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Bearded researcher in safety glasses adjusting a blue-lit laboratory instrument with mounted cameras.

Researchers at ORNL have captured first-of-a-kind optical measurements during accident testing of commercially irradiated nuclear fuel cladding. Using a technique called digital image correlation, the test captured detailed measurements of the cladding’s behavior during a simulated loss-of-coolant accident.

A woman in a black blazer speaks during an outdoor interview while a camera crew films her.

ORNL is propelling grid resilience through a partnership with regional utility EPB of Chattanooga that will demonstrate advanced microgrid capabilities to reduce customer power outages. 

Glowing yellow waves moving through a red-and-blue atomic lattice structure.

New research from ORNL, in collaboration with The Ohio State University and Amphenol Corporation, challenges conventional understanding about controlling heat flow in solid materials. 

Illustration of an atom with electrons orbiting a nucleus, set against a blue, digital-style background with glowing lines suggesting advanced science or isotope research.

Actinium-225 is a radioactive isotope that emits four powerful alpha particles as it decays through a short-lived chain of elements before reaching stable bismuth. Because alpha radiation is highly energetic but travels only a tiny distance, scientists can harness it in targeted alpha therapy to precisely destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

Choropleth map of the United States titled “Residential: Total Cost by State (in Millions $).” States are shaded from light beige to dark red to represent increasing total residential costs. A legend shows five ranges: 0–21, 21–43, 43–137, 137–189, and 189–1,384 million dollars. Darker reds appear in high-cost states such as California, Texas, Florida, and several Southeastern and Northeastern states, while lighter shades dominate much of the Mountain West and Plains. Alaska and Hawaii are shown in inset ma

Researchers at ORNL provided the first comprehensive analysis of the specific costs of power outages to local customers across the nation. The study, incorporated in ORNL’s TASTI-GRID application, helps governments and utilities make decisions about grid modernization to reduce serious risks to public health and safety.

Dark underground coal mine tunnel with metal support beams lining the curved walls, muddy ground, and narrow rail tracks running through the center under a single bright overhead light.

Researchers at ORNL used computer models to study whether abandoned coal mines could be turned into underground systems that store energy by pumping water.

Isotopes

ORNL is vital to a robust domestic isotope R&D and production ecosystem in the U.S. and is able to provide more than 300 isotopes that are used by researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and others. For almost 80 years, ORNL has produced medical isotopes to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases and conditions, from heart disease to cancer. 

A group gathers during the spring Oak Ridge Reservation nature walk to explore the rich flora and fauna diversity of the reservation. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Six nature walks at the Oak Ridge Reservation have been scheduled for the 2026 season. The ORNL-organized walks, which are open to the public, will take place at locations across the reservation.

Chief Data Officer poses for photo outside on the ORNL quad. There is a brick building, grass and a flag with a leaf on it in the background.

ORNL named Budhendra “Budhu” Bhaduri its first Chief Data Officer, effective February 1. The newly established role unifies ORNL’s enterprise data strategy to accelerate mission impact across open science, energy innovation, national security and laboratory operations.

Kashif Nawaz, head of the Building Technologies Research Section, and Wes Brewer, senior research scientist in the National Center for Computational Sciences, walk through the energy plant that supports the Frontier data center.

ORNL is announcing the creation of the Institute for Next-Generation Data Centers, a new national institute dedicated to advancing the design, operation and integration of artificial intelligence data centers into the United States’ energy system.