MIT engineers have discovered a new way of generating electricity using tiny carbon particles that can create a current simply by interacting with liquid surrounding them. The liquid, an organic solvent, draws electrons out of the particles, generating a current that could be used to drive chemical reactions or to power micro- or nanoscale robots, the researchers say.

An international team led by MIT researchers has now come up with a way of imaging what goes on at the boundary between 2D and 3D materials. Their findings could help lead to improved kinds of junctions in some microchips.

Fatty liver disease is a condition that can lead to fibrosis of the liver and, eventually, liver failure. Currently there is no easy way to diagnose either fatty liver disease or liver fibrosis. However, MIT engineers have now developed a diagnostic tool, based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), that could be used to detect both of those conditions.

Ein neu entwickeltes KI-System basiert auf den neuronalen Netzen von Fadenwürmern: Mit wesentlich weniger Neuronen ausgestattet kann das System zuverlässig ein Fahrzeug steuern – und ist keine „Black Box“ mehr.

Engineers at MIT have studied the simple act of shaving up close, observing how a razor blade can be damaged as it cuts human hair — a material that is 50 times softer than the blade itself.

Thermoset polymers, found in car parts and electrical appliances, have to be durable and heat-resistant, but typically cannot be easily recycled or broken down after use. MIT chemists have now developed a way to modify thermoset plastics that allows them to be more easily broken down without compromising their mechanical strength.

MIT engineers have developed a way to closely track how plants respond to stresses such as injury, infection, and light damage, using sensors made of carbon nanotubes. These sensors can be embedded in plant leaves, where they report on hydrogen peroxide signaling waves.

One of the most pressing shortages facing hospitals during the Covid-19 emergency is a lack of ventilators. These machines can keep patients breathing when they no longer can on their own, and are quite expensive. Now, a rapidly assembled volunteer team of engineers, physicians, computer scientists, and others, centered at MIT, is working to implement a safe, inexpensive alternative for emergency use, which could be built quickly around the world.

Engineers at MIT have developed a small, mirrored chip that helps to produce dark-field images, without dedicated expensive components. The chip is slightly larger than a postage stamp and as thin as a credit card. When placed on a microscope’s stage, the chip emits a hollow cone of light that can be used to generate detailed dark-field images of algae, bacteria, and similarly translucent tiny objects.

A team of MIT chemists has discovered the structure of a key influenza protein. Their finding could help researchers design drugs that block the protein and prevent the virus from spreading.