Research – MIT Department of Chemistry

Simon Friedman works in a lab with three graduate students.

Chemist Brings Light to Diabetes Fight

Course 5 alum Simon Friedman '89 was recently featured on the MIT Alumni Association's Slice of MIT blog.

Professor Steve Buchwald smiles in front of a blue background.

Stephen L. Buchwald wins 2026 Willard Gibbs Award

This prestigious honor has been awarded annually for over 100 years by the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society.

Read the Article

Chonghe Zhang smiles in an outdoor setting.

Chonghe Zhang Named 2026 ACS Inorganic Young Investigator

Zhang will showcase his award-winning research at the American Chemical Society's Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Symposium this fall.

Read the Article

MIT ranks No. 1 in 12 subject areas in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, the organization announced.

QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2026

The Institute also ranks second in seven subject areas.

Read the Article

An image depicting a relocated alcohol group on an organic molecule.

Researchers Develop Molecular Editing Tool to Relocate Alcohol Groups

This new technique will allow chemists to efficiently fine-tune the chemical structure of an organic molecule.

Read the Article

Researchers detected statistically significant changes in global atmospheric temperatures in response to three major natural events: the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 (inset on left), the Australian wildfires in 2019-2020 (center), and the eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga in the South Pacific in 2022 (bottom right).

Study reveals climatic fingerprints of wildfires and volcanic eruptions

In research that could help elucidate humans’ role in global warming, scientists showed how three major natural events impacted global atmospheric temperatures.

Read the Article

Rows and rows of pink and turquoise circles with sketches of variations of p53.

Cancer’s Secret Safety Net

Researchers uncover a hidden mechanism that allows cancer to develop aggressive mutations.

Read the Article

MIT chemists showed they can use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to decipher the structure of the fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins. The findings may aid efforts to develop drugs that interfere with Tau buildup in the brain.

Chemists determine the structure of the fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins

Learning more about this structure could help scientists find ways to block Tau from forming tangles in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.

Read the Article

“What’s remarkable is that intelectin-2 (mltln2) operates in two complementary ways. It helps stabilize the mucus layer, and if that barrier is compromised, it can directly neutralize or restrain bacteria that begin to escape,” says Laura Kiessling. On left, mltln2 stabilizes the mucus layer on healthy tissue. On right, it neutralizes bacteria in an inflamed GI tract.

A protein found in the GI tract can neutralize many bacteria

The protein, known as intelectin-2, also helps to strengthen the mucus barrier lining the digestive tract.

Read the Article

Dilyara Sharipova smiles in front of the Taj Mahal.

Graduate Student Spotlight: Dilyara Sharipova

Chemistry Graduate Student Dilyara Sharipova describes her research and answers 20 random questions as part of the Graduate Student Spotlight series.

Read the Article

A new study from MIT reveals how a high-fat diet rewires liver cells and makes them more susceptible to becoming cancerous.

Study: High-fat diets make liver cells more likely to become cancerous

New research suggests liver cells exposed to too much fat revert to an immature state that is more susceptible to cancer-causing mutations.

Read the Article

Three women spell out MIT with their hands.

Creating Stronger Bonds: MIT’s Women+ in Chemistry club builds community through science

Read the Article

Gabi Wenzel wins 2026 Laboratory Astrophysics Division Early Career Award

The LAD Early Career Award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field within 10 years of receiving their Ph.D.

Read the Article