Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 05 August 2026...

Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 28 January 2026...

Susumu Kitagawa, Omar Yaghi and Richard Robson have won the 2025 chemistry Nobel for the development of metal-organic frameworks.Credits: Kota Kawasaki/Yomiuri Shimbun via AP/Alamy, Brittany Hosea-Small/UC Berkeley, Paul Burston/University of Melbourne Susumu Kitagawa at Kyoto University in Japan, Richard Robson at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Omar Yaghi at the University of California, Berkeley, will share the prize of 11-million Swedish kronor (US$1.2 million), for inventing a new form of molecular architecture. Because they have such a vast internal surface area, MOFs could potentially be used to store gases, act as catalysts and deliver drugs, among many other applications. 'This year's laureates'have found ways to create materials, entirely novel materials, with large cavities on their insides,' said Nobel committee chair Heiner Linke, a nanophysicist at Lund University in Sweden, at a press conference announcing the prize. 'A small amount of such material can almost be like Hermione's handbag in Harry Potter ' it can store huge amounts of gas in a tiny volume'....

Matthew D. Shoulders, the Class of 1942 Professor of Chemistry, a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, and an associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, has been named head of the MIT Department of Chemistry, effective Jan. 16, 2026. 'Matt has made pioneering contributions to the chemistry research community through his research on mechanisms of proteostasis and his development of next-generation techniques to address challenges in biomedicine and agriculture,' says Nergis Mavalvala, dean of the MIT School of Science and the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics. 'He is also a dedicated educator, beloved by undergraduates and graduates alike. I know the department will be in good hands as we double down on our commitment to world-leading research and education in the face of financial headwinds.' 'I am tremendously grateful to Troy for his leadership the past six years, building a fantastic community here in our department. We face challenges, but also many exciting opportunities, as a department in the years to come,' says Shoulders. 'One thing is certain: Chemistry innovations are critical to solving pressing global challenges. Through the research that we do and the scientists we train, our department has a huge role to play in shaping the future.'...