MIT.nano

MIT.nano IAP 2026 offerings

MIT.nano is offering six courses during the 2026 Independent Activities Period (IAP). Join us to make your own chip inside the fab, learn about e-beam lithography and x-ray structural analysis, create 3D models of real world objects, and more!

MIT.nano Job Opening: Applications Engineer

The Applications Engineer will play a key role in implementing and maintaining MIT.nano’s lab management system – NanoFab Equipment Management & Operations (NEMO) MIT.nano is a large shared services facility with over 1,000 users and hundreds of tools and instruments. NEMO, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is an open source web application used to schedule reservations, enable/disable tools, track maintenance issues, track tool usage, and more.

March 29, 2024

Efficient cooling method could enable chip-based trapped-ion quantum computers

New technique could improve the scalability of trapped-ion quantum computers, an essential step toward making them practically useful.

January 15, 2026

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.

January 14, 2026

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.

January 13, 2026

Record a message for deep space — Submissions close Jan. 30

You are invited to record a message that will be broadcast to deep space as part of HUMANS Deep Space Message, a global project developed by MIT researchers, led by MIT alumna Dr. Maya Nasr and presented by Powerhouse.

AI-generated sensors open new paths for early cancer detection

Nanoparticles coated with molecular sensors could be used to develop at-home tests for many types of cancer.

January 6, 2026

Breakerspace Microscope Image Contest IAP 2026

Explore the microscopic world with Breakerspace equipment and compete for prizes!

MIT undergraduates can submit stunning images for a chance to win $100 in two categories (with awards for runners-up and first-time Breakerspace users): Best Optical Microscope Image and Best Electron Microscope Image.

Never used a microscope before? No problem—sign up for quick Breakerspace training and start capturing images immediately.

Submit your entry January 19-23. Winners announced the last week of IAP.

MIT.nano job opening: postdoctoral associate

MIT.nano is seeking a postdoctoral associate for a one-year term appointment focused on plasma etching! Read more and apply.

January 5, 2026

MIT’s top research stories of 2025

Concrete batteries, AI-developed antibiotics, the ozone’s recovery, and a more natural bionic knee were some of the most popular topics on MIT News in 2025.