Chemistry and chemical engineering

Getting bacteria to do a plant’s jobResearchers engineer microbes for low-cost production of precursor of anticancer drug Taxol and other pharmaceuticals.

Doğutan, Nocera win award for microwave researchPostdoc, advisor recognized for significant contributions to renewable energy research

Frank talk on U.S. energy innovationMIT alumnus Steven E. Koonin, DoE under secretary for science, says economics, not technology, is the driver.

Putting carbon dioxide to good useMIT biological engineers have found a way to convert carbon-dioxide emissions to useful building materials, using genetically altered yeast.

Squeezing more production out of bacteriaMIT chemical engineers demonstrate a new way to dramatically boost bacteria’s manufacturing abilities.

Solar funnelNew antenna made of carbon nanotubes could make photovoltaic cells more efficient by concentrating solar energy.

Pushing ions through carbon nanotubesThe tiny, multitalented carbon tubes can carry single molecules, one at a time.

Solar cell, heal thyselfNew self-assembling photovoltaic technology can keep repairing itself to avoid any loss in performance.

Toward greener chemistryBreaking up phosphorus with ultraviolet light may offer a safer, simpler way to build many industrial and household chemicals.

From sponges, a potential cancer drugMIT chemists have synthesized a family of natural compounds that have shown promise in killing tumor cells.

A better way to grow stem cellsNew synthetic surfaces overcome challenges posed by existing methods for cultivating stem cells.

15 MIT students awarded DOE-funded Science Graduate FellowshipsAmong 150 students nationwide awarded fellowships in program's first year

Super-sizing a cancer drug minimizes side effectsResearchers design a new version of cisplatin that spares the kidneys, letting doctors use higher doses.

Don Sadoway on innovation in energy storage"What I Learned in 3.091 was All I Needed to Know" from Technology Day 2010

Emeritus: Engineering a new pathMIT chemical engineer Edward Merrill helped steer his field toward biomedicine.

An easier way to synthesize new drug candidatesMIT chemists’ answer to long-standing problem could have a big impact on pharmaceutical business.

Lunch with a Laureate: Richard SchrockPresented by the MIT Museum and the Cambridge Science Festival

Operating in orbitAstronaut and alumnus Bobby Satcher recounts his experience as the first orthopedic surgeon in space

Chemical biologist and entrepreneur Carolyn Bertozzi awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT PrizeLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley scientist honored for biotechnology innovations

Sylvia T. Ceyer named head of Department of ChemistryThe specialist in surface science will succeed Timothy Swager, effective July 1

Giving proteins a new glowMIT chemists have designed a way to fluorescently label proteins that could shed light on protein functions never before seen.

‘Tattoo’ may help diabetics track their blood sugarChemical engineers are working on carbon nanotubes that could be injected under the skin to reveal blood glucose levels.

More precise food-allergy diagnosesIt turns out that many people mistakenly think they have food allergies. A new technology aims to erase all doubt.

MIT awarded 3 HHMI grants to promote excellence in science educationDrennan, Walker named HHMI Professors

New water-splitting catalyst foundResearch by MIT’s Dan Nocera expands the list of potential electrode materials that could be used to store energy.

Stubbe wins prestigious Welch AwardProfessor of chemistry and biology honored for her work on enzymes involved in DNA and RNA synthesis

Building organs block by blockTissue engineers create a new way to assemble artificial tissues, using ‘biological Legos’ — cells transformed into bricks.

Explained: Directed evolutionSpeeding up protein evolution in the lab can yield useful molecules that nature never intended.