Prof. Benedetto Marelli

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Primary DLC

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

MIT Room: 1-171

Areas of Interest and Expertise

Active Packaging; Moisture/Oxygen
Bio-Inspired Materials
Self-Assembly
Mechanical and Optical Properties
3D Printing
Emerging Technologies

Research Summary

Benedetto (Ben) Marelli’s research group works in the area of structural biopolymers, biomineralization and self-assembly. By using biofabrication strategies, the research group designs bio-inspired materials that work at the biotic/abiotic interface to prevent or mitigate environmental impact. His interests and collaborative opportunities span widely across the department. He brings a wealth of experience, and a strong focus on engineering and innovation from a multiple-scale perspective with interests that include mechanical and optoelectronic properties of natural polymers, biocomposites, additive manufacturing, and emerging technologies.

Recent Work

  • Video

    2024 MIT Sustainability Conference: MIT Climate Project - Mission Directors

    October 22, 2024Conference Video Duration: 46:23

    The Climate Project at MIT is a major new effort to change the trajectory of global climate outcomes for the better over the next decade. It will focus MIT’s strengths on six broad climate-related areas where progress is urgently needed. The mission directors in these fields, representing diverse areas of expertise, will collaborate with faculty and researchers across MIT and each other to accelerate solutions that address climate change.

    This session will feature MIT Climate Mission Directors sharing their perspectives and near-term plans for impact.

    11.9.23-Innovation-Food-Logistics

    November 9, 2023Conference Video Duration: 121:24

    Biomaterials for Boosting Food Security and Materials Circularity 

    Analytics Tools to Improve Sustainability of Global Wood Supply Chains 

    Automated Design of Low-Carbon Structures for Conventional and New Construction Materials 

    12.2021-Agtech-Benedetto-Marelli

    December 7, 2021Conference Video Duration: 35:22
    Benedetto Marelli
    Paul M Cook Career Development Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Building a Silk Road for Agriculture

    June 25, 2019MIT Faculty Feature Duration: 20:14

    Benedetto Marelli
    Paul M. Cook Career Development Professor, Associate Professor of Civil, and Environmental Engineering, MIT CEE

    Building a Silk Road for Agriculture

    February 12, 2019MIT Faculty Feature Duration: 20:14

    Benedetto Marelli
    Paul M. Cook Career Development Professor, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT CEE

    Benedetto Marelli - RD2017

    November 22, 2017Conference Video Duration: 29:35

    Structural biopolymers – using Nature’s building blocks as an inspiration for advanced manufacturing

    Structural biopolymers are materials engineered by Nature as building blocks of living matter. These materials have unique and compelling properties that allow for their assembly and degradation with minimal energy requirements as well as their performance at the biotic/abiotic interface. By combining basic material principles with advanced fabrication techniques, it is possible to define new strategies to drive the assembly of structural biopolymers in advanced materials with unconventional forms and functions such as edible coating for perishable food, inkjet prints of silk fibroin that change in color in the presence of bacteria, three dimensional monoliths that can be heated by exposure to infrared light and flexible keratin-made photonic crystals.

    2017 MIT Research and Development Conference