X-Ray Laser Gets First Real-Time Snapshots of a Chemical Flipping a Biological Switch
Scientists have used the powerful X-ray laser at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to make the first snapshots of a chemical interaction between two biomolecules - one that flips an RNA "switch" that regulates production of proteins, the workhorse molecules of life.
Simulations Show Swirling Rings, Whirlpool-Like Structure in Subatomic 'Soup'
Powerful supercomputer simulations of high-energy collisions between atomic cores provide new insights about the complex structure of a superhot fluid called the quark-gluon plasma.
Solar Cells Get Boost with Integration of Water-Splitting Catalyst Onto Semiconductor
Berkeley Lab scientists have found a way to engineer the atomic-scale chemical properties of a water-splitting catalyst for integration with a solar cell, and the result is a big boost to the stability and efficiency of artificial photosynthesis. The research comes out of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), established to develop a cost-effective method of turning sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into fuel.
Scientists, Interns Bring Structural Biology's 'Magic Bullet' Technique to X-Ray Lasers
To understand the three-dimensional shape of a protein, scientists often rely on information from similar molecules. But sometimes, the protein is so unique that it's not possible to find a close relative.
Accelerating Cancer Research with Deep Learning
Using the Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at ORNL, Tourassi's team applied deep learning to extract useful information from cancer pathology reports, a foundational element of cancer surveillance. Working with modest datasets, the team obtained preliminary findings that demonstrate deep learning's potential for cancer surveillance.
PPPL Physicists Build Diagnostic That Measures Plasma Velocity in Real Time
Physicists at PPPL have developed a diagnostic that provides crucial real-time information about the ultrahot plasma swirling within doughnut-shaped fusion machines known as tokamaks.
Study: Carbon-Hungry Plants Impede Growth Rate of Atmospheric CO2
New findings suggest the rate at which CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere has plateaued in recent years because Earth's vegetation is grabbing more carbon from the air than in previous decades.
We Gather Here Today to Join Lasers and Anti-Lasers
Berkeley Lab scientists have, for the first time, achieved both lasing and anti-lasing in a single device. Their findings lay the groundwork for developing a new type of integrated device with the flexibility to operate as a laser, an amplifier, a modulator, and a detector.
Fuel From Sewage Is the Future - and It's Closer Than You Think
RICHLAND, Wash. - It may sound like science fiction, but wastewater treatment plants across the United States may one day turn ordinary sewage into biocrude oil, thanks to new research at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The technology, hydrothermal liquefaction, mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, using high pressure and temperature to achieve in minutes something that takes Mother Nature millions of years.
Story Tips From the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, November 2016
ORNL study shows mixing lignin, low-cost additives with rubber produces high-performance renewable thermoplastics; Scientists can "squeeze" more fuel from shale in ExxonMobil-funded study; ORNL hosts Buildings 13 conference for building envelope experts.
Gatekeeping Proteins to Aberrant RNA: You Shall Not Pass
Berkeley Lab researchers found that aberrant strands of genetic code have telltale signs that enable gateway proteins to recognize and block them from exiting the nucleus. Their findings shed light on a complex system of cell regulation that acts as a form of quality control for the transport of genetic information. A more complete picture of how genetic information gets expressed in cells is important in disease research.
PPPL Scientists Present Key Results at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics
Article roundups several PPPL news releases from the 58th annual APS Division of Plasma Physics conference.
3D-Printed Permanent Magnets Outperform Conventional Versions, Conserve Rare Materials
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that permanent magnets produced by additive manufacturing can outperform bonded magnets made using traditional techniques while conserving critical materials.
New Technique Reveals Powerful, "Patchy" Approach to Nanoparticle Synthesis
Patches of chain-like molecules placed across nanoscale particles can radically transform the optical, electronic, and magnetic properties of particle-based materials. Now, scientists have used cutting-edge electron tomography techniques--a process of 3D reconstructive imaging--to pinpoint the structure and composition of the polymer nano-patches.
Nickel-78 Is a 'Doubly Magic' Isotope, Supercomputing Calculations Confirm
Theoretical physicists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently used Titan, America's most powerful supercomputer, to compute the nuclear structure of nickel-78 and found that this neutron-rich nucleus is indeed doubly magic.
Researchers Invent 'Perfect' Soap Molecule That Is Better for the Environment and Cleans in All Conditions
A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, has invented a new soap molecule made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment.
First Results of NSTX-U Research Operations Presented at the International Atomic Energy Agency Conference in Kyoto, Japan
Wrap-up of PPPL and collaborator presentations at 26th IAEA conference in Japan.
Deep Down Fracking Wells, Microbial Communities Thrive
Microbes have a remarkable ability to adapt to the extreme conditions in fracking wells. New finding help scientists understand what is happening inside fracking wells and could offer insight into processes such as corrosion and methane production.
Dept. Of Energy and Argonne Offer Technical Assistance to Small Businesses
The U.S. Department of Energy's Small Business Vouchers Program is once again offering U.S. small businesses unparalleled access to the expertise and facilities of DOE's national laboratories, including Argonne National Laboratory. Small businesses in the clean energy sector have an opportunity to submit requests for technical assistance as part of Round 3 of the Small Business Vouchers Program.
Amazon Study Reveals That Rainstorms Transport Atmospheric Particles Essential for Cloud Formation
Understanding how tiny particles emitted by cars and factories affect Earth's climate requires accurate climate modeling and the ability to quantify the effects of these pollutant particles vs. particles naturally present in the atmosphere. One large uncertainty is what Earth was like before these industrial-era emissions began. In a paper just published in Nature, scientists collaborating on the GoAmazon study describe how they tracked particles in the largely pristine atmosphere over the Amazon rainforest, which has given them a way to effectively turn back the clock a few hundred years.
New Bacteria Groups, and Stunning Diversity, Discovered Underground
One of the most detailed genomic studies of any ecosystem to date has revealed an underground world of stunning microbial diversity, and added dozens of new branches to the tree of life. The bacterial bonanza comes from scientists who reconstructed the genomes of more than 2,500 microbes from sediment and groundwater samples collected at an aquifer in Colorado.
Ames Laboratory Scientists Gain Insight on Mechanism of Unconventional Superconductivity
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and partner institutions conducted a systematic investigation into the properties of the newest family of unconventional superconducting materials, iron-based compounds. The study may help the scientific community discover new superconducting materials with unique properties.
Scientists Find Static "Stripes" of Electrical Charge in Copper-Oxide Superconductor
Understanding the electronic ordering in copper-oxide superconductors could help scientists find the "recipe" for raising the temperature at which current can flow through these materials without energy loss.
Crystal Clear Imaging: Infrared Brings to Light Nanoscale Molecular Arrangement
A team of researchers working at Berkeley Lab has demonstrated infrared imaging of an organic semiconductor known for its electronics capabilities, revealing key nanoscale details about the nature of its crystal features and defects that affect its performance.
Nano-Spike Catalysts Convert Carbon Dioxide Directly Into Ethanol
In a new twist to waste-to-fuel technology, scientists have developed an electrochemical process that uses tiny spikes of carbon and copper to turn carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into ethanol.