Materials science

Oscillating gels could find many usesMIT researchers analyze behavior of materials that change by themselves; could lead to practical applications.

Four professors named MacVicar fellowsSanyal, Schuh, Verghese and Winston honored for undergraduate teaching excellence

Nano-sized vaccinesNew MIT nanoparticles could lead to powerful vaccines for HIV and other diseases.

Research update: Continuous medical monitoringTiny 'microworms' could be implanted under the skin to give readout of blood sugar levels or other biomedical information.

Detecting whether a heart attack has occurredNew implantable sensor finds telltale signs; technology could also be adapted to monitor cancer and other diseases.

Three MIT engineers named to the National Academy of EngineeringSeveral alumni also elected among 68 new members announced today

New way to grow microwiresResearchers find simple, inexpensive method to produce silicon wires for sensors, batteries and solar cells.

Anne Mayes, former materials science professor, dies at 46'Fiercely dedicated to MIT students,' she established fellowship prior to leaving the Institute.

Hidden in plain sightA new approach to invisibility cloaking gets much closer to the science-fiction version, using simple and inexpensive materials.

Electrifying transportation: Devil is in the detailsMIT symposium finds electric vehicle technology capabilities are way ahead of policy and infrastructure needs.

Research update: How to tame hammering dropletsMIT research uncovers new process relating to the way drops of water spread after striking a surface.

How liquids behaveResearchers identify a fundamental property of how water and other liquids move at different temperatures.

Selection by size and substanceTechnique could produce filters that select molecules according to their chemical properties and dimensions.

Graphene electrodes for organic solar cellsResearchers identify technique that could make a new kind of solar photovoltaic panel practical.

A new approach to bladder-disease treatmentImplanted device can release slow, steady dose of medicine over extended period, removing the need for repeated procedures.

Frost-free planes: back to the drawing boardResearch from MIT and GE demonstrates that a proposed passive solution for preventing ice on wings won’t work — but suggests an alternative.

A decade of OCW benefits: Resources for real world solutionsMegan Brewster used OCW to design a small-scale plastics recycling program in Guatemala.

Understanding shape-shifting polymersMIT analysis should enable easier design for biomedical uses of plastic materials that have a shape memory.

A greener way to grow carbon nanotubesStudy suggests new way for manufacturers to minimize environmental impact of carbon nanotube production

Going nature one betterMIT researchers aim to learn biology’s secrets for making tough, resilient materials out of simple components, and then improve on them.

‘Express lanes’ for ionsBy aligning carbon nanotubes in electrodes, researchers boost performance.

Four engineering students named Intel PhD fellowship recipientsMaterials science, EECS graduate students among 27 honored

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.

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

A pharmacy on the back of a cellDrugs encapsulated in new MIT nanoparticles can hitch a ride to tumors on the surface of immune-system cells.

Explained: BandgapUnderstanding how electrons get excited is crucial to creating solar cells and light-emitting diodes

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

Small-scale understanding, large-scale enhancementBetter fuel cells and reactors, built from the atomic level

Fibers that can hear and singMIT researchers pass a milestone on the path to sophisticated fibers that interact with their surroundings in new ways.