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ORNL's Communications team works with news media seeking information about the laboratory. Media may use the resources listed below or send questions to news@ornl.gov.

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Molecular simulation of water showing densely packed H₂O molecules, with red spheres representing oxygen atoms and white spheres representing hydrogen atoms.

More than a year ago, ORNL computational scientists raised concerns about the accuracy of using a 2-femtosecond time step in liquid water simulations. A new study confirms and deepens those concerns, revealing even greater potential for error than previously thought.

Illustration of melting point of lithium chloride, which is shown with green and blue structures in two rows.

Scientists have developed a new machine learning approach that accurately predicted critical and difficult-to-compute properties of molten salts, materials with diverse nuclear energy applications. 

Illustration of an amino acid molecule that is going through a process from air to water with three phases, split into bubbles

Using the now-decommissioned Summit supercomputer, researchers at ORNL ran the largest and most accurate molecular dynamics simulations yet of the interface between water and air during a chemical reaction. The simulations have uncovered how water controls such chemical reactions by dynamically coupling with the molecules involved in the process. 

Illustration of a glowing black box emitting digital particles that form into a 3D model of an electrical grid infrastructure, set against a background of binary code and data visualizations.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a modeling method that uses machine learning to accurately simulate electric grid behavior while protecting proprietary equipment details. The approach overcomes a key barrier to accurate grid modeling, helping utilities plan for future demand and prevent blackouts. 

 

Illustration of a virtual meeting on a laptop screen featuring diverse cartoon avatars of people in a grid layout. In the center, a logo reads “Winter Classic Invitational Student Cluster Competition.” The background consists of digital blue circuitry and data flow patterns, suggesting a technology or computing theme.

ORNL researchers helped introduce college students to quantum computing for the first time during the 2025 Winter Classic Invitational, providing hands-on access to real quantum hardware and training future high-performance computing users through a unique challenge that bridged classical and quantum technologies.

Research scientist Daniel Jacobson is standing with his arms crossed with a dark black backdrop

Daniel Jacobson, distinguished research scientist in the Biosciences Division at ORNL, has been elected a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, or AIMBE, for his achievements in computational biology. 

Researcher is sitting in bio lab surrounded with plants

Dave Weston studies how microorganisms influence plant health and stress tolerance, using the Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory to accelerate research on plant-microbe interactions and develop resilient crops for advanced fuels, chemicals and 

Six images fanned out across the right side of the page with the first page showcasing the report cover. To the right hand side is a green oak leaf.

A workshop led by scientists at ORNL sketched a road map toward a longtime goal: development of autonomous, or self-driving, next-generation research laboratories. 

Hugh O'Neil, director or ORNL's Center for Structural Molecular Biology is sitting in the lab on a stool, hand on desk with glasses on. There are lab related items blurred in the foreground.

Hugh O’Neill’s lifelong fascination with the complexities of the natural world drives his research at ORNL, where he’s using powerful neutron beams to dive deep into the microscopic realm of biological materials and unlock secrets for better production of domestic biofuels and bioproducts.

the foreground shows new macromolecules that could be made using a process invented by Oak Ridge National Laboratory chemists to upcycle the polymers from discarded plastics.

By editing the polymers of discarded plastics, ORNL chemists have found a way to generate new macromolecules with more valuable properties than those of the starting material.