The Catalyzing Potential Of J-WAFS Seed Grants
MIT junior faculty explore new research directions and achieve powerful career advancement enabled by J-WAFS’ mission-driven grant program focused on water and food solutions.
“A seed grant for a risky idea that is mission-driven goes a long way.” These are the words of Fadel Adib, an associate professor of media arts and sciences and of electrical engineering and computer science and a 2019 recipient of a two-year seed grant from the Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) at MIT. His work is in wireless sensing, where his research group has largely focused on developing fundamental technology. It is technology with a mission, however one that until the J-WAFS seed grant had largely focused on supporting human health and the environment, but not yet food. “I started with an early project applied to food, but the results were not enough to publish. When I saw the J-WAFS seed grant request for proposals I real
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Researchers construct molecular nanofibers that are stronger than steel
January 27, 2021MIT
Self-assembly of Kevlar-inspired molecules leads to structures with robust properties, offering new materials for solid-state applications.
Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the natural world, serving as a route to form organized structures in every living organism. This phenomenon can be seen, for instance, when two strands of DNA without any external prodding or guidance join to form a double helix, or when large numbers of molecules combine to create membranes or other vital cellular structures. Everything goes to its rightful place without an unseen builder having to put all the pieces together, one at a time.
Researchers Construct Molecular Nanofibers That Are Stronger Than Steel Details
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Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the natural world, serving as a route to form organized structures in every living organism.
Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the natural world, serving as a route to form organized structures in every living organism. This phenomenon can be seen, for instance, when two strands of DNA without any external prodding or guidance join to form a double helix, or when large numbers of molecules combine to create membranes or other vital cellular structures. Everything goes to its rightful place without an unseen builder having to put all the pieces together, one at a time.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the natural world, serving as a route to form organized structures in every living organism. This phenomenon can be seen, for instance, when two strands of DNA – without any external prodding or guidance – join to form a double helix, or when large numbers of molecules combine to create membranes or other vital cellular structures. Everything goes to its rightful place without an unseen builder having to put all the pieces together, one at a time.
For the past couple of decades, scientists and engineers have been following nature’s lead, designing molecules that assemble themselves in water, with the goal of making nanostructures, primarily for biomedical applications such as drug delivery or tissue engineering. “These small-molecule-based materials tend to degrade rather quickly,” explains Julia Ortony, assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE), “and they’