University Research

Physics Student Awarded U.S. Department of Energy Research Program Award

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science announced today that University of Minnesota physics graduate student Zachary Loren Robinson is one of only 52 graduate students from across the nation selected for DOE’s 2017 Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program Award.

UCLA Bioengineers Discover Mechanism that Regulates Cells' 'Powerhouses'

UCLA bioengineers and their colleagues have discovered a new perspective on how cells regulate the sizes of mitochondria, the parts of cells that provide energy, by cutting them into smaller units.

Researchers Describe Protein Previously Unknown in Biology

University of Georgia researchers have discovered a new way that iron is stored in microorganisms, a finding that provides new insights into the fundamental nature of how biological systems work.

New Quantum Liquid Crystals May Play Role in Future of Computers

Physicists at the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter at Caltech have discovered the first three-dimensional quantum liquid crystal—a new state of matter that may have applications in ultrafast quantum computers of the future.

Controlling Antimicrobial Contamination of Soil and Water with Bacteria

A new study at the University of Nevada, Reno has found a potential way to reduce the presence of the antimicrobial that is also linked to problems with antibiotic resistance.

Electronic Entropy Enhances Water Splitting

A Northwestern Engineering team led by Chris Wolverton has discovered that cerium’s electronic entropy, which is created when an electron transitions among various states within an electron shell, is the underlying reason for its success. This finding could help researchers better exploit cerium’s entropy for water-splitting technologies.

Graphene Holds Up Under High Pressure

A single sheet of graphene, comprising an atom-thin lattice of carbon, may seem rather fragile. But engineers at MIT have found that the ultrathin material is exceptionally sturdy, remaining intact under applied pressures of at least 100 bars.

National Lab Day Raises Question: What’s a National Lab?

The array of 17 National Labs, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, are where the United States seeks answers to the most critical scientific questions of our time. From energy independence, to nuclear safety, to defense, to elemental work in physics, biosciences and computing, big science happens in National Labs.