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Fluorescent nanosensor enables rapid, first-of-its-kind detection of key gut health biomarker
An international team of researchers has developed a novel fluorescent nanosensor powered by carbon nanotubes that is capable of rapidly detecting an emerging biomarker linked to gut health and disease. This important development could eventually lead to faster and more accessible gut-health testing. Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria during the […]
MIT SPURS looks to the future of urban technology and policy
The MIT SPURS/Humphrey Program – a small gem nestled in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) with scores of former fellows in leadership positions in countries around the world – will quietly turn 60 next year. And like most 59-year-olds, the program, or its directors, have stepped back to take a long look […]
Chris Zegras appointed director and CEO of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology
Chris Zegras, professor of mobility and urban planning and the current head of the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP), has been appointed chief executive officer and director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), effective Sept. 1. Zegras succeeds Bruce Tidor, professor of biological engineering and computer science, who has […]
Innovative projects explore ways to deal with extreme heat
When MIT mechanical engineering Professor Kripa Varanasi landed in New Delhi in the middle of the night in June 2024 to attend a conference, he found himself in 104-degree Fahrenheit heat. “This was June, and it was crazy. It was so hot for the whole meeting that I never left the hotel,” with daytime temperatures […]
MIT Asia Real Estate Initiative expands its footprint in booming Asian cities
Urbanization in the Asia-Pacific region of the world is occurring at an alarmingly rapid pace, with more than 2.2 billion people now living in cities in the region, and an additional 1.2 billion projected to migrate to cities by 2050, according to a February 2026 report from the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and […]
A bet that has paid off 500 million times over
In 2001, at the dawn of the digital age, MIT made a bold decision: to open its curriculum to the world. Through MIT OpenCourseWare — now part of MIT Open Learning — the Institute began sharing materials from nearly all of its courses online for free. A quarter of a century later, that decision has […]
MIT practicum connects students with Ukrainian city leaders on economic development
MIT graduate students are working with leaders from the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia to explore strategies for economic development, infrastructure, and innovation during wartime conditions. As part of the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) spring course 11.S941 (Innovating in Ukraine), DUSP hosted a delegation of five Ukrainian leaders from Vinnytsia, a city […]
From technical solution to systems change: Tackling the problem of plastic waste
When Akorfa Dagadu arrived at MIT, she had a solution in mind: a mobile app to improve recycling and environmental engagement in her home country of Ghana. The project, called Ishara, aimed to make it easier for people to participate in local recycling systems while creating economic opportunities. “I grew up in what people often […]
Q&A: Expanding MIT’s global reach through Universal Learning
MIT’s Universal Learning is a new initiative from MIT Open Learning designed to prepare learners everywhere to tackle complex global challenges through boundary-crossing thinking. Universal Learning offerings combine subject matter expertise from MIT faculty and experts and Open Learning’s more than 25 years of innovation in online education to deliver a learning experience centered on […]