Chemistry and chemical engineering

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.

New insights into the mystery of natural HIV immunityA new finding from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard may have implications for designing an effective AIDS vaccine.

New views at the nanoscaleMIT researchers are building a microscope that uses MRI technology to image viruses and other tiny biological structures.

Three from MIT win Gates scholarships

Slackers and superstars of the microbial workplaceMIT chemical engineers find that yeast engineered to manufacture drugs vary widely in their productivity

In the World: Nanotech on the farmMIT chemical engineer Paula Hammond lends her nanotechnology expertise to farmers in Africa.

Listening in on single cellsA novel sensor array is the first to detect single molecules produced by living cells.

LGO student Fetcho-Phillips receives "New Faces of Engineering" award

A new way to build membranes for fuel cellsLayer-by-layer assembly system could lead to improved fuel cells, batteries and solar panels

Carbon-capturing enzyme: MIT chemists learn from nature

New ‘nanoburrs’ could help fight heart diseaseTargeted nanoparticles can home in on damaged vascular tissue and may be used to deliver drugs that help clear arteries

New and improved RNA interferenceResearchers use RNA interference to silence multiple genes at once. The advance, which one expert calls a ‘substantial breakthrough,’ could lead to new treatments for liver diseases.

Stephen L. Buchwald to receive 2010 Gustavus J. Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest

A greener way to get electricity from natural gasA proposed system would use solid-oxide fuel cells to produce power without sending CO2 into the atmosphere. But can it compete with conventional power plants?

Astronaut and orthopedic surgeon Bobby Satcher tweets his NASA missionThe shuttle Atlantis brought seven astronauts including Robert Satcher ’86, PhD ’93, an orthopedic surgeon who tweeted through space, back to Earth on Nov. 27, after a 11-day NASA mission to stock the International Space Station.