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

From the Lab to the World: Solving Big Problems in Agriculture and Energy

The Kramer lab at Michigan State University has unveiled a sophisticated, user-friendly, and cheap scientific instrument to measure plant health and photosynthesis parameters.

Research Proposes New Theories About Nature of Earth’s Iron

New research challenges the prevailing theory that the unique nature of Earth’s iron was the result of how its core was formed billions of years ago.

A New Tool for Genetically Engineering the Oldest Branch of Life

A new study by G. William Arends Professor of Microbiology Bill Metcalf and IGB Fellow Dipti Nayak has documented the use of CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing in the third domain of life, Archaea, for the first time.

Controlling Fast X-ray Pulses with Laser Light

Researchers at Lund University and LSU have used laser pulses to change a gas of atoms so that rather than absorbing the x-ray light along one direction, the atoms are instead stimulated to emit x-ray light along a completely different direction, and at a time that the scientists can control.

Research Reveals Inner Workings of Liquid Crystals

New research led by Juan de Pablo, the Liew Family Professor at the Institute for Molecular Engineering, uncovers previously unknown features that develop from the interface between air and certain widely studied liquid crystals.

Stanford Scientists Reveal How Grass Developed a Better Way to Breathe

Grasses are better able to withstand drought or high temperatures than many other plants in large part due to changes in their pores, called stomata. Stanford scientists have discovered how grasses produce these altered pores, which could someday lead to crops that can better survive climate change.

Advanced Materials Power Next-Generation Molecular Separations

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology identified the opportunities they see ahead for scalable membrane materials based on rigid and engineered pore structures.

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.

How to Build Artificial Nanofactories to Power Our Futures: Logistics

Scientists at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory are trying to build artificial nanofactories to sustainably produce industrial materials or medical tools.

Research Collaboration Brings New Concepts for Potassium-Ion Batteries

Researchers at Purdue University are making progress in developing rechargeable batteries based on potassium, a potential alternative to lithium that’s less expensive and far more plentiful, and also have shown how to derive carbon for battery electrodes from old tires.

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.

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.