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Alyssa Carrell is an ORNL ecologist studying how plant-microbe relationships can build resilience in natural ecosystems vulnerable to climate change. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Alyssa Carrell started her science career studying the tallest inhabitants in the forest, but today is focused on some of its smallest — the microbial organisms that play an outsized role in plant health. 

Peter Thornton, second from right, is director of ORNL’s Climate Change Science Institute. He shares insights on the regional impacts of changing weather patterns during the Second Annual Appalachian Carbon Forum in Lexington, Kentucky. Credit: University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research.

ORNL hosted the second annual Appalachian Carbon Forum in Lexington March 7-8, 2024, where ORNL and University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research scientists led discussions with representatives from industry, government and academia to discuss ways to transition to clean energy.

Representatives from several local partners attended a ribbon-cutting for the new SkyNano facility in Louisville, Tennesse. Front row, from left to right are Deborah Crawford, vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Tom Rogers, president and chief executive officer of the UT Research Park; Lindsey Cox, CEO of LaunchTN; Cary Pint, SkyNano co-founder and chief technology officer; Susan Hubbard, ORNL deputy for science and technology; Anna Douglas, SkyNano co-founder and CEO; Ch

SkyNano, an Innovation Crossroads alumnus, held a ribbon-cutting for their new facility. SkyNano exemplifies using DOE resources to build a successful clean energy company, making valuable carbon nanotubes from waste CO2. 

The 2023 Billion-Ton Report identifies feedstocks that could be available to produce biofuels to decarbonize the transportation and industrial sectors while potentially tripling the U.S. bioeconomy. The map indicates a mature market scenario, including emerging resources. Credit: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy

The United States could triple its current bioeconomy by producing more than 1 billion tons per year of plant-based biomass for renewable fuels, while meeting projected demands for food, feed, fiber, conventional forest products and exports, according to the DOE’s latest Billion-Ton Report led by ORNL.

ORNL

Two different teams that included Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees were honored Feb. 20 with Secretary’s Honor Achievement Awards from the Department of Energy. This is DOE's highest form of employee recognition. 

New system combines human, artificial intelligence to improve experimentation

To capitalize on AI and researcher strengths, scientists developed a human-AI collaboration recommender system for improved experimentation performance. 

A multidirectorate group from ORNL attended AGU23 and came away inspired for the year ahead in geospatial, earth and climate science

ORNL scientists and researchers attended the annual American Geophysical Union meeting and came away inspired for the year ahead in geospatial, earth and climate science. 

Chelsea Chen, polymer physicist at ORNL, stands in front of an eight-channel potentiostat and temperature chamber used for battery and electrochemical testing. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Chelsea Chen, a polymer physicist at ORNL, is studying ion transport in solid electrolytes that could help electric vehicle battery charges last longer.

: ORNL climate modeling expertise contributed to an AI-backed model that assesses global emissions of ammonia from croplands now and in a warmer future, while identifying mitigation strategies. This map highlights croplands around the world. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

ORNL climate modeling expertise contributed to a project that assessed global emissions of ammonia from croplands now and in a warmer future, while also identifying solutions tuned to local growing conditions.

Using a better modeling framework, with data collected from Mississippi Delta marshes, scientists are able to improve the predictions of methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: Matthew Berens/ORNL, U.S Dept. of Energy

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using a new modeling framework in conjunction with data collected from marshes in the Mississippi Delta to improve predictions of climate-warming methane and nitrous oxide