Filter News
Area of Research
- (-) Clean Energy (22)
- (-) Neutron Science (10)
- Biological Systems (1)
- Biology and Environment (35)
- Computational Biology (1)
- Computer Science (2)
- Fusion and Fission (2)
- Isotopes (2)
- Materials (11)
- Materials for Computing (4)
- National Security (15)
- Nuclear Science and Technology (2)
- Quantum information Science (4)
- Supercomputing (51)
News Topics
- (-) Bioenergy (12)
- (-) Computer Science (13)
- (-) Cybersecurity (5)
- (-) Quantum Science (2)
- (-) Space Exploration (2)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (24)
- Advanced Reactors (2)
- Artificial Intelligence (6)
- Big Data (1)
- Biology (5)
- Biomedical (7)
- Biotechnology (1)
- Buildings (11)
- Chemical Sciences (4)
- Clean Water (5)
- Climate Change (8)
- Composites (2)
- Coronavirus (8)
- Decarbonization (16)
- Energy Storage (21)
- Environment (21)
- Fossil Energy (2)
- Grid (13)
- High-Performance Computing (3)
- Machine Learning (3)
- Materials (9)
- Materials Science (11)
- Mathematics (2)
- Mercury (1)
- Microelectronics (1)
- Microscopy (3)
- Nanotechnology (4)
- National Security (2)
- Net Zero (1)
- Neutron Science (34)
- Nuclear Energy (3)
- Partnerships (4)
- Physics (1)
- Polymers (2)
- Quantum Computing (1)
- Security (4)
- Simulation (1)
- Summit (4)
- Sustainable Energy (14)
- Transportation (17)
Media Contacts
![Scientists created a novel polymer that is as effective as natural proteins in transporting protons through a membrane. Credit: ORNL/Jill Hemman](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-03/19-G01195_nature_feature_0.png?h=e4fbc3eb&itok=K8czXmTr)
Biological membranes, such as the “walls” of most types of living cells, primarily consist of a double layer of lipids, or “lipid bilayer,” that forms the structure, and a variety of embedded and attached proteins with highly specialized functions, including proteins that rapidly and selectively transport ions and molecules in and out of the cell.
![Starch granules](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-02/starchgranules.png?h=0c9ab501&itok=eLsE3JOx)
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new method to peer deep into the nanostructure of biomaterials without damaging the sample. This novel technique can confirm structural features in starch, a carbohydrate important in biofuel production.
![Illustration of the optimized zeolite catalyst, or NbAlS-1, which enables a highly efficient chemical reaction to create butene, a renewable source of energy, without expending high amounts of energy for the conversion. Credit: Jill Hemman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-12/19-G01458_Cheng_PR.png?h=14829302&itok=U1YwTrlo)
Illustration of the optimized zeolite catalyst, or NbAlS-1, which enables a highly efficient chemical reaction to create butene, a renewable source of energy, without expending high amounts of energy for the conversion. Credit: Jill Hemman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/U.S. Dept. of Energy
![Catherine Schuman during Hour of Code](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-12/IMG_0136_0.jpg?h=71976bb4&itok=56CtnbAH)
ORNL computer scientist Catherine Schuman returned to her alma mater, Harriman High School, to lead Hour of Code activities and talk to students about her job as a researcher.
![The students analyzed diatom images like this one to compare wild and genetically modified strains of these organisms. Credit: Alison Pawlicki/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-11/RI4362007.png?h=37702503&itok=9lQReLRe)
Students often participate in internships and receive formal training in their chosen career fields during college, but some pursue professional development opportunities even earlier.
![A new method uses E. coli to generate DNA with methylation patterns that target microbes recognize and accept as their own, facilitating customization of microbes for biofuels production.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-09/bacteria_combinedwlabels1.png?h=f0ebf81d&itok=S-lziAuh)
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a method to insert genes into a variety of microorganisms that previously would not accept foreign DNA, with the goal of creating custom microbes to break down plants for bioenergy.
![Stephanie Galanie](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-07/2019-P06356.jpg?h=036a71b7&itok=YXoJCNle)
Early career scientist Stephanie Galanie has applied her expertise in synthetic biology to a number of challenges in academia and private industry. She’s now bringing her skills in high-throughput bio- and analytical chemistry to accelerate research on feedstock crops as a Liane B. Russell Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
![The illustrations show how the correlation between lattice distortion and proton binding energy in a material affects proton conduction in different environments. Mitigating this interaction could help researchers improve the ionic conductivity of solid materials.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2019-05/Figure_Rosenthal_5-1-19_0.png?h=73c01546&itok=-tjVhDfm)
Ionic conduction involves the movement of ions from one location to another inside a material. The ions travel through point defects, which are irregularities in the otherwise consistent arrangement of atoms known as the crystal lattice. This sometimes sluggish process can limit the performance and efficiency of fuel cells, batteries, and other energy storage technologies.
![Coexpression_hi-res_image[1].jpg Coexpression_hi-res_image[1].jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/Coexpression_hi-res_image%5B1%5D_0.jpg?itok=OnLe-krT)
While studying the genes in poplar trees that control callus formation, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered genetic networks at the root of tumor formation in several human cancers.
![Ryan Kerekes is leader of the RF, Communications, and Cyber-Physical Security Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Photos by Genevieve Martin, ORNL. Ryan Kerekes is leader of the RF, Communications, and Cyber-Physical Security Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Photos by Genevieve Martin, ORNL.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/Ryan%20Kerekes%20Profile%20lab1_0.jpg?itok=btnfhbaJ)
As leader of the RF, Communications, and Cyber-Physical Security Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Kerekes heads an accelerated lab-directed research program to build virtual models of critical infrastructure systems like the power grid that can be used to develop ways to detect and repel cyber-intrusion and to make the network resilient when disruption occurs.