Bioenergy: Friendly Fungi Boost Growth for Biofuel Source
An Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has successfully introduced a poplar gene into switchgrass, an important biofuel source, that allows switchgrass to interact with a…
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Scientists Go “Inside” the COVID-19 Viral Protein To Attack a Weak Point
Virtual reality (VR) technology enables scientists to create 3-D models of an object and then virtually go “inside” to look around to better understand its…
Neutron Crystallography Takes a Deep Dive Into Water Networks Surrounding DNA
Water plays several important roles within the human body, even affecting the DNA in our cells. The entire surface of a DNA double helix is…
Binding Polymer Discovery Gives 3D-Printed Sand Super Strength
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a novel polymer to bind and strengthen silica sand for binder jet additive manufacturing,…
Key Witness Helps DOE Scientists Detect “Spooky” Quantum Entanglement in Solid Materials
Quantum entanglement occurs when two particles appear to communicate without a physical connection, a phenomenon Albert Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.” Nearly…
Quantum Material’s Unconventional Spin Behavior Proves Theoretical Predictions
Using complementary computing calculations and neutron scattering techniques, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories and the University of…
“Founding Father” of Lithium-Ion Batteries Helps Solve Persistent 40-Year Problem With His Invention
In the late 1970s, M. Stanley Whittingham was the first to describe the concept of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, an achievement for which he would share…
Scientists Catch Shape-Shifting Coronavirus Protein Complex in the Act
While all viruses have some means of combating the body’s immune system, scientists have been studying how the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus—the cause of the COVID-19 global…
A Cousin of Table Salt Could Make Rechargeable Batteries Faster and Safer
One of the biggest factors affecting consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is the amount of time required to recharge the vehicles—usually powered by lithium-ion…
Buzz About Thermoelectric Generators Heats Up With Promising New Magnesium-Based Materials
The landing of NASA’s Perseverance rover was another leap forward not only for space exploration but also for the technology that’s powering the craft on…
Un-Earthly Cold: Scientists Create Exotic “Outer Space” Ice
Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory successfully created amorphous ice, similar to ice in interstellar space and on icy worlds…
Scientists Create Exotic “Outer Space” Ice – Unlike Any on Earth
The search for life beyond Earth typically focuses on first looking for water, the basis for life as we know it. Whether the water is…
Supercomputing Tapped to Study Exotic Matter in Stars
A team at Stony Brook University used ORNL’s Summit supercomputer to model x-ray burst flames spreading across the surface of dense neutron stars. At the…
Hidden Quantum Fluctuations Discovered: Solving 40-Year Puzzle Behind Iron-Iodide’s Mysterious Magnetism
Advanced materials with more novel properties are almost always developed by adding more elements to the list of ingredients. But quantum research suggests some simpler…
Automated Chemistry Combines Chemical Robotics and AI to Accelerate Pace for Advancing Solar Energy Technologies
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee are automating the search for new materials to advance solar…
Supercomputers Aid Scientists Studying Quarks, the Smallest Particles in the Universe
Since the 1930s, scientists have been using particle accelerators to gain insights into the structure of matter and the laws of physics that govern our…
Free 2021 Fuel Economy Guide: Tips to Improve a Vehicle’s Fuel Performance
Fuel economy can take a tumble when temperatures plummet, according to the Department of Energy’s 2021 Fuel Economy Guide (PDF). Compiled by researchers at Oak…
Particle Physicists Solve Problem That’s Been “Haunting Them” for More Than 20 Years
A high-intensity accelerator beam is formed of trillions of particles that race at lightning speeds down a system of powerful magnets and high-energy superconductors. Calculating…