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

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.

Microscopic Defects Make Batteries Better

High-performance electrodes for lithium-ion batteries can be improved by paying closer attention to their defects — and capitalizing on them, according to Rice University scientists.

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.

No Small Matter: Team Makes its Mark in Theoretical Nuclear Physics Research

Penn State Berks is making its mark in the field of theoretical nuclear physics research by becoming the only undergraduate institution of higher education in the nation to receive a highly competitive grant from the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) to partially fund a new professor position through JLab’s prestigious Bridge Program.

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.

A New Chloroplast 'App' for Making Biofuels

In addition to doing photosynthesis, the chloroplast is the source of up to 10% of seed oil production in plants. Scientists at Michigan State University are experimenting with harvesting that oil to make biofuels.

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.

Could Concrete Help Solve the Problem of Air Pollution?

Study done by Stony Brook University researcher Alex Orlov, PhD, and colleagues indicates concrete construction waste can help rid the air of sulfur dioxide, a major pollutant.

New Technology to Manipulate Cells Could One Day Help Treat Parkinson's, Arthritis, and Other Diseases

A groundbreaking advancement in materials from Northwestern University could potentially help patients requiring stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritic joints or any other condition requiring tissue regeneration, according to a new study.

The Ref and the Fighter: Two Sides of Plant Defense

In a new study, published in the journal New Phytologist, researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that the genes involved with plant growth and defense are more tangled than previously thought.

New Class of Insulating Crystals Hosts Quantized Electric Multipole Moments

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Princeton University have theoretically predicted a new class of insulating phases of matter in crystalline materials, pinpointed where they might be found in nature, and in the process generalized the fundamental quantum theory of Berry phases in solid state systems.

Analysis to Figure Out How Fast Greenland Is Melting

New University of Arizona research provides the best assessment of Greenland’s past temperatures, and knowing about the past is crucial for projecting the future of Greenland’s vast ice sheet.