Designboom reporter Matthew Burgos spotlights how MIT engineers “3D printed recycled glass and produced robust LEGO-like bricks for buildings and facades.” The researchers found that “in mechanical testing, a single 3D printed recycled glass brick can withstand pressures similar to those of a concrete block,” Burgos explains. “This means that the material can be just as robust as concrete, making it ideal for construction.”
Researchers at MIT have developed “3D-printed glass blocks shaped like a figure eight that snap together like LEGOs,” reports Brian Heater for TechCrunch. “The team points to glass’ optical properties and its ‘infinite recyclability’ as reasons for turning to the material,” writes Heater.
MIT researchers have developed a new filtration material, created from natural substances, that could be used to remove “forever chemicals” like PFAS and heavy metals from drinking water, reports Matt Fortin for NBC Boston. "That's a huge advantage of our system, which is that we are using fully renewable, biodegradable and compatible material to resolve this long-lasting problem," explains postdoc Yilin Zhang.
Los Angeles Times reporter Rosanna Xia spotlights Prof. Susan Solomon’s new book, “Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again,” as a hopeful remedy to climate anxiety. “An atmospheric chemist at MIT whose research was key to healing the giant gaping hole in our ozone layer, Solomon gives us much-needed inspiration — and some tangible ways forward,” explains Xia.
Writing for Forbes, Peter Evans PhD '05 identifies used electric vehicle (EV) batteries as the next billion-dollar circular marketplace, noting the possibility of significant search, bargaining and enforcement cost savings. Given large volumes of used batteries won’t be available soon, he acknowledges risk, but “creating a successful national circular EV battery marketplace can be not only a billion-dollar opportunity but an important step toward a more sustainable and resource-efficient future,” he argues.
MIT researchers have developed a new filtration material capable of removing PFAS and heavy metals from water while possessing “antimicrobial properties that prevent the filters from becoming fouled over time,” reports Sujita Sinha for Interesting Engineering. “By combining silk and cellulose and using a method that aligns the silk molecules into nanofibrils, [the researchers] created a hybrid material with unique properties perfect for water filtration,” explains Sinha.
Prof. Asegun Henry has been named a 2024 Grist honoree for his work developing a “sun in a box,” a new cost-effective system for storing renewable energy, reports Grist. Based on his research, Prof. Henry has founded Fourth Power, a startup working to build a prototype system that will hopefully “allow us to decarbonize electricity,” says Henry.
A Nature editorial discusses the live music industry’s increasing commitment to sustainability, going beyond actions such as bottle recycling to addressing band travel, equipment shipping and set construction. Researchers from MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative have “undertaken a project co-funded by the Warner Music Group, Live Nation and Coldplay to analyze the carbon footprint of the live music industry, initially in the United Kingdom and United States, and suggest practical mitigating measures.”
Anurag Bajpayee MS '08, PhD '12 and Prakash Govindan PhD '12 founded Gradiant, an MIT startup “trying to reduce both costs and energy while eliminating chemicals” in water, reports Diana Olick for CNBC. “We take highly contaminated wastewater which contains solvents, which contains dissolved salt, which contains organics, and we eliminate the entire liquid waste,” says Govindan.
Found Energy, co-founded by Peter Godart '15, SM '19, PHD '21, has developed a method for transforming aluminum scrap metal into energy, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. “The Found Energy system could replace fossil fuel with aluminum-generated hydrogen, a gas that burns at up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but produces no waste carbon,” writes Bray.
Plonts, a plant-based cheese company co-founded by Nathaniel Chu PhD '19, uses microbes to develop “nutritious, inexpensive and sustainable” cheese alternatives, reports Christine Hall for TechCrunch. Chu says “microbes, whether mold, bacteria or yeast, are important to create that flavor. The microbes themselves are tiny sacs of hundreds of different enzymes with many different combinations,” writes Hall.
Amrita Saigal '10 is the founder and CEO of Kudos, a company that has developed a “sustainable diaper that uses some plastic but is 100% lined with cotton and incorporates other degradable materials like sugarcane and trees,” reports Gabrielle Fonrouge for CNBC. “I care so much about being premium, but accessible,” says Saigal. “That is exactly what I want to do, so that we are accessible to as many people, and cleaner materials are not out of reach.”
New York Times reporter David Gelles spotlights David Keith PhD '91 who “believes that by “intentionally releasing sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, it would be possible to lower temperatures worldwide, blunting global warming.” “There’s plenty of uncertainty about climate responses,” says Keith. “But it’s pretty hard to imagine if you do a limited amount of hemispherically balanced solar geo that you don’t reduce temperatures everywhere.”
Research Scientist Christopher Mejia-Argueta is interviewed by Marina Mayer of Food Logistics about the food industry’s efforts to achieve a circular supply chain, which could help companies improve their sustainability. “Despite a growing trend to improve the food supply chains from farm to fork and back to farm, scalability is the biggest challenge,” he says.
Prof. Kripa Varanasi and Vishnu Jayaprakash SM '19, PhD '22 founded AgZen, a company aimed at reducing pesticide use by employing a feedback-optimized spraying system, reports Steven Savage for Forbes. Savage notes that for the researchers behind AgZen, “MIT turned out to be a good place to work on the specific imaging technology and on the AI needed to translate that into a practical solution for farmers.”