Two-Pronged Immune Response Destroys Tumors
Using a combination of four different therapies, researchers from MIT reveal a new treatment that destroys tumors in mice. Harnessing the body’s own immune system…
materials science
New Beaver-Inspired Wetsuits May Help Keep Surfers Warm
Inspired by semiaquatic mammals such as beavers and sea otters, MIT engineers are fabricating fur-like rubbery hair-lined wetsuits that may help keep surfers warm. Beavers…
Motion-Directed Microrobots Can Be Propelled Light
Researchers reveal a surprisingly simple way to direct synthetic microswimmers towards light or darkness. Phototactic behavior directs some bacteria towards light and others into darkness:…
Researchers Develop Shape-Programmable Miniscule Robots
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute have developed functional elastomers that can be activated by magnetic fields. One day, microrobots may be able to swim…
MIT Aerospace Engineers Develop Carbon Nanotube “Stitches” to Strengthen Composites
Using carbon nanotube “stitches,” aerospace engineers from MIT have found a way to strengthen composites, helping make airplane frames lighter and more damage-resistant. The newest…
New Battery Could Overcome Key Drawbacks of Lithium-Air Batteries
Engineers from MIT propose that a new lithium-oxygen battery material could be packaged in batteries that are very similar to conventional sealed batteries yet provide…
New Hydrogel Hybrid Could Be Used To Make Artificial Skin
MIT engineers have developed a method to bind gelatin-like polymer materials called hydrogels and elastomers, which could be used to make artificial skin and longer-lasting…
Graphene Provides a New Way to Turn Electricity Into Light
By slowing down light to a speed slower than flowing electrons, scientists have developed a new way to turn electricity into light. When an airplane…
Bones and Shells May Lead to a New Formula for Concrete
Engineers from MIT are seeking to redesign concrete by using bones and shells as blueprints for a stronger, more durable concrete. In a paper published…
Dual-Phase Alloys Capable of High Strength and Ductility
Using a new strategy in the development of steel, scientists are able to create alloys capable of both high strength and ductility. For the steel…
Yale Engineers Develop a New Tool to Fight Dust
Inspired by gecko feet, Yale researchers have developed a promising tool in the war on dust. Micrometric and sub-micrometric contaminant particles — what most of…
MIT Researchers Create Perfect Nanoscrolls from Graphene Oxide
Using both low- and high-frequency ultrasonic techniques, scientists have fabricated nanoscrolls made from graphene oxide flakes. Water filters of the future may be made from…
A New Approach to Designing Hydrogen-Resistant Zirconium Alloys
Researchers from MIT have developed a new approach to designing hydrogen-resistant zirconium alloys, which could be useful in nuclear reactors. High-tech metal alloys are widely…
Engineers Design Calcium-Based Multi-Element for Liquid Batteries
In a newly published study, MIT researchers show that calcium can form the basis for both the negative electrode layer and the molten salt that…
Scientists Develop a Light-Driven Three-Dimensional Plasmonic Nanosystem
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a nanoplasmonic system in the form of a pair of scissors that they can…
Scientists Develop Graphene Composite to Simplify Ice Removal
Researchers at Rice University have developed a thin coating of graphene nanoribbons in epoxy that has proven effective at melting ice on a helicopter blade….
Graphene Oxide Layers Deform Evenly Under Gentle Strain
New research from Rice University reveals that graphene oxide layers deform evenly under gentle strain and that the mechanical properties of the material change depending…
Voltage-Controlled Switchable Material Could Enable New Memory Chips
A new thin-film material whose phase and electrical properties can be switched between metallic and semiconducting could lead to new memory chip designs. Two MIT…