MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

08/28/2026

Most ammonia today is produced using the Haber-Bosch process that relies on fossil fuels. NSE’s Bilge Yildiz and other MIT researchers are developing computational approaches to identify a way to produce ammonia more sustainably.
https://news.mit.edu/2026/paving-way-for-greener-ammonia-production-0820

08/25/2026

Congratulations to Professor Matteo Bucci who received the 2027 MathWorks Faculty Research Fellowship which recognizes midcareer faculty for outstanding research contributions and leadership in their field.
https://engineering.mit.edu/news/matteo-bucci-receives-2027-mathworks-faculty-research-innovation-fellowship

08/21/2026

MIT researchers developed a precise X-ray and laser method for tracking how heat moves in layered electronics; it could offer better understanding of overheating in devices and development of more power-dense electronics.

Researchers can now measure how heat moves through multilayered materials like computer chips. The approach could help researchers understand overheating in devices and help companies develop more power-dense electronics.

08/14/2026

MIT Professors Dennis Whyte and Andrew W. Lo outline a framework for making fusion energy commercially viable, focusing on the physical inputs for sustained fusion and the plant costs needed to compete in energy markets.
https://news.mit.edu/2026/mit-researchers-tackle-economic-realities-fusion-power-0810

08/12/2026

NSE’s Dennis Whyte will lead the UK Atomic Energy Authority in his role as CEO, beginning fall 2026. We wish him the very best as he continues to shape the global development of fusion energy and look forward to working with him in his new role. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fusion-energy-expert-prof-dennis-whyte-appointed-next-ukaea-ceo

08/07/2026

MIT scientists have developed a machine-learning-guided pipeline that enables researchers to generate solvent candidate pools on demand, narrow the selections down, and experimentally test the most promising electrolyte recipes.
https://news.mit.edu/2026/solving-solvent-problem-sodium-metal-batteries-0804

07/31/2026

NSE's Ju Li and Haruko Wainwright collaborate on projects selected for funding under DOE's Genesis Mission at Northeastern University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

MIT researchers are set to contribute to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission, with 15 collaborative projects among those selected for funding under Genesis Phase I, DOE has announced.

07/24/2026

In the Navy, Lauren Fortier supervised nuclear plant operations on a US aircraft carrier in the South China Sea. Now an NSE PhD student, she’s building on that experience to solve a critical hurdle in the wider adoption of the energy source.

For nuclear to be considered as a viable clean energy source, it has to be competitively priced and economical to produce. Lauren Fortier, formerly a Naval officer and now a doctoral student in MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, is helping the cause by facilitating remote oper...

07/10/2026

In a new paper in Nature, Professor Areg Danagoulian describes how a satellite-based sensor system could be used to determine if a satellite orbiting Earth contains a nuclear weapon.

MIT Professor Areg Danagoulian is proposing a way to determine if a satellite orbiting Earth contains a nuclear weapon. He describes his idea for a satellite-based sensor system that could orbit close by a suspect satellite and detect neutrons generated by high-energy protons colliding with radioact...

07/06/2026

Ferveret, founded by MIT’s Matteo Bucci and Reza Azizian, cuts the energy and water needed to cool AI chips as data centers drive rising U.S. electricity demand.

The startup Ferveret, founded by MIT Associate Professor Matteo Bucci and former MIT postdoc Reza Azizian, reduces the energy required to cool chips in data centers that power AI.