Mission
Our Mission: Discover Materials for a Safer Future
Learn more about why new materials can change the world and how we intend to find them — fast.
Materials discovery has the power to transform the world.
The course of human history has been shaped and reshaped by the discovery and mastery of new materials.
This is especially true of the modern world, where material discoveries have transformed our lives.
For example:
Discovering the process for synthesizing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen
ignited large scale fertilizer production,
increasing global food supply and enabling rapid population growth in the 20th century.
Discovering the application of zeolites as catalysts
allowed for the conversion of crude oil into gasoline.
This spurred the age of machines and global trade.
Discovering the process of creating polymers
led to the creation of plastics and synthetic fibers.
This ushered in the age of vast consumer products and material wealth.
These discoveries have benefits.
But they come with safety consequences.
For Example:
Ammonia fertilizers pollute our water through nutrient runoff.
Zeolite-based gasoline production increases carbon emissions and worsens extreme weather.
Plastic polymers accumulate in landfills and oceans, and expose our bodies to microplastics.
We are a lab on a mission:
We pioneer accelerated research methods to address global challenges.
Leveraging AI and robotics, we develop novel materials in two main categories: eco-remediation and energy generation and storage.
Eco-Remediation
Our focus is to develop novel, commercially relevant materials capable of removing greenhouse gases and other pollutants from the atmosphere, and providing safer, cleaner water to everyone.
Energy Generation
and Storage
and Storage
Our focus is to discover breakthrough materials—with safety and cost effectiveness in mind—to further enable the world’s transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources.
Change requires investing in people.
The Materials Discovery Research Institute has brought together global leaders in accelerated methods, AI, and engineering to make breakthrough discoveries for a safer world.
Stuart R. Miller, Ph.D.
Vice President and Executive Director
Jorge González, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Asra Hassan, Ph.D.
Lead Research Scientist
Jeff Wu, Ph.D.
Lead Research Scientist
Kunran Yang, Ph.D.
Lead Computational Chemist
Sara Williams
Director of Engineering
Akshay Talekar
Lead Data Scientist
Timothy Doyle
Executive Assistant
