Researchers Tap Rare Pristine Air to Reveal Pollution's Impact
Human-caused pollution spurs the production of climate-changing particles known as secondary organic aerosols much more than previously thought. Researchers made the finding by analyzing air samples that were captured aboard a research aircraft as it zig-zagged between pristine air over the Amazon rainforest and polluted air over the city of Manaus.
Story Tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, April 2019
ORNL used artificial intelligence to analyze data about bullying to reveal potential of broader impacts; flexible sensor wraps around power cables to monitor electrical loads from household appliances; ORNL is evaluating paths for licensing remotely operated microreactors; ORNL used carbon nanotubes to improve process that removes salt from water
Putting a New Spin on Majorana Fermions
Scientists have proposed a new method for producing more robust Majorana fermions, a kind of quasiparticle that could act as stable bits of information in next-generation quantum computers.
Breakthrough Study of Cell Signaling Holds Promise for Immune Research and Beyond
For the first time ever, scientists have imaged the process by which an individual immune system molecule is switched on in response to a signal from the environment. The new work provides an enormous leap forward in our understanding of how T cells detect viruses and may provide unique insights into autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy.
Ice Sheet Modeling Probes Antarctic Vulnerabilities
The BISICLES ice sheet model uses high performance computing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) to systematically examine where the Antarctic Ice Sheet is vulnerable and the resulting potential for large contributions to sea level rise.
ORNL investigates complex uranium oxides with help from CADES resources
To accelerate the process of identifying novel uranium oxide phases, an ORNL team studied 4,600 different potential crystal structures of uranium oxide compositions on Metis, a CADES high-performance computing cluster. An improved understanding of uranium oxides, which fuel the vast majority of the U.S. nuclear power fleet, could lead to the development of improved fuels or waste storage materials.
Illuminating Water Filtration
UPTON, NY--For the first time, a team of researchers from Stony Brook University and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have revealed the molecular structure of membranes used in reverse osmosis. The research is reported in a recently published paper in ACS Macro Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Modified deep-learning algorithms unveil features of shape-shifting proteins
To function properly, proteins must morph into specific 3D shapes through a biophysical phenomenon called protein folding. Researchers at ORNL are using various deep-learning techniques to study the intermediate protein stages between the initial unfolded state and the final folded state, which are notoriously difficult to characterize. These methods could also help identify factors that cause proteins to "misfold" into dysfunctional shapes, a phenomenon often attributed as a leading factor in the development of diseases including Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes.
Scaling forward
An Argonne scientist has new ways of accelerating the development of new organic materials for electronics. The new approaches could have applications in other types of materials science research.
Optical "tweezers" combine with X-rays to enable analysis of crystals in liquids
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new technique that combines the power of microscale "tractor beams" with high-powered X-rays, enabling them to see and manipulate crystals freely floating in solution.
The Best Topological Conductor Yet: Spiraling Crystal Is the Key to Exotic Discovery
A team of researchers working at Berkeley Lab has discovered the strongest topological conductor yet, in the form of thin crystal samples that have a spiral-staircase structure. The team's result is reported in the March 20 edition of the journal Nature.
Neutrons paint atomic portrait of prototypical cell signaling enzyme
Direct observations of the structure and catalytic mechanism of a prototypical kinase enzyme--protein kinase A or PKA--will provide researchers and drug developers with significantly enhanced abilities to understand and treat fatal diseases and neurological disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis. The discovery was made by an international team of researchers using macromolecular neutron crystallography at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France.
Speeding the development of fusion power to create unlimited energy on Earth
A detailed examination of the challenges and tradeoffs in the development of a compact fusion facility with high-temperature super-conducting magnets.
Bright Skies for Plant-Based Jet Fuels
With an estimated daily fuel demand of more than 5 million barrels per day, the global aviation sector is incredibly energy-intensive and almost entirely reliant on petroleum-based fuels. However, a new analysis by scientists at Berkeley Lab shows that sustainable plant-based bio-jet fuels could provide a competitive alternative to conventional fuels if current development and scale-up initiatives continue to push ahead successfully.
Sampling Guts of Live Moose to Understand How They Break Down Biomass
First-of-a-kind study advances understanding of microbial and viral communities involved in biomass breakdown.
Cause of Cathode Degradation Identified for Nickel-rich Materials
A team of scientists including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have identified the causes of degradation in a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, as well as possible remedies. Their findings, published on Mar. 7 in Advanced Functional Materials, could lead to the development of more affordable and better performing batteries for electric vehicles.
Uncovering Uncultivated Microbes in the Human Gut
A human's health is shaped both by environmental factors and the body's interactions with the microbiome, particularly in the gut. Genome sequences are critical for characterizing individual microbes and understanding their functional roles. However, previous studies have estimated that only 50 percent of species in the gut microbiome have a sequenced genome, in part because many species have not yet been cultivated for study.
Scientists Track Patterns of Island Growth in Crystals
In a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, scientists have found that the seemingly random arrangement of islands that form to begin new layers during crystal growth can actually be very similar from layer to layer. The discovery may help scientists better understand of some of the mechanisms behind defect formation, as well as develop techniques to synthesize new types of crystals.
Sea Quark Surprise Reveals Deeper Complexity in Proton Spin Puzzle
New data from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) add detail and complexity to an intriguing puzzle that scientists have been seeking to solve: how the building blocks that make up a proton contribute to its spin. The results reveal that different flavors of antiquarks contribute differently to spin--and in a way that's opposite to those flavors' relative abundance.
Fitting a Square Peg in a Round Hole: The Surprising Structure of Uranium Bound in Hematite
An atomic view of how toxic uranium binds to iron minerals in the environment enables better predictions of its behavior.
How Injected Microbes Persist in Hydraulically Fractured Shale
Scientists reveal the importance of an amino acid that supplies energy and protection for microbial communities deep underground.
Engineering Living 'Scaffolds' for Building Materials
Researchers at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a platform that uses living cells as "scaffolds" for self-assembled composite materials. The technology could enable self-healing materials and other advanced applications in bioelectronics, biosensing, and smart materials.
Researchers reverse the flow of time on IBM's quantum computer
An international team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory explored the concept of reversing time in a first-of-its-kind experiment, managing to return a computer briefly to the past. The results, published March 13 in the journal Scientific Reports, suggest new paths for exploring the backward flow of time in quantum systems and present new possibilities for quantum computer program testing and error correction.
A new lens on materials under extreme conditions allows researchers to watch shock waves travel through silicon
When silicon, an element abundant in the Earth's crust, is subjected to extreme heat and pressure, an initial "elastic" shock wave travels through the material, leaving it unchanged, followed by an "inelastic" shock wave that irreversibly transforms the structure of the material. Using a new technique, researchers were able to directly watch and image this process for the first time.
To Grow or Not to Grow? That Is the Question for Plants
Scientists show metabolic tradeoffs result from a specific change to the grow-defend balance.