News & Stories

Reflecting on September 11, 20 years later

The 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, is an occasion to look back on the American response to the atrocities, how and why they occurred, and what the implications are for future global policy dealing with terrorist groups. The long war in Afghanistan, a war-torn country that harbored Osama bin Laden and […]

Smarter regulation of global shipping emissions could improve air quality and health outcomes

Emissions from shipping activities around the world account for nearly 3 percent of total human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and could increase by up to 50 percent by 2050, making them an important and often overlooked target for global climate mitigation. At the same time, shipping-related emissions of additional pollutants, particularly nitrogen and sulfur oxides, pose […]

New device can diagnose Covid-19 from saliva samples

Engineers at MIT and Harvard University have designed a small tabletop device that can detect SARS-CoV-2 from a saliva sample in about an hour. In a new study, they showed that the diagnostic is just as accurate as the PCR tests now used. The device can also be used to detect specific viral mutations linked […]

Using graphene foam to filter toxins from drinking water

Some kinds of water pollution, such as algal blooms and plastics that foul rivers, lakes, and marine environments, lie in plain sight. But other contaminants are not so readily apparent, which makes their impact potentially more dangerous. Among these invisible substances is uranium. Leaching into water resources from mining operations, nuclear waste sites, or from […]

Call for Proposal: Skoltech-MIT Next Generation Program

Skoltech and MIT announce the 4th Call for Proposals for the Next Generation Program (NGP) consisting of joint projects. This call is for PI-initiated projects in research, education, and/or innovation. A team jointly led by a PI from Skoltech and a PI from MIT may submit a single, integrated proposal in one or more of the […]

2021 Teaching with Digital Technology Awards honor MIT educators’ innovation and empathy

This June, 23 faculty and instructors from over a dozen departments, labs, and centers across MIT were honored with Teaching with Digital Technology Awards in an online celebration hosted by the Office of Open Learning. Established in 2016 and co-sponsored by MIT Open Learning and the Office of the Vice Chancellor, these awards were originally […]

SMART researchers develop a method for rapid, accurate virus detection

Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP), an interdisciplinary research group at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a new method for rapid and accurate detection of viral nucleic acids — a breakthrough that can be easily adapted to detect different DNA/RNA targets in viruses […]

Microscopy technique makes finer images of deeper tissue, more quickly

To create high-resolution, 3D images of tissues such as the brain, researchers often use two-photon microscopy, which involves aiming a high-intensity laser at the specimen to induce fluorescence excitation. However, scanning deep within the brain can be difficult because light scatters off of tissues as it goes deeper, making images blurry. Two-photon imaging is also […]

Global collaboration surges post-pandemic

MIT is a focal point for the type of collaborative problem-solving that makes an impact around the world. Faculty and students on campus benefit from a shared passion and complementary knowledge as they work to advance science and technology. This “MIT mindset,” however, is not just limited to campus, as evidenced by the plethora of […]

Thirteen from MIT awarded 2021 Fulbright Fellowships

This story was updated on 7/7/2021 to reflect Sharon Lin’s promotion from alternate to Fulbright Fellow. Thirteen MIT student affiliates have won fellowships for the Fulbright 2021-22 grant year. Their host country destinations include Brazil, Germany, Iceland, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, and Taiwan, where they will conduct research, earn a […]