A rare gene variant may contribute to Alzheimer’s by disrupting lipid metabolism and cell membranes, leading neurons into a stressed state that can damage DNA and cellular components. But the effects can be reversed through treatment with choline.
A specialized lidar flown on small aircraft is now helping the natural gas industry find methane leaks: MIT Lincoln Laboratory transitioned the technology for commercialization by Bridger Photonics of Bozeman, Montana, enhancing US energy security.
Technologies developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have won seven R&D 100 Awards for 2025. Inventions that protect U.S. service members, advance computing, and enhance communications were recognized among the year’s most significant new products.
Researchers at MIT have developed the first full map of the quantum landscape that constrains how electrons move inside matter. New Scientist wrote: “A new view of what actually happens inside materials is bound to lead to new ways to improve them.”
An MIT-developed AI system provides realistic predictions for a wide variety of chemical reactions. “A lot of the excitement is in using this kind of system to help discover new complex reactions and elucidate new mechanisms,” says Connor Coley.
In a world without MIT, radar wouldn’t have been available to help win World War II. We might not have email, CT scans, time-release drugs, photolithography, or GPS. And we’d lose over 30,000 companies, employing millions of people. Can you imagine?
Since its founding, MIT has been key to helping American science and innovation lead the world. Discoveries that begin here generate jobs and power the economy — and what we create today builds a better tomorrow for all of us.