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

Scientists Discover New Helium Chemistry

An international team of researchers led by Skoltech’s Artem R. Oganov (also a professor at Stony Brook University and head of Computational Materials Discovery laboratory at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) has predicted two stable helium compounds—Na₂He and Na₂He O.

Husker Scientists Boost Performance of Emerging Nanomaterial

Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Drexel University demonstrated that modifying the traditional method of synthesizing MXene sheets created defect-free flakes that were about 25 times larger, significantly more conductive, and far less susceptible to degradation.

Catalyzing Discovery

Researchers at the Energy Frontier Research Center’s (EFRC) Integrated Mesoscale Architectures for Sustainable Catalysis (IMASC) at Harvard have shown that the process of catalysis is more dynamic than previously imagined, and that molecular forces can vastly influence the process.

Paper Spotlights Key Flaw in Widely Used Radioisotope Dating Technique

An oversight in a radioisotope dating technique used to date everything from meteorites to geologic samples means that scientists have likely overestimated the age of many samples, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

Plant Regulatory Proteins “Tagged” with Sugar

New work from Carnegie’s Shouling Xu and Zhiyong Wang reveals that the process of synthesizing many important master proteins in plants involves extensive modification, or “tagging” by sugars after the protein is assembled.

Researchers Investigate Mechanics of Lithium Sulfides

For the first time, a team at MIT has probed the mechanical properties of a sulfide-based solid electrolyte material, to determine its mechanical performance when incorporated into batteries.

Pattern Discovery over Pattern Recognition: A New Way for Computers to See

Jim Crutchfield, who leads the UC Davis Complexity Sciences Center, along with physics graduate student Adam Rupe and postdoc Ryan James, is designing new machine learning systems to allow supercomputers to spot large-scale atmospheric structures, such as hurricanes and atmospheric rivers, in climate data.

New Technique Could Lead to Safer, More Efficient Uranium Extraction, Aid Environmental Cleanup

The separation of uranium, a key part of the nuclear fuel cycle, could potentially be done more safely and efficiently through a new technique developed by chemistry researchers at Oregon State University.

Simulation by Stanford Researchers Shows How Transporter Proteins do their Work in Cells

Stanford researchers have simulated how a transporter protein moves a sugar molecule through a cell membrane, a phenomenon with relevance to drug delivery.

National Lab Day Spotlights Federal, University Research Collaboration

U.S. Congressmen Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman and directors from seven Department of Energy national labs will participate in National Lab Day, Tuesday, April 18, hosted by the University of Arkansas.

Research Aims to Help Renewable Jet Fuel Take Flight

University of Delaware researchers are working to develop an alternative jet fuel. Instead of petroleum, UD researchers want to power planes with corncobs and wood chips — stuff you generally don’t care much about unless you’re a groundhog or a beaver looking for leftovers.

Better Together: A Bacteria Community Creates Biodegradable Plastic with Sunlight

Researchers at Michigan State University explain how a synthetic microorganism cooperative produces cheap biodegradeable bioplastics.