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MRSEC News Highlights
Congratulations to Boris Kozinsky
Recipient of the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising
May 9, 2024
Building a Stronger Nation With Soft Materials
Navajo Technical University's collaboration with Harvard in materials research and science education is allowing students to pursue research that addresses real-world needs of the Navajo Nation
April, 2024
David Weitz receives the 2024 Bower Award
Bower Award and Prize for his Achievements in Science
April 18, 2024
Entrepreneurship Meet and Greet
MRSEC Leadership Council Local Leaders
April 11, 2024
Intelligent liquid
Researchers develop metafluid with programmable response
April 3, 2024
Kate Strangfeld presents MRSEC Science and Cooking Teacher workshops
at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) annual conference in Denver, Colorado
March 24, 2024
Sweet, sweet Pi science
MRSEC hosts Pi Day program for local middle schoolers
March 14, 2024
The life and death of cracks
Research explores how fractures nucleate, propagate, and stop
January 29, 2024
A long-lasting neural probe
Researchers develop implantable device that can record a collection of individual neurons over months
January 26, 2024
Making chemistry taste great
MRSEC Science & Cooking Workshops help students embrace high school chemistry
January 8, 2024
Rubber that doesn't grow cracks when stretched many times
Multi-scale approach improves the fatigue threshold of particle-reinforced rubber
December 14, 2023
Harvard MRSEC Researchers named 2023 Highly Cited Researchers and Citation Laureate
Highly Cited Researchers in the field of Cross-Field, and Citation Laureate in the field of Physics
November 15, 2023
MRSEC graduate student applies science and engineering in the Navajo Nation
Robinson Tom goes from Navajo Tech REU summer researcher to MRSEC Ph.D. student
November 10, 2023
Reverse engineering Jackson Pollock
Researchers combine physics and machine learning to use Pollock's drip paint technique for quick and accurate 3D printing
October 30, 2023
Kozinsky and team among finalists for Gordon Bell Prize
Researchers recognized for equivariant neural network models that can quickly and accurately simulate millions of atoms
October 5, 2023
Science and Cooking returns with tasty offerings
The popular lecture series will feature talks on the science of fermentation, sugar and mixology
September 7, 2023
Photo gallery: REU 2023 poster presentations
Students from the SEAS Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program recently displayed their research at a poster presentation at the Science Center in Cambridge
August 17, 2023
Going outside their engineering comfort zones
SEAS summer program gives students engineering research experiences
August 10, 2023
Fiber-infused ink enables 3D-printed heart muscle to beat
The ink helps heart muscle cells align so that they can contract in coordination
July 27, 2023
E-nose sniffs out harmful molecules
AI-enabled portable sensor can be used to manage hazardous waste, monitor air quality, identify spoiled food, and diagnose diseases
July 24, 2023
Biomaterial-delivered one-two punch boosts cancer immunotherapy
Integrated biomaterials approach that enhances adoptively transferred T cell therapy with cancer vaccine technology provides strong and long-lasting effects against solid tumors
July 13, 2023
Jennifer Lewis receives 2023 Doctor Honoris Causa Award from EPFL
Jennifer and her team contributed significant digital assembly advances in creating vascularized human tissues.
July 12, 2023
3D knitted robots
Additively manufacturing soft robots could reduce waste, increase performance
May 15, 2023
Prof. L. Mahadevan elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
He is among 269 new members this year, including 17 Harvard faculty.
April 28, 2023
An unprecedented look at biological energy on the sub-cellular level
By detecting nanoscopic heat changes inside cells, first-of-their-kind sensors reveal how living systems use energy
March 31, 2023
Clearing a path for non-invasive muscle therapy for the elderly
Controlling inflammation enables injured aged muscle recovery via non-invasive mechanical loading, offering promise for the future of mechanotherapies for elderly patients.
March 22, 2023
A slice of science
Local eighth-graders experience SEC on Pi Day
March 21, 2023
Four Harvard MRSEC research teams win Grid Accelerator funding
Five research teams who won will work to de-risk promising ideas, with the aim of launching a startup
February 22, 2023
Multimaterial 3D printing with a twist
Rotational multimaterial printing of helical filaments for soft robotics and structural composites
January 18, 2023
A soft, stimulating scaffold supports brain cell development ex vivo
Hydrogel-based scaffolds could be used for better brain-computer interfaces
January 9, 2023
Changing the intrinsic behavior of neurons
Method offers new approach to treating neurological conditions such as epilepsy
December 7, 2022
Wasting muscles built back better
Programmable mechanically active adhesive makes muscles stretch and contract, preventing and enabling recovery from atrophy
November 14, 2022
Seeing concentrations of toxins with the naked eye
New test detects compounds for disease diagnostics, environmental monitoring
November 2, 2022
VIDEO
Simple machine may pave the way for more powerful cell phones and WiFi
A 3D-printed device in a tank of water braids nanowires and moves microparticles.
October 26, 2022
Tentacle robot can gently grasp fragile objects
Jellyfish-like soft gripper mimics the mechanics of curly hair
October 20, 2022
Navajo Technical University students present research at the REU SEAS summer symposium
August 11, 2022
Complex motions for simple actuators
Inflatable actuators use origami principles to deform in intricate ways
July 13, 2022
A major step forward for organ biofabrication
By recreating the helical structure of heart muscles, researchers improve understanding of how the heart beats
July 7, 2022
Congratulations to Conor Walsh
Recipient of the 2022 Blavatnik National Award Laureate for Young Scientists in Physical Sciences & Engineering
June 29, 2022
Congratulations to Jia Liu
Recipient of the MIT Technology Review 2022 Innovators Under 35
June 29, 2022
Food-packaging system reduces health risks and saves food
Inspired by battlefield medicine, this antimicrobial food wrap could reduce food waste and foodborne illness
June 27, 2022
Keeping cool without warming the planet
A revolutionary new mechanism could unlock environmentally friendly air conditioning.
June 24, 2022
Congratulations to George Whitesides
Recipient of the 2022 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience
June 1, 2022
Congratulations to Vinny Manoharan
Recipient of the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising
May 9, 2022
NSF Director Highlights MRSEC-NTU Partnership
At the National Science Board 479th Meeting
May 5, 2022
Self-propelled, endlessly programmable artificial cilia
Simple microstructures that bend, twist and perform stroke-like motions could be used for soft robotics, medical devices and more
May 4, 2022
The physics of a singing saw
Insights on centuries-old folk instrument is underpinned by a mathematical principle that may pave the way for high-quality resonators for sensing, electronics and more
April 21, 2022
Congratulations to Robinson Tom
Has been accepted to the Harvard Ph.D. program beginning Fall 2022.
April 15, 2022
Unexplored dimensions of porous metamaterials
Researchers unlock hidden potential in a long-studied group of materials
March 17, 2022
First-ever NSF-MRSEC Science SlamSarah Battat: Shake, Charge, and Nucleate!
Harvard MRSEC participant Sarah Battat presented in a first ever MRSEC Science Slam with her project entitled "Shake, Charge, and Nucleate!"
January 28, 2022
A soft, stretchable thermometer
Self-powered sensor can be integrated into soft robots, smart clothing
January 20, 2022
Machine learning for morphable materials
New platform can program the transformation of 2D stretchable surfaces into specific 3D shapes
January 12, 2022
Harvard MRSEC researchers named most highly cited in 2021
The Web of Science has recognized Harvard MRSEC researchers who have demonstrated significant and broad influence reflected in their publication of multiple highly cited papers.
November 18, 2021
Elastic polymer that is both stiff and tough, resolves long-standing quandary
More sustainable, long-lasting polymer materials could decrease consumption of plastics
October 7, 2021
Massage doesn't just make muscles feel better, it makes them heal faster and stronger
Study confirms link between mechanotherapy and immunotherapy in muscle regeneration in mice
October 6, 2021
Crystal clear - Research reveals fundamental mechanism of colloid crystal growth, opens door to new applications
August 19, 2021
Pop-up coffee table—no assembly required
Kiriform structures harness buckling for stable, deployable structures
June 28, 2021
Reversible, programmable mechanical metamaterials
Research could be used for mechanical computing, encryption and more
June 9, 2021
Sensor can probe biology's smallest reactions
Breakthrough in calorimetry could reveal fundamental principles of cells
February 18, 2021
Welcome Robinson Tom to the Harvard MRSEC from Navajo Tech PREM
January 26, 2021
Harvard MRSEC researchers named most highly cited in 2020
The Web of Science has recognized Harvard MRSEC researchers who have demonstrated significant and broad influence reflected in their publication of multiple highly cited papers.
November 18, 2020
Rocket Yeast—Gallery of Fluid Motion
Understanding fluid flow on every day bacteria
October 12, 2020
Marine sponges inspire the next generation of skyscrapers and bridges
Bioinspired architecture could pave the way for stronger, lighter structures
September 21, 2020
Clothing that stretches or shrinks to fit you
Harvard MRSEC researchers discover textiles that change shape "on demand"
The Harvard Gazette - Science & Technology
September 4, 2020
Buckling kirigami structures applied to footwear outsoles
Borrowing from Nature to design shoes that prevent slips and falls for patient protection
August 21, 2020
Getting the scoop on ice cream
The science of chocolate brings families to campus
December 11, 2019
New Method for 3D Printing Soft Multimaterials "On Demand"
published to Springer Nature
November 13, 2019
A gentle grip on gelatinous creatures
New ultra-soft underwater gripper safely catches and releases jellyfish without damage
August 28, 2019
Congratulations to Joanna Aizenberg
election to National Academy of Sciences
May 1, 2019
Congratulations to Zhigang Suo
election to National Academy of Sciences
May 1, 2019
Artificial muscles for soft robots
Fully soft, electrically driven artificial muscles operate on par with natural muscles
March 22, 2019
Jennifer Lewis elected to National Academy of Sciences
Congratulations to Jennifer Lewis elected as a Member of the National Academy of Sciences
Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Truby
for being awarded in the First Class of Schmidt Science Fellows
Printing with Sound
Researchers use acoustic forces to print droplets that couldn't be printed before
August 31, 2018
3D Printing is Fun
Watch as the Harvard MRSEC logo is 3D printed in two-color wax and silicon
April, 2018
Inspired to innovate
With booming enrollment, entrepreneurship course teaches more than business skills, which has grown to become one of the most popular courses at Harvard.
January 23, 2018
Learning is sweet
The science of chocolate brings families to campus
December 21, 2017
Scientific salsa
Outreach program provides ingredients for STEM inspiration
July 27, 2017
Showcasing opportunities in STEM
Hands-on science labs inspire Native American high school students
July 11, 2017
Prof. Mahadevan awarded Rice Medal
Congratulations to Prof. Mahadevan for being awarded the first 2017 Society of Engineering Science—James R. Rice Medal
December 8, 2016
Inspiring the next generation of scientists
Middle school girls learn about robotics and 3D printing at SEAS
August 3, 2016
Shmuel Rubinstein named Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows
Congratulations to Shmuel Rubinstein named Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows
by Leah Burrows, SEAS
February 23, 2016
David Weitz elected fellow to National Academy of Engineering
Applied physicist honored for his contributions to engineering
By Leah Burrows, SEAS
February 8, 2016
4D-printed structure changes shape when placed in water
Wyss, SEAS researchers create shape-shifting architectures that mimic plant movements
By Kat J. McAlpine
January 25, 2016
Jennifer Lewis elected fellow of National Academy of Inventors
Jennifer Lewis recognized as an inventor whose technologies are poised to benefit society
December 15, 2015
Baking the grade
Four student teams go head-to-head in first-ever "Top Chef Harvard" competition
December 14, 2015
Filling a void in stem cell therapy
A new porous hydrogel could boost the success of stem-cell-based tissue regeneration
September 14, 2015
Jennifer Lewis named 2014 Global Thinker by Foreign Policy magazine
Recognizing her groundbreaking advancements in bioprinting, Foreign Policy honors Lewis for the potential impact her research could have on global health and technology
November 17, 2014
Step UP program looks to inspire Boston schoolchildren
Harvard is a founding member of Step UP and has been offering after-school program support, learning materials, and professional development at 10 selected schools.
May 13, 2010
L. Mahadevan wins MacArthur "genius" grant
Applied mathematician recognized for investigating everything from how a flag flutters to how the Venus flytrap snaps. The MacArthur Foundation announcement.
September 23, 2009
'Genius' Mathematician Seeks New Problems
Named a MacArthur Foundation fellow, he creates mathematical theories to explain common observations
March 15, 2008