In the world of materials science, researchers are constantly seeking new ways to create more efficient, durable, and adaptable materials. One promising avenue is the study of bottlebrush block polymers, a unique class of macromolecules that self-assemble into intricate nanostructures. Researchers at the University of Minnesota have been at the forefront of this research, uncovering new possibilities for these polymers and their applications.

A new travel award will support up to five MRSEC trainees from any of the 20 current MRSEC Centers or their NSF-funded PREM partners across the United States to attend and present research at the 2026 Materials Research Society Spring Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Applications are due Sunday, March 22, at 11:55 p.m. PST.

HighRise is another summer program in partnership with local high schools, offering students interested in STEM careers a hands-on laboratory experience in Materials Science & Engineering.

The Center for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing (CAMM) launched a biweekly “Machine Learning for Materials Discovery” Hackathon, bringing together students and researchers from materials science, physics, and data science to explore how AI can accelerate materials design. Over 5 intensive sessions since October 2025, participants worked through hands-on problems that linked real experimental data to modern machine learning workflows.

Chiral superconductivity — a long-sought quantum phase with potential applications in quantum technologies — has eluded definitive microscopic confirmation for decades. While several candidate materials exhibit signatures of time-reversal symmetry breaking, such evidence alone does not prove chiral Cooper pairing.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on polymer coating that could help plants resist harmful bacterial infections and survive drought. The advance, published in ACS Materials Letters, could help strengthen global food security as increased environmental stresses continue to intensify plant disease pressures.

Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Pinshane Huang of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering and MRSEC IRG1 Leader has been recognized by Physics World as being responsible for one of the Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year for 2025.

NU-MRSEC's outreach program aims to enhance K-12 interest in science and engineering by developing innovative infrastructure and initiatives to inform the public and inspire future scientists.

NPEP, an initiative by Northwestern University, provides comprehensive liberal arts education to incarcerated students in Illinois, partnering with Oakton Community College to enhance academic engagement and social impact.

In collaboration with the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the Chicago Public Library, the NU-MRSEC launched the Materials Science Exhibit at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago.