Q&A with Larry York: APPL lab uses robotics, AI to advance plant science
The Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory at ORNL utilizes robotics, multi-modal imaging, and AI to enhance understanding of plant genetics and interactions with microbes. It aims to connect genes to traits for advancements in bioenergy, agriculture, and climate resilience. Senior scientist Larry York highlights the lab's capabilities and the insights from a new digital underground imaging system to improve biomass feedstocks for bioenergy and carbon storage.
The Department of Energy announced a $67 million investment in several AI projects from institutions in both government and academia as part of its AI for Science initiative. Six ORNL-led (or co-led) projects received funding.
ORNL’s Traveling Science Fair celebrated its revitalized return after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, welcoming over 500 local fifth-grade students from underserved areas. The lab partnered with the general aviation airport, located just across the river from downtown Knoxville, to highlight its connection to aviation science.
To bridge the gap between experimental facilities and supercomputers, experts from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are teaming up with other DOE national laboratories to build a new data streaming pipeline. The pipeline will allow researchers to send their data to the nation’s leading computing centers for analysis in real time even as their experiments are taking place.
Jordan Cannon is CEO of Circular Biosciences, a Cohort 2024 Innovation Crossroads company, a startup dedicated to accelerating bioplastic degradation for more widespread use, easier disposal and reduced environmental impact.
ORNL researchers Valentino Cooper, Howard Wilson and Jiaqiang Yan have been named Fellows of the American Physical Society, a distinction recognizing their outstanding contributions to their fields.
ORNL researchers were honored with a prestigious ACE Award for Composites Excellence by the American Composites Manufacturers Association. The team won the “innovation in green composites design” prize for creating a fully recyclable, lightweight wind turbine blade tip that incorporates low-cost carbon fiber and conductive coating for enhanced protection against lightning strikes.
Entrepreneurs, city leaders and community members gathered Oct. 1 at the Mill and Mine in downtown Knoxville for Startup Day 2024, the flagship event of Innov865 Week. Innov865 highlights the efforts of the Innov865 Alliance to develop, support and promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the Knoxville region.
A research team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has devised a unique method to observe changes in materials at the atomic level. The technique opens new avenues for understanding and developing advanced materials for quantum computing and electronics.
Prasanna Balprakash, director of AI programs for ORNL, discussed advancing climate and weather research through high performance computing and artificial intelligence as part of a September 18 panel for the United States Senate.