Finding a needle in a haystack
MIT researchers have created a new detector so sensitive it can pick up a single molecule of an explosive such as TNT.To create the sensors, chemical engineers led by Michael Strano coated carbon...
View ArticleA ‘sensing skin’ for concrete
In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) assigned a grade of “D” to the overall quality of infrastructure in the United States, saying that ongoing evaluation and maintenance of...
View ArticleTiny stamps for tiny sensors
Advances in microchip technology may someday enable clinicians to perform tests for hundreds of diseases — sifting out specific molecules, such as early stage cancer cells — from just one drop of...
View ArticleTiny 3-D chips
Microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS, are small devices with huge potential. Typically made of components less than 100 microns in size — the diameter of a human hair — they have been used as tiny...
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Gauging seizures’ severity
This low-profile wrist sensor, designed by MIT professor Rosalind Picard and her group, has shown early evidence that it can gauge the severity of epileptic seizures as accurately as scalp-worn...
View ArticleComparing apples and oranges
Every year, U.S. supermarkets lose roughly 10 percent of their fruits and vegetables to spoilage, according to the Department of Agriculture. To help combat those losses, MIT chemistry professor...
View ArticleMIT team builds most complex synthetic biology circuit yet
Using genes as interchangeable parts, synthetic biologists design cellular circuits that can perform new functions, such as sensing environmental conditions. However, the complexity that can be...
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Drawing a line, with carbon nanotubes
MIT chemists designed a new type of pencil lead consisting of carbon nanotubes, allowing them to draw carbon nanotube sensors onto sheets of paper.Photo: Jan Schnorr Carbon nanotubes offer a powerful...
View ArticleTiny pores in graphene could give rise to membranes
Much has been made of graphene’s exceptional qualities, from its ability to conduct heat and electricity better than any other material to its unparalleled strength: Worked into a composite material,...
View ArticleCan you feel me now?
In the near future, a buzz in your belt or a pulse from your jacket may give you instructions on how to navigate your surroundings. Think of it as tactile Morse code: vibrations from a wearable,...
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