly available database created to help drug hunters discover new and effective medicines. May 30, 2006

Use chemistry to tap solar power, Nocera says - Only the sun has the capacity to meet future global energy needs -- but people will have to act fast to make use of it, according to MIT Professor Daniel G. Nocera. May 15, 2006

Energy secretary pushes oil alternatives - Ethanol will provide up to 5 percent of all motor fuel used in the United States by 2007 and 25 percent by 2012, if the Bush administration has its way, U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman told an MIT audience. May 12, 2006

MIT nanoparticles may help detect tumors - MIT engineers have devised a new technique that allows nanoparticles to group together inside cancerous tumors, creating masses with enough of a magnetic signal to be detectable by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. May 1, 2006

Armstrong receives Bingham Medal - Robert Armstrong, Chevron Professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded the 2006 Bingham Medal. April 12, 2006

Big breakthrough for tiny particles - MIT chemical engineers have devised an elegant new method for creating complex polymeric microparticles that could have applications in a variety of fields. The method gives researchers extraordinary control over the properties of the microparticles. April 10, 2006

Drennan named million-dollar professor - Catherine L. Drennan, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. April 10, 2006

Chemist discovers secret behind nature's medicines - For years, chemists have wondered how organisms manage to create enzymes that serve as self-medications. MIT Associate Professor Catherine L. Drennan found that the secret is the size of one of an enzyme's parts. April 10, 2006

Researchers build tiny batteries with viruses - MIT scientists have harnessed the construction talents of tiny viruses to build ultra-small "nanowire" structures for use in very thin lithium-ion batteries. April 7, 2006

MIT medals in science - President Bush has awarded two MIT faculty members the National Medal of Science, this nation's highest science honor. Phillip A. Sharp and Stephen J. Lippard were among eight honorees who received the medals at a White House ceremony Feb. 13. February 14, 2006

Inventors Hall of Fame to induct 2 professors - Two MIT professors--Robert Langer and Ali Javan--have been named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the hall announced on Wednesday, Feb. 8. February 9, 2006

Schrock receives Nobel - MIT Professor Richard R. Schrock receives the Nobel Prize in chemistry from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during a ceremony at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday, Dec. 10. December 12, 2005

Chemists garner ACS awards - The American Chemical Society recently announced that several MIT chemistry professors have won awards for 2006. October 17, 2005

Laureate credits basic research as catalyst to success - Richard Schrock was 8 when his brother gave him his first chemistry set, a gift that piqued a passion that would ultimately lead to Schrock's winning the 2005 Nobel Prize in chemistry. October 6, 2005

Professor Richard Schrock wins Nobel in chemistry - MIT Professor Richard R. Schrock has won the 2005 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of a chemical reaction now used daily in the chemical industry for the efficient production of pharmaceuticals, fuels, and many other products. October 5, 2005

Feel the magnetic force - MIT's Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory (FBML) receives its new 900 MHz superconducting magnet on Wednesday, Sept. 21. October 5, 2005

Photo Gallery: Richard Schrock wins 2005 Nobel prize - Photos of the events surrounding the announcement of MIT Professor Richard R. Schrock as the 2005 Nobel laureate in chemistry. October 5, 2005

MIT chosen for national role fighting cancer - The National Cancer Institute announced Monday it has chosen MIT and Harvard University to share one of seven national, multi-institutional hubs it is establishing to rapidly advance the application of nanotechnologies to cancer research. October 4, 2005

MIT research could clear up foggy problem - Foggy windows and lenses are a nuisance, and in the case of automobile windows, can pose a driving hazard. Now, MIT scientists may have found a permanent solution to the problem. September 8, 2005

New dye could offer early test for Alzheimer's - MIT scientists have developed a new dye that could offer noninvasive early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could aid in monitoring the progression of the disease and in studying the efficacy of new treatments to stop it. August 25, 2005

Team IDs new way to grow, repair bone - An international team of biomedical engineers, including several from MIT, has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to grow healthy new bone reliably in one part of the body and use it to repair damaged bone at a different location. August 2, 2005

Langer talk highlights cancer symposium - Though his drug delivery systems are now widely lauded, MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer faced an uphill battle getting funding, he told a crowd gathered for the June 24 symposium, "The New Science of Cancer Therapy." June 30, 2005

Symposium held for Silbey's 65th birthday - Dean of Science Robert J. Silbey was honored with a two-day symposium June 24 and 25 to celebrate his 65th birthday. June 29, 2005

Engineered muscles pump blood - In a major step toward creating "replacement parts" for the human body, researchers in Professor Robert Langer's lab at MIT have used a novel cocktail of cells to coax in vitro muscle tissue to develop its own vascular network. June 20, 2005

Wogan wins $250,000 Mott Prize - Gerald N. Wogan, the Underwood-Prescott Professor of Toxicology emeritus and professor of chemistry emeritus, has been awarded the 2005 Charles S. Mott Prize. June 8, 2005

Chemical Engineering Awards - 2005 awards listings. June 1, 2005

Chemistry awards - 2005 awards listings. June 1, 2005

MIT scientists improve explosives detection - MIT researchers have announced a scientific breakthrough that could greatly improve explosives detection for military and civilian security applications. April 20, 2005

Intelligent plastics change shape with light - Picture a flower that opens when facing the sunlight. In work that mimics that sensitivity to light, an MIT engineer and his German colleagues have created the first plastics that can be deformed and temporarily fixed into shape by light. April 13, 2005

Swager, Yablo to head departments - Timothy Swager, professor of chemistry, and Steve Yablo, professor of philosophy, have been appointed heads of their respective departments, effective July 1, 2005. April 5, 2005

Tissue engineering: A real growth field - Driven by a shortage of organs for transplant, tissue engineering has started to come into its own in the past few years, Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, a scientist in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, told a group recently. April 1, 2005

Grad student finds poetry in chemistry - Chemistry may be Mala Radhakrishnan's first love, but she more recently found another: writing poetry. Radhakrishnan has compiled her earliest poems into a collection titled, "Chemistry for the Couch Potato." March 30, 2005

Doyle awarded Doherty Professorship - Patrick Doyle, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded the 2005 Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization from the MIT Sea Grant College Program. March 9, 2005

Langer shares $1M Dan David Prize - Institute Professor Robert Langer will share the $1 million 2005 Dan David Prize for his pioneering work in tissue engineering and biomaterials. March 3, 2005

Langer named an Institute Professor - Robert S. Langer, the Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, has been named Institute Professor, the highest honor awarded by the MIT faculty and administration. March 2, 2005

Plastic helps monitor pollutants - Phil Gschwend, a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is using plastic to collect data on levels of organic pollutants in Boston Harbor waters and sediments. January 12, 2005

Engineers aim to mend broken hearts - Engineers report creating a small swatch of heart tissue that displays many of the hallmarks of mature cardiac tissue, including regular contractions. December 13, 2004

New risks for bladder cancer identified by MIT team - MIT researchers and colleagues have identified three new chemical risk factors for bladder cancer in a study involving some 600 people in the Los Angeles area. October 7, 2004

A dab relieves pain of the jab - Fear of needles could become a thing of the past, thanks to an MIT painkilling device that could offer relief to children and adults who hate the sharp stab of pain that comes with needles and IVs. August 18, 2004

Technology may expand stem cell work - An MIT team has developed new technology that could jump-start scientists' ability to create specific cell types from human embryonic stem cells, a feat with implications for developing replacement organs. June 14, 2004

Langer award cites cancer work - Robert Langer, the Germeshausen Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded the $250,000 Charles F. Kettering Prize. June 2, 2004

Chemistry - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Chemical engineering - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Langer discusses drug delivery - New drug delivery systems can keep drugs at desirable levels in the body and avoid the need for frequent doses, according to MIT professor Robert Langer. March 4, 2004

New approach to tissue engineering - MIT engineers report a new approach to creating three-dimensional samples of human tissue that could push researchers closer to their ultimate goal: tissues for therapeutic applications and replacement organs. October 14, 2003

Supramolecules for sensing - Large molecules composed of subunits can detect pollutants in water, help jets maneuver at high speeds and improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines. October 8, 2003

Supramolecules handy sensing and measuring - Large molecules composed of subunits designed to perform specific tasks can detect pollutants in water, help jets maneuver at high speeds and improve the efficiency of internal combustion engines. October 2, 2003

Water's H-O bonds explored - MIT chemists uncovered one of the stubborn mysteries of water by seeing for the first time how a hydrogen bond vibrates right before it breaks apart. September 24, 2003

Atomic insight may lead to cleaner cars - MIT researchers affiliated with the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment are gaining insight into how sulfur in engine exhaust "poisons" advanced catalytic converters. September 24, 2003

Peptide researchers domesticating molecules - Thousands of years after humans domesticated farm animals, they're moving on to a different sort of workhorse: molecules. September 10, 2003

Peptides show versatility, promise - "Peptides," not "plastics," might have been the one word of career advice imparted to Dustin Hoffman's character in the 1967 film "The Graduate," had it been made today. September 10, 2003

MIT senior lands story in journal, trip to D.C. - Geoffrey von Maltzahn, a chemical engineering major, is lead author of a research paper that is featured in a top scientific journal this month. May 14, 2003

MIT to mimic spider silk - As a fiber, spider silk is so desirable that scientists, including a team at MIT, have spent decades trying to find a way to mimic it. May 7, 2003

MIT lab to mimic spider silk - As a fiber, spider silk is so desirable that scientists have spent decades trying to find a way to mimic it. A team at MIT has been tackling the problem from two directions. April 18, 2003

Professor Drennan - Remy is the latest in a series of dogs Catherine Drennan has had as part of a "dog-obsessed" family. February 5, 2003

Nano-process for waterproofing - Researchers working with Professor Karen Gleason have used a process called hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) to deposit nanolayers of Teflon for waterproofing materials. February 5, 2003

MIT's smart surface reverses properties - MIT engineers and colleagues from UCa. are reporting a unique design of a "smart surface" that can reversibly switch properties in response to an external stimulus. January 29, 2003

Smart surface reverses properties - MIT engineers and colleagues from the University of California are reporting a unique design of a "smart surface" that can reversibly switch properties in response to an external stimulus. January 16, 2003

Energy summit a flop - MIT professor who attended United Nations' World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa says event was more pep rally than venue for addressing environmental concerns. September 16, 2002

Buchi/Pfizer labs dedicated - The Department of Chemistry has dedicated two floors of the renovated Dreyfus Building, naming them the Buchi/Pfizer Laboratories of Synthetic Organic Chemistry. September 11, 2002

Possible malaria vaccine - Researchers at MIT and in Melbourne, Australia, reported in the Aug. 15 issue of Nature that they have created a malaria vaccine that is extremely effective in mice. August 28, 2002

Complex sugar molecule code - Researchers report new analytical method unravels the structure of heparan sulfate, a sugar molecule on the surface of all cells in the body, and heparin, a commercial drug used to prevent clotting. August 7, 2002

Chemical Engineering awards - The Department of Chemical Engineering presented awards on May 13. June 5, 2002

Chemistry department awards - The Department of Chemistry recently presented a series of awards for departmental achievements. June 5, 2002

'Biorubber' in tissue engineering - "Biorubber," a new material with myriad applications including engineered lungs, heart valves and other elastic tissues has been developed at MIT. June 5, 2002

Biorubber creates possibilities - "Biorubber", produced in an MIT lab, may provide scientists with material to be used in humans. "Biorubber" can stretch then resume its original shape. May 31, 2002

Heat exchanger linked to web - With funds through MIT's I-Lab and I-Campus initiatives, Clark Colton bought a heat-exchanger system modified by its manufacturer to be suitable for remote control. May 22, 2002

Heat exchange machine controlled from Internet - Heat exchangers, which involve separate streams of hot and cold fluids, are "everywhere," said Colton, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. May 22, 2002

Source of cells for engineered vessels reported - MIT researchers and colleagues have found a potentially unlimited source of human cells that could be used to grow engineered blood vessels. April 3, 2002

Source of cells for engineered vessels reported - Researchers showed that human embryonic stem cells can develop into the endothelial cells that blood vessels are composed of. March 28, 2002

Cell jackets to inhibit cancer growth - MIT scientists wielding molecular scissors have shown for the first time that the sugar jackets of cancer cells can be tailored to inhibit tumors. January 30, 2002

MIT team tailors cell jackets - MIT scientists wielding molecular scissors have shown for the first time that the sugar jackets of cancer cells can be tailored to inhibit tumors. January 21, 2002

Sharpless wins Nobel in chemistry - K. Barry Sharpless, an MIT chemistry professor for 17 years until he joined Scripps Research Institute in 1990, was chosen October 10 to share the 2001 Nobel Prize in chemistry with two other researchers. October 10, 2001

Photosynthesis in a beaker - MIT researchers have invented a compound that produces hydrogen gas with the help of a catalyst and a zap of light. September 12, 2001

Researchers toward photosynthesis in beaker - In a step toward creating energy from sunlight as plants do, MIT researchers have invented a compound that produces hydrogen gas with help of catalyst and zap of light. August 30, 2001

Gast named VP/associate provost - Professor Alice P. Gast is looking forward to joining the MIT community as vice president for research, associate provost, and the Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering. July 18, 2001

Gast named VP for research and AP at MIT - Professor Alice P. Gast, associate chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, has been named MIT's vice president for research and associate provost. June 29, 2001

Bubbles key to understanding surfaces - Researchers explain how they used soap bubbles to simulate behavior of atoms on and near the surface of material when surface comes in contact with another surface or object. June 11, 2001

ChemE recognizes students - At the Department of Chemical Engineering annual awards ceremony, the following awards to students in the department were presented. June 6, 2001

Chemistry department awards 10 - The Department of Chemistry honored 10 students for their achievements in 2000-01. June 6, 2001

Automating carbohydrate production - When scientists were finally able to create synthetic proteins and nucleic acids in the laboratory, modern-day miracles such as gene sequencing and DNA chips quickly followed. February 7, 2001

Chemists automate sugar synthesis - MIT researchers report in the Feb. 2 online edition of Science that they have automated the production of these extremely complex molecules for the first time. In so doing, they have opened the door to a flood of potential new research and disease treatments. February 1, 2001