2019 | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Unleashing Perovskites' Potential for Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells are thought to have great potential, and new understanding of how changes in composition affect their behavior could help to make them practical. New results at MIT show how varying the recipe could bring these materials closer to commercialization.

A New Spin on Computing: Chemist Leads $3.9 Million DOE Quest for Quantum Software

The Department of Energy has awarded theoretical chemist Francesco Evangelista $3.9 million to lead research into the development of software to run the first generation of quantum computers. The tools the team develops will be open access, made available to other researchers for free.

The Physics of Multitasking

Penn physicists characterize the limits of multitasking in biological networks, paving the way for future applications in fields from biology to medicine.

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Fermilab Scientists Lead Quest to Find Elusive Fourth Kind of Neutrino

Scientists at the UChicago-affiliated Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, site of the most extensive neutrino research in the world, are leading an international collaboration to explore the possibility of a completely new particle.

Texas A&M-Led Team Doubles Down on Energy Storage with Novel Metal-Oxide Magnesium Battery

A multi-institution team of scientists led by Texas A&M University chemist Sarbajit Banerjee has discovered an exceptional metal-oxide magnesium battery cathode material, moving researchers one step closer to delivering batteries that promise higher density of energy storage on top of transformative advances in safety, cost and performance in comparison to their ubiquitous lithium-ion (Li-ion) counterparts.

Early Spring Rain Boosts Methane from Thawing Permafrost by 30 Percent

A University of Washington-led team has found a new reason behind increased methane emissions from a thawing permafrost bog in Alaska: Early spring rainfall warms up the bog and promotes the growth of plants and methane-producing microbes.

Scientists Tap Into Open-access Quantum Computer to Tease Out Quantum Secrets

Researchers at the University of Chicago used IBM's Quantum Experience, an open-access quantum computer, to test fundamental principles of quantum mechanics.

MaNGA Data Release Includes Detailed Maps of Thousands of Nearby Galaxies

The latest data release from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) includes observations revealing the internal structure and composition of nearly 5,000 nearby galaxies observed during the first three years of a program called Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA).

SEAS Researchers Discover New Evidence of Superconductivity at Near Room Temperature

Researchers at the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science have taken a major step toward reaching one of the most sought-after goals in physics: room temperature superconductivity.

Pushing Microbes to Deliver Preferred Products

Daniel Noguera, a Wisconsin Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with graduate student Matt Scarborough and collaborators in the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, recently published a paper in the journal mSystems in which they analyzed the makeup and metabolic activity of a mixed microbial community within a bioreactor.

7-Year School of Molecular Sciences Collaboration Bears New Fruit

In an academic field where female researchers comprise a talented minority, two professors from Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences are making an impact. Rebekka Wachter and Marcia Levitus have been collaborating for seven years, with several co-authored, highly rated publications to their credit.

Longer Growing Seasons Complicate Outlook for Coniferous Forests

For decades, ecologists have differed over a longstanding mystery: Will a longer, climate-induced growing season ultimately help coniferous forests to grow or hurt them? A new CU Boulder study may help researchers find a more definitive answer.