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

Fuel Cell Breakthrough

Researchers at the University of Delaware recently reported a breakthrough that promises to bring down the cost of hydrogen fuel cells by replacing expensive platinum catalysts with cheaper ones made from metals like nickel.

New Analysis of Big Data Sheds Light on Cell Functions

Researchers led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new way of obtaining useful information from big data in biology to better understand—and predict—what goes on inside a cell.

UVA Physicists, Engineers Paving Way for Wider Use of New Solar Cell Materials

University of Virginia Scientists and engineers, with colleagues at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Cornell University, have made new inroads on understanding the fundamental physics of the solar cell material -hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites or HOIPS - extremely lightweight, flexible, and efficient materials.

A Wolverine Inspired Material

Scientists, including several from the University of California, Riverside, have developed a transparent, self-healing, highly stretchable conductive material that can be electrically activated to power artificial muscles and could be used to improve batteries, electronic devices, and robots.

Molecular Velcro Boosts Microalgae’s Potential in Biofuel, Industrial Applications

Michigan State University scientists have engineered “molecular Velcro” into cyanobacteria, boosting this microalgae’s biofuel viability as well as its potential for other research.

Ocean Temperatures Faithfully Recorded in Mother-of-Pearl

A team led by University of Wisconsin–Madison physics Professor Pupa Gilbert describes studies of the physical attributes of nacre in modern and fossil shells showing that the biomineral provides an accurate record of temperature as the material is formed, layer upon layer, in a mollusk.

Fast-Track Control Accelerates Switching of Quantum Bits

An international collaboration among physicists at the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, McGill University and the University of Konstanz recently demonstrated a new framework for faster control of a quantum bit—the basic unit of information in yet-to-be created quantum computers.

Study Details Molecular Roots of Alzheimer’s

A new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis details the structure of TREM2, a protein involved in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Toward Safer, Long-Life Nuclear Reactors: Metal Design Could Raise Radiation Resistance by 100 Times

In findings that could change the way industries like nuclear energy and aerospace look for materials that can stand up to radiation exposure, University of Michigan researchers have discovered that metal alloys with three or more elements in equal concentrations can be remarkably resistant to radiation-induced swelling.

Warming Global Temperatures May Not Affect Carbon Stored Deep in Northern Peatlands

Florida State University research scientist Rachel Wilson and University of Oregon graduate student Anya Hopple are the first authors on a new study that details experiments suggesting that carbon stored in peat — a highly organic material found in marsh or damp regions — may not succumb to the Earth’s warming as easily as scientists thought.

UO Team Helps Show Peatlands May Hold On to Carbon

Carbon accumulating deep in peat around the world may be less likely to be released into the air by global warming than originally thought, according to new findings by a research team that included University of Oregon contributors.

Breakthrough Solar Cell Captures CO2 and Sunlight, Produces Burnable Fuel

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have engineered a potentially game-changing solar cell that cheaply and efficiently converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel, using only sunlight for energy.