News & Stories

MIT-Israel tackles present challenges with an eye toward the future

“Students’ global engagement is a key experience enabling them to grow both in their course of study and in their leadership skills,” says MIT-Israel Faculty Director Eran Ben-Joseph. “The Covid-19 pandemic is challenging us all and changed our students’ Israel plans.” MIT-Israel is a part of MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), an experiential […]

Nanosatellite thruster emits pure ions

A 3D-printed thruster that emits a stream of pure ions could be a low-cost, extremely efficient propulsion source for miniature satellites. The nanosatellite thruster created by MIT researchers is the first of its kind to be entirely additively manufactured, using a combination of 3D printing and hydrothermal growth of zinc oxide nanowires. It is also […]

In Brazil, a look at why health care declines around elections

In October 2016, shortly after Brazil’s mayoral elections, significant numbers of public servants were dismissed from their positions in several municipalities across the country. Porto Nacional’s schools abruptly closed because there were simply not enough teachers staffed to keep the schools open. In Miracema do Tocantins, classes ended six weeks early after 30 percent of […]

Rock magnetism uncrumples the Himalayas’ complex collision zone

With some of the world’s tallest peaks, Asia’s “the abode of snow” region is a magnet for thrill seekers, worshipers, and scientists alike. The imposing 1,400-mile Himalayan mountain range that separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau is the scene of an epic continent-continent collision that took place millions of years ago and changed […]

Portable device can quickly detect plant stress

Researchers at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have designed a portable optical sensor that can monitor whether a plant is under stress. The device offers farmers and plant scientists a new tool for early diagnosis and real-time monitoring of plant health in field conditions. Precision agriculture […]

Discovery allows early detection of shade avoidance syndrome

Researchers from the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group within the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) have discovered a way to use Raman spectroscopy for early detection of shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) in plants. The discovery can […]

Q&A: Holly Jackson on building a cosmic family tree

Holly Jackson doesn’t think of herself as an astronomer, but her work has contributed to some of the most startling and original research in the field this century. A junior majoring in electrical engineering and computer science, Jackson has become a valued member of Professor Paula Jofré’s research team in the astronomy department at Diego […]

SMART researchers engineer a plant-based sensor to monitor arsenic levels in soil

Scientists from the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) research group at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have engineered a novel type of plant nanobionic optical sensor that can detect and monitor, in real time, levels of the highly toxic heavy metal arsenic in the […]

MISTI shifts to fully remote global internships and cultural experiences amid pandemic

The 10.5-hour time difference between the eastern United States and India may seem like it would pose a challenge to collaborative teamwork. However, MIT junior Robert Koirala and sophomore Grace Smith quickly got used to scheduling team meetings as late as 11 p.m. as remote interns for India-based Ek Kadam Aur Foundation for Education and […]

SMART researchers use lysins to selectively target bacteria

Researchers from the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a method to produce customizable engineered lysins that can be used to selectively kill bacteria of interest while leaving others unharmed. The discovery presents a promising alternative to antibiotics for […]