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

New Study Shines Light on Photosynthesis

Terry Bricker, Moreland Family Professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences, and colleagues at LSU, the Palacký University in the Czech Republic and at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio have solved a longstanding mystery in photosynthesis, a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy.

New Materials Could Turn Water into the Fuel of the Future

Researchers at Caltech and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have—in just two years—nearly doubled the number of materials known to have potential for use in solar fuels.

Most Complex Nanoparticle Crystal Ever Made By Design

The most complex crystal designed and built from nanoparticles has been reported by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.

Researchers Find New Clues for Nuclear Waste Cleanup

A Washington State University study of the chemistry of technetium-99 has improved understanding of the challenging nuclear waste and could lead to better cleanup methods.

Help Astronomers Find Elusive Muons Disguised as Gamma Rays

A new citizen science project, led by astronomers at the University of Minnesota, is asking for help from the public to identify and categorize hundreds of thousands of ring patterns within images produced by VERITAS gamma-ray observatory cameras.

Triboelectric Nanogenerators Boost Mass Spectrometry Performance

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown that replacing conventional power supplies with TENG devices for charging the molecules being analyzed can boost the sensitivity of mass spectrometers to unprecedented levels.

Experiments Call Origin of Earth’s Iron into Question

New research from The University of Texas at Austin reveals that the Earth’s unique iron composition isn’t linked to the formation of the planet’s core, calling into question a prevailing theory about the events that shaped our planet during its earliest years.

Light-Driven Reaction Converts Carbon Dioxide Into Fuel

Duke University researchers have developed tiny nanoparticles that help convert carbon dioxide into methane using only ultraviolet light as an energy source.

Physics Grad Student Headed to Los Alamos National Lab

Chad Brisbois, a physics PhD candidate at Michigan Technological University, is one of 53 graduate students in the US to earn a place in the Department of Energy's Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program.

Stanford Researchers Create a High-Performance, Low-Energy Artificial Synapse for Neural Network Computing

Researchers at Stanford University and Sandia National Laboratories have made an advance that could help computers mimic one piece of the brain’s efficient design – an artificial version of the space over which neurons communicate, called a synapse.

Spontaneous System Follows Rules of Equilibrium

An international team including researchers at Northwestern University has discovered evidence for a non-equilibrium system that quantitatively behaves like an equilibrium system. The finding could lead to a set of rules that makes it possible to predict the properties of non-equilibrium systems, which experience constant changes in energy and are required for all forms of life.

Entering the Fast Lane — MXene Electrodes Push Charging Rate Limits in Energy Storage

Drexel researchers have developed electrode designs using MXene that allow for much faster charging because they open up paths for ions to quickly travel within the material.