From biodegradable fibers to green microchips

The MIT Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) has supported a wide range of research programs in partnership with major industry leaders, including Apple, Ford, Microsoft, Rio Tinto, IBM, Samsung, and Texas Instruments, as well as organizations such as Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, Allegheny Technologies, Ericsson, and the Semiconductor Research Corporation. 

MRL researchers are addressing critical global challenges in energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the development of next-generation material systems.  

• Professor Antoine Allanore of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) is advancing a direct process for wire production from sulfide concentrates, offering a more efficient and sustainable alternative to traditional methods. 
• Professor Joe Checkelsky of the Physics Department is leading pioneering research on scalable, high-temperature quantum materials in the realm of quantum transport. 
• Professor Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, also from Physics, is making significant progress with two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures. 
• Professor Nuh Gedik, a third Physics Department researcher, explores ultrafast electronic and structural dynamics and light-matter interactions.  
• Professor Gregory Rutledge, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, spearheaded a NIST RACER-sponsored initiative to develop biodegradable nanofiber-based personal protective equipment, or PPE, aimed at improving manufacturing automation, diversifying supply chains, and reducing environmental impact. 
• Professor Elsa Olivetti, from DMSE, serves as the lead principal investigator at MIT for REMADE, the Institute for Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions. Her research on fiber recovery and post-consumer resin processing directly supports REMADE’s mission to enhance material circularity and reduce energy use by 50% by 2027. 
• Randy Kirchain, director of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, is modeling metals markets under decarbonization and developing greener construction materials. 
• Anu Agarwal, a principal research scientist at MRL and MIT’s Microphotonics Center is spearheading efforts to build a sustainable microchip manufacturing ecosystem.  

Beyond individual projects, MRL fosters broad collaboration through strategic initiatives such as the Materials Systems Laboratory and Harvard University’s SHINE (Sustainability and Health Initiative for Net Positive Enterprise). These efforts bring together academia, government, and industry to accelerate innovation in sustainability, energy use, and advanced materials.