Research

How to clean up oil spillsMIT researchers devise a surprisingly simple but effective method for magnetically separating oil and water.

Deciphering the language of transcription factorsA new method identifies the precise binding sites of transcription factors — proteins that regulate the production of other proteins — with 10 times the accuracy of its predecessors.

Study maps pollution’s pathway to the Arctic, sets path for future researchMIT researchers have built a model that will be further developed as part of an NSF-funded project to track how chemicals get to remote Arctic environments.

Get to know the Class of 2016MIT’s freshman class represents 54 nations and is 46 percent female.

Weapon-wielding marine microbes may protect populations from foesIn some populations, natural antibiotics are produced by a few individuals whose closest relatives carry genes conferring resistance.

Ekaterina Paramonova: A nuclear networkerUndergraduate on a unique career track that intriguingly combines nuclear engineering and diplomacy.

Mapping neurological diseaseNew algorithm can analyze information from medical images to identify diseased areas of the brain and connections with other regions.

Designing with damaged landA citizens’ guide to reclaiming abandoned mine sites ecologically

Protein impedes microcirculation of malaria-infected red blood cellsMIT-led research team finds that protein significantly reduces infected cells’ ability to squeeze through tiny channels compared to healthy cells.

A one-way street for spinning atomsWork correlating ultracold atoms’ spin with their direction of motion may help physicists model new circuit devices and unusual phases of matter.

Researchers engineer light-activated skeletal muscleTechnique may enable robotic animals that move with the strength and flexibility of their living counterparts.

Connoisseur of chaosWhere other roboticists try to suppress the complex dynamics of mechanical systems, Russ Tedrake exploits them, to make control more efficient and versatile.

Turning on key enzyme blocks tumor formationDrug-like molecule restores normal cell metabolism, preventing cancer cells from growing.

Making crowdsourcing easierA new system for crowdsourcing database operations spares the user from worrying about the computational details but improves cost effectiveness.

Engineers achieve longstanding goal of stable nanocrystalline metalsMethod developed by MIT researchers could produce materials with exceptional strength and other properties.

Teaching a microbe to make fuelGenetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel.

Stroke disrupts how brain controls muscle synergiesDistinctive patterns could allow doctors to develop better rehab programs for stroke patients.

Patterning defect-free nanocrystal films with nanometer resolutionNew process developed at MIT could enable better LED displays, solar cells and biosensors — and foster basic physics research.

Most massive and luminous galaxy cluster identifiedDetection may confirm long-held theory.

Success of engineered tissue depends on where it’s grownCells grown on different types of scaffolds vary in their ability to help repair damaged blood vessels.

Soft autonomous robot inches along like an earthwormFlexible design enables body-morphing capability.

New router enhances the precision of woodworkingHandheld device precisely follows a digital plan with minimal guidance from a user.

Protein that boosts longevity may protect against diabetesSirtuins help fight off disorders linked to obesity, new MIT study shows.

Riding herd on photonsA new ‘metamaterial’ prevents electromagnetic waves from reflecting backward, pointing the way toward computer chips that move data with light.

Study: Many Americans die with ‘virtually no financial assets’Innovative research shows large divergence in retirement saving outcomes, with the single elderly faring worse than married couples.

Writing graphics software gets much easierA new programming language for image-processing algorithms yields code that’s much shorter and clearer — but also faster.