Recent News Releases

ORNL's Office of Communications and External Relations works with national, regional, and local media outlets on news stories about the laboratory.

For more information on ORNL and its research and development activities, please refer to one of our Media Contacts. If you have a general media-related question or comment, you can send it to news@ornl.gov.

ORNL's Zinkle elected to National Academy of Engineering OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 9, 2012 — Steven J. Zinkle, a senior materials researcher at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Gerald A. Tuskan named Forest Biotechnologist of the Year OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 3, 2012 — Jerry Tuskan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distinguished Scientist in the BioSciences Division, has been named Forest Biotechnologist of the Year by the Institute of Forest Biotechnology (IFB).

ORNL, partners earn FLC honor for cookstove technology OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2012 — Envirofit International, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Colorado State University have won a Federal Laboratory Consortium award for excellence in technology transfer for a clean-burning cookstove designed for the developing world.

Four startup companies use ORNL technology to compete in "America's Next Top Energy Innovator" OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2012 — Four startup companies, Borla Performance Industries, SH Coatings, TrakLok, Inc., and Woodmont Enterprises, are using Oak Ridge National Laboratory's technology to compete in the Department of Energy's "America's Next Top Energy Innovator Challenge," a competition where Americans vote online for the most innovative and promising startup companies that are using technologies from the Department's national laboratories to develop new products and businesses.

UT-Battelle gives $10,000 to Appalachian non-profit    OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2012 — UT-Battelle has presented $10,000 to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) to help the local organization provide housing for families in need.

ORNL microscopy reveals 'atomic antenna' behavior in graphene OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 31, 2012 — Atomic-level defects in graphene could be a path forward to smaller and faster electronic devices, according to a study led by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Metadynamics technique offers insight into mineral growth and dissolution OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 23, 2012 — By using a novel technique to better understand mineral growth and dissolution, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are improving predictions of mineral reactions and laying the groundwork for applications ranging from keeping oil pipes clear to sequestering radium.

Neutron scattering provides window into surface interactions OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 17, 2012 — To better understand the fundamental behavior of molecules at surfaces, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are combining the powers of neutron scattering with chemical analysis.

ORNL experiments prove nanoscale metallic conductivity in ferroelectrics OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 9, 2012 — The prospect of electronics at the nanoscale may be even more promising with the first observation of metallic conductance in ferroelectric nanodomains by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL image analysis prowess advances retina research OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 21, 2011 — Armed with a new ability to find retinal anomalies at the cellular level, neurobiologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have made a discovery they hope will ultimately lead to a treatment for cancer of the retina.

Data-driven tools cast geographical patterns of rainfall extremes in new light OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2011 — Using statistical analysis methods to examine rainfall extremes in India, a team of researchers has made a discovery that resolves an ongoing debate in published findings and offers new insights.

Hans Christen elected Fellow of American Physical Society OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 14, 2011 — Hans Christen of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been elected fellow of the American Physical Society.