University Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Mysterious Deep-Earth Seismic Signature Explained

Led by Carnegie’s Ho-kwang “Dave” Mao, new research on oxygen and iron chemistry under the extreme conditions found deep inside the Earth could explain a longstanding seismic mystery called ultralow velocity zones.

UF Researchers Awarded $7M Grant to Improve How Plants Get Nitrogen and Reduce Pollution

A team of researchers at the universities of Florida and Wisconsin-Madison will use a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to pinpoint genes that could improve plants’ ability to access nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth.

First Open-Access Data From Large Collider Confirm Subatomic Particle Patterns

MIT researchers used the CMS data to reveal, for the first time, a universal feature within jets of subatomic particles, which are produced when high-energy protons collide. Their effort represents the first independent, published analysis of the CMS open data.

Electric Avenue: New Approach Could Transform Semiconductor Tech

A team of physicists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has demonstrated a reversible method for altering the electronic properties of a nanoscopic material, pointing the way toward merging several hallmark functions of modern electronics into a single component.

NIU Student Daniel Boyden Wins Prestigious Research Award from U.S. Dept. of Energy

Boyden, 27, of Oregon, Illinois, is one of 52 students from across the nation to receive the 2017 award. From November through August, he will receive monthly stipends totaling more than $30,000 to conduct research for his dissertation at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia.

Stanford Researchers Find Soil Holds Potential to Slow Global Warming

If you want to do something about global warming, look under your feet. Managed well, soil’s ability to trap carbon dioxide is potentially much greater than previously estimated, according to Stanford researchers who claim the resource could “significantly” offset increasing global emissions.

Texas Engineers Develop New Material for Better Lithium-Ion Batteries

Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a family of anode materials that can double the charge capacity of lithium-ion battery anodes. This means that the batteries that we use in everything from cellphones to large-scale energy storage systems could be more efficient in the future.

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Awards Multi-Institution Grants for Nuclear Physics Computing

Three nuclear physics research projects involving Michigan State University researchers have won grants from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC).

Prototype Shows How Tiny Photodetectors Can Double Their Efficiency

Physicists at the University of California, Riverside have developed a photodetector – a device that senses light – by combining two distinct inorganic materials and producing quantum mechanical processes that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected.

Researchers Discover New Chemical Process that Could Reduce Nitrogen Oxides from Diesel Exhaust

Chemical engineers at the University of Notre Dame have discovered a catalytic process that could help curb emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel-powered vehicles, a priority air pollutant that is a key ingredient in smog.

SBU Students Test a Magnetic Cloak at Argonne National Laboratory

In December, students from Stony Brook University visited Argonne with research professor Nils Feege to test a prototype of a magnetic cloak — a crucial piece of equipment for a next-generation particle collider — at Argonne’s 4-Tesla Magnet Facility.

Scientists Unlock Microbiome's Secrets

Research at the Microbiome Center, a joint effort by the University of Chicago, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory, supports scientists who are developing applications and tools to understand and harness the capabilities of microbial systems across different fields.