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Four scientists are standing in a field next to a data-gathering tool robot

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently demonstrated an autonomous robotic field monitoring, sampling and data-gathering system that could accelerate understanding of interactions among plants, soil and the environment.

5 scientists in blue and white coats are leaning over the wind blades covered in orange and yellow material

ORNL researchers reached a significant milestone by building an entire 6.5-foot turbine blade tip using novel materials. The team then tested it against the forces of simulated lightning in a specialized lab at Mississippi State University, where the blade tip emerged pristine after tests that isolate the effects of high voltage. 

A small sample from the Frontier simulations reveals the evolution of the expanding universe in a region containing a massive cluster of galaxies from billions of years ago to present day (left).

In early November, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory used the fastest supercomputer on the planet to run the largest astrophysical simulation of the universe ever conducted. The achievement was made using the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

Pictured here are 9 scientists standing in a line in front of the frontier supercomputer logo/computer

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used the Frontier supercomputer to train the world’s largest AI model for weather prediction, paving the way for hyperlocal, ultra-accurate forecasts. This achievement earned them a finalist nomination for the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modeling.

Frontier supercomputer is pictured here with the logo on the cabinets

A multi-institutional team of researchers led by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or KAUST, Saudi Arabia, has been nominated for the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2024 Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modelling. 

Pictured is a 3D printed roosting structure for bats.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are using a new bioderived material to 3D print custom roosting structures for endangered bats.

Image of Giuseppe Barca looking at two computer monitors, representing the team using Frontier to perform the first quantum chemistry calculations to exceed an exaflop.

Researchers led by the University of Melbourne, Australia, have been nominated for the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2024 Gordon Bell Prize in supercomputing for conducting a quantum molecular dynamics simulation 1,000 times greater in size and speed than any previous simulation of its kind.

Larry York is sitting in front of a computer screen showing an image of plant phenotyping

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.

This is a simulated image of the project to build a new network that artificial intelligence and machine learning to steer experiments and analyze data faster and more accurately. will enable

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. 

Team working on in green composites design for their fully-recyclable wind turbine blade tip incorporating low-cost carbon fiber

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.