Researchers successfully characterized quantum vortices in helium nanodroplets for the first time, revealing unique features and opening new avenues to study quantum rotation. The discovery confirms that helium nanodroplets are superfluid throughout and exhibit a single quantum object behavior.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have observed the direct formation of facets on platinum nanocubes, revealing that a long-held scientific principle breaks down at the nanoscale. This breakthrough enables the control of a nanocrystal's geometric shape and its subsequent chemical and electronic properties.
Researchers at JBEI have developed bionic liquids from lignin and hemicellulose, which can efficiently dissolve biomass and represent a renewable platform for biomass pretreatment. The new liquids outperform current imidazolium-based ionic liquids in terms of sugar yields, making them a significant step towards cost-competitive biofuels.
Researchers analyzed seven grains of possible interstellar dust, finding they are more complex in composition and structure than previously imagined. The analysis opens a door to studying the origins of the solar system and possibly the origin of life itself.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a technique for generating acoustic bottles that can bend sound waves along prescribed convex trajectories. This technology has the potential to revolutionize various applications, including advanced ultrasonic imaging and therapy, acoustic cloaking, and levitation.
Researchers have developed a powerful new tool to identify and characterize nucleotide sugar transporters, critical components in the biosynthesis of plant cell walls. The assay enabled the characterization of six novel transporters in Arabidopsis, revealing their bispecific nature and regulation by substrate availability.
Researchers developed an ab initio method to study hot carriers in semiconductors, providing data for hot carrier dynamics in silicon and other materials. The method found that thermalization under solar illumination is completed within 350 femtoseconds, dominated by phonon emission from hot carriers.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab and Intel have developed a new kind of resist that combines the best properties of two existing types, offering improved light sensitivity and mechanical stability. The breakthrough could lead to the creation of even smaller microprocessors with increased computation and energy efficiency.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and SLAC have taken detailed snapshots of the four photon-step cycle of photosynthetic water oxidation in photosystem II. The study provides information that should be useful for designing artificial solar-energy based devices to split water, a crucial step towards clean energy.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have made a groundbreaking discovery in living cell signaling, finding that stochastic 'noise' is an important signaling factor. This breakthrough could lead to the development of treatments for various cancers and cellular disorders resistant to therapy.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab and University of Hawaii confirm hydrogen abstraction-acetylene addition mechanism in combustion theory. The study has implications for designing cleaner-burning fuels and fine-tuning carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California detected a force of approximately 42 yoctonewtons using a unique optical trapping system and ultracold atoms. The detection surpassed the Standard Quantum Limit, achieving sensitivity consistent with theoretical predictions.
Skyrmions, subatomic quasiparticles that could play a key role in future spintronic technologies, have been observed for the first time using x-rays. Researchers found two distinct skyrmion sub-lattices that rotate with respect to each other, creating a moiré-like pattern.
Researchers at JBEI have created the first glycosyltransferase clone collection, targeting plant cell wall biosynthesis and enabling modification of biomass for fuel yields. The collection, led by Joshua Heazlewood, provides a functional genomic framework for studying GTs and their role in plant biology.
Researchers developed a new technique to study photochemical reactions, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of electronic and molecular dynamics. This breakthrough could answer questions about photochemical and photobiological systems, enabling the development of more efficient solar energy systems and nanomaterials.
Researchers have demonstrated a technique for producing acoustic phonons at 10 GHz, promising unprecedented resolution for acoustic imaging. The team used nanostructures to generate and detect the phonons, which can be used to 'see' subsurface structures in nanoscale systems.
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have devised a technique to form highly ordered thin films over macroscopic distances in one minute. The technique uses supramolecules based on block copolymers to create nanocomposites that self-assemble into hierarchically-structured thin films.
Researchers used in situ TEM to study the evolution of platinum/cobalt nanoparticles during reactions in oxygen and hydrogen gases. They found that cobalt atoms migrate to form a cobalt oxide epitaxial film, which affects catalytic performance.
As women age, their breast cells lose responsiveness to their surroundings, leading to increased tumor growth and higher risk of breast cancer. Researchers at Berkeley Lab discovered that multipotent progenitor cells, responsible for maintaining healthy tissue, fail to perceive differentiation cues as they age.
A new study reveals magnetic fields near supermassive black holes can match the force of their gravitational pull, affecting gas dynamics and outflows. Magnetic field strengths are comparable to those produced by MRI machines.
Berkeley Lab researchers have developed the world's first fully two-dimensional field-effect transistor (FET) using layered materials with van der Waals interfaces. This breakthrough promises to improve the performance and scalability of electronic devices, enabling the creation of faster and more efficient electronics.
Berkeley Lab researchers found that hydroxyl groups from water bind to the surface of colloidal lead sulfide nanoparticles, explaining how they achieve balance of positive and negative ions. This discovery sheds light on the surface chemistry of nanocrystals and has implications for nanoparticle synthesis.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab discovered that certain requirements for laser pulses in emerging small-area particle accelerators can be significantly relaxed. This finding has the potential to bring about a new era of accelerators that would need just a few meters to accelerate particles to great speeds, rather than traditional accelerat...
Berkeley Lab researchers unveiled the atomic-scale mechanism of microtubule assembly and disassembly. They found that GTP hydrolysis leads to conformational strain, which is reversed by Taxol binding, stabilizing the microtubule lattice.
For the first time, scientists have direct confirmation that a Wolf-Rayet star died in a violent explosion known as a Type IIb supernova. The discovery was made using the iPTF pipeline, which caught the supernova within hours of its explosion and triggered ground- and space-based telescopes to observe the event.
Berkeley Lab researchers have developed a technique to modify graphene boron nitride heterostructures using visible light, preserving high electron mobility. This method enables p–n junctions and flexible doping profiles without sacrificing material quality.
Berkeley lab researchers have discovered that the viral packaging motor rotates DNA in response to changing conditions, a crucial process for viral replication. This finding could lead to new strategies for combating viral infections and designing more effective drugs.
Researchers developed a broadband imaging technique combining atomic force microscopy and infrared synchrotron light to study complex systems at the nanoscale. The new technique, SINS, enables in-depth investigation of liquid batteries, living cells, and novel materials.
Researchers have demonstrated that the distribution of dopants in semiconductor nanocrystals is crucial for controlling optical properties. By probing electron distribution using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, they found that surface-doped samples exhibit reduced activation of dopants and symmetric plasmon resonances.
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have recorded the first observations of strong nonlinear optical resonances along the edges of a single layer of molybdenum disulfide. These one-dimensional edge states are key to enabling novel nanoelectronics and photonic devices.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab discovered that the re-ordering of spin in manganites is not ultra-fast, but rather exhibits a glass-like state, with the restoration of crystalline order delayed. This separation of charge-ordering behavior from spin-ordering behavior may lead to new approaches for manipulating spin effects.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a novel method to study the membranes of living cells by using size-based chromatography. This approach allows them to probe supramolecular structures in cell membranes at the nanometer length scales, providing insights into how spatial organization affects cellular function.
Adam Arkin, director of Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division, has made significant contributions to systems and synthetic biology. He received the 2013 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for his work on cellular networks and populations.
The BOSS study uses quasars to map density variations in intergalactic gas, tracing the structure of the young universe and illuminating the nature of dark energy. The latest results establish the expansion rate at 68 km/s/Mly at redshift 2.34 with unprecedented accuracy of 2.2 percent.
Researchers found that reducing indium nitride's dimensions can produce green light with higher energy, leading to more efficient LEDs. The nanostructures can be tailored to emit different colors of light, enabling the creation of natural-looking white lighting.
Berkeley Lab researchers found that hybrid cars are significantly more fuel-efficient in India and China than in the United States. In India, hybrids use up to 47-48% less fuel, while in China, they use up to 53-55%. The study's findings have important implications for countries with growing personal vehicle markets like India.
Researchers at Joint BioEnergy Institute have successfully introduced a pair of genes into E. coli bacteria to confer tolerance to ionic liquids, enhancing the production of terpene-based biofuels. This breakthrough could eliminate a bottleneck in biofuels production and pave the way for more economical fermentation conditions.
Researchers developed SIF-seq to identify mammalian enhancers, which amplify specific gene expression, and validate ChIP-seq results. The technique offers a higher-throughput functional assay for various cell types and developmental contexts.
Researchers discovered a unique new two-dimensional semiconductor, rhenium disulfide, with direct-bandgap properties. The material's weak interlayer coupling makes it ideal for studying 2D physics and applications in tribology, solar cells, and valleytronics.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have discovered new rules for creating ultra-bright light-emitting crystals less than 10 nanometers in diameter, which should be a big asset for biological imaging. The discovery shows that factors known to increase brightness in bulk experiments lose importance at higher excitation powers.
Researchers mapped RNA activity in 29 tissue types, cell lines, and environmental conditions to understand gene expression in the nervous system and response to stress. The study identified new genes and rare RNAs involved in stress response and complex brain function.
Researchers at JCAP have developed a new hybrid material that stores nearly 90% of the electrons generated by solar energy in hydrogen molecules. This breakthrough could address one of the major challenges in using artificial photosynthesis to produce renewable solar fuels. The material, which combines gallium phosphide and cobaloxime ...
Scientists explored how Staphylococcus cells adhere to nanostructures and found that surface features can inhibit bacterial adhesion. The researchers developed nickel nanostructures with various shapes, including tubular-shaped pillars, which showed higher bacteria survival rates.
A new analysis of normal Type Ia supernovae reveals a range of masses, most near or below the Chandrasekhar limit. The SNfactory team used spectrography to 'weigh' the leftover debris, comparing masses and factors with light curves.
Researchers have identified two intermediate steps in water oxidation reactions using an Earth-abundant solid catalyst, cobalt oxide. This discovery provides a better understanding of the individual events in the four-electron cycle and enables the design of improvements to boost efficiency.
Researchers at Berkeley and Argonne National Labs developed a new class of bimetallic nanocatalysts, hollow polyhedral nanoframes of platinum and nickel, which feature a three-dimensional catalytic surface activity. These catalysts are significantly more efficient and far less expensive than the best platinum catalysts used in today's ...
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Advanced Light Source have demonstrated the ability to control the conducting/insulating phases of ultra-thin films of Mott materials using epitaxial strain. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient transistors and memories with higher energy efficiencies and faster switching ...
Researchers mapped catalytic reactivity inside a microreactor in high resolution from start-to-finish using infrared and x-ray light. The study revealed opportunities for optimization, resulting in better catalytic performances.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researchers present on topics including improved climate models, synthetic biology for better biofuels, emerging materials for photovoltaics, and efforts to detect Dark Matter. The presentation highlights the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and exploring innovative solutions.
Berkeley researchers provide detailed picture of Cas9's three-dimensional shape, showing radical change in structure upon binding to guide RNA. This breakthrough enables rational design of new and improved versions of Cas9 enzymes for basic research and genetic engineering.