2017 | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Energy Harvested from Evaporation Could Power Much of U.S., Says Study

In the first evaluation of evaporation as a renewable energy source, researchers at Columbia University find that U.S. lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of power, nearly 70 percent of what the United States currently produces.

NYU Dentistry Study Pinpoints Role of Proteins That Produce Pearls

Researchers at New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) reported that pearls’ tough structures hold clues for creating hardy materials, with possibilities from dentistry to aerospace.

Hope to Discover Sure Signs of Life on Mars? New Research Says Look for the Element Vanadium

A new paper in the journal Astrobiology suggests NASA and others hunting for proof of Martian biology in the form of “microfossils” could use the element vanadium in combination with Raman spectroscopy on organic material as biosignatures to confirm traces of extraterrestrial life.

Is the Milky Way an ‘Outlier’ Galaxy?

New research indicated that the Milky Way's satellite galaxies are much more tranquil than other systems of comparable luminosity and environment.

UW Student Receives DOE Graduate Student Research Award

Ryan James Herz-Thyhsen, of Glen Mills, Pa., is among 52 graduate students selected nationwide for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The sixth-year doctoral student will conduct his research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Knoxville, Tenn., from Oct. 30-Feb. 2.

DNA Triggers Shape-Shifting in Hydrogels, Opening a New Way to Make ‘Soft Robots’

Biochemical engineers at Johns Hopkins University have used sequences of DNA molecules to induce shape-changing in water-based gels, demonstrating a new tactic to produce soft robots and “smart” medical devices that do not rely on cumbersome wires, batteries or tethers.

NMSU Physics Team Captures Footage of Vortex Within Microscopic Particles

A team of researchers from New Mexico State University’s Department of Physics have, for the first time, created a three-dimensional rendering of a microscopic nanoparticle’s structural transformation induced and controlled by an external electrical source.

Slippery Liquid Surfaces Confuse Mussels to Stop Them From Sticking to Underwater Structures

Researchers the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and collaborators at NTU Singapore have demonstrated that mussels are unable to attach to certain slippery surfaces, making them attractive options for non-toxic, effective anti-fouling coatings for ships and other underwater structures.

Wiesner Team Images Tiny Quasicrystals as They Form

A Cornell multidisciplinary team devised a way to get a "time-lapse" look at the early formation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, from six-sided crystals all the way to 12-sided quasicrystals.

Island University Professor to Take Part in Unlocking Secrets of the Universe

Dr. Barbara Szczerbinska, Professor of Physics at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is part of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Collaboration. DUNE scientists will be studying properties of neutrinos and seeking crucial information essential to our understanding of the universe.

Spotting the Spin of the Majorana Fermion Under the Microscope

Researchers at Princeton University have detected a unique quantum property of an elusive particle notable for behaving simultaneously like matter and antimatter. The particle, known as the Majorana fermion, is prized by researchers for its potential to open the doors to new quantum computing possibilities.

Scientists Log Newfound Understanding of Water’s Responses to Changing Temperatures

A team of chemists has uncovered new ways in which frozen water responds to changes in temperature to produce novel formations. Its findings have implications for climate research as well as other processes that involve ice formation—from food preservation to agriculture.