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Lawrence Livermore work may improve the efficiency of the biofuel production cycle

Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have discovered a bacterium that can tolerate toxic chemicals used in biofuel production, allowing for more efficient processing. This breakthrough has the potential to greatly benefit industrial processes and improve the efficiency of biofuel production.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 14, 2012

A fragrant new biofuel

JBEI researchers have engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to generate significant quantities of methyl ketone compounds from glucose, which yielded high cetane numbers comparable to gasoline. The findings add flexibility and options for the biofuels industry, with potential applications in producing advanced biofuels.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalApplied and Environmental Microbiology·DateMar 13, 2012

Do you see what I see?

A team of researchers developed a computer model based on human neural structure and function to recognize shapes. The model, inspired by the hierarchical organization of the human visual cortex, successfully reproduced human performance in identifying shapes, opening up new ways to approach object detection problems.

SourceDOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateDec 20, 2011

Is sustainability science really a science?

Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Indiana University analyzed the field's evolution, composition, and collaboration structure. The study concludes that sustainability science is both applied and basic, spanning worldwide institutions and governments. A global collaboration network emerged around 2000, defining the fie...

SourceDOE/Los Alamos National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 22, 2011

Structure, not scientists to blame for Los Alamos failings

The article reveals how Los Alamos' decline is linked to misguided policies and mismanagement, rather than a culture of arrogance. The lab's scientists faced harsh conditions, including polygraph tests and shutdowns, after media scrutiny of one individual's actions was misconstrued as institutional failure.

SourceSAGE·JournalBulletin of the Atomic Scientists·DateNov 1, 2011

Cold War's nuclear wastes pose challenges to science, engineering, society

Recent efforts by the US Department of Energy have analyzed remediation technology projects, technical reviews, and communication models to address nuclear waste management. The development of new tools and approaches is crucial to ensure continued safe and secure storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level wastes.

SourceUniversity of South Florida (USF Health)·JournalTechnology & Innovation·DateOct 12, 2011

US Department of Energy PECASE recipients

Thirteen US Department of Energy researchers have been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for their innovative work in various fields. The award recognizes their contributions to advancing energy independence and national security, as well as their commitment to mentoring and community ser...

Rare coupling of magnetic and electric properties in a single material

Scientists have found a new mechanism that couples electric and magnetic properties in a material, enabling faster and energy-efficient logic, memory, and sensing technology. This breakthrough could lead to the development of multiferroic materials, which are rare in nature but can display both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties.

SourceDOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 25, 2011

A look back: Berkeley Lab scientists raced to estimate oil flow from Deepwater Horizon macondo well

In June 2010, Berkeley Lab scientists quickly developed a simplified conceptual model and a coupled numerical model to estimate oil flow from the damaged wellhead. Their simulations predicted an oil flow rate of 60,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, which was later confirmed by a final estimate in August 2010.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 6, 2011

Breaking Kasha's rule

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have discovered a unique luminescence property in tetrapod nanocrystals that breaks Kasha's rule. The cadmium-selenide/cadmium-sulfide core/shell tetrapods emit light from multiple excited states, showing promising potential for optical sensing and LED applications.

New software to support interest in extreme science

The University of Chicago's Flash Center has released a new version of supercomputer code, FLASH 4-alpha, with enhanced capabilities for simulating high-energy density physics experiments. This will enable researchers at universities and national facilities to investigate fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions.

Nanotechnologists must take lessons from nature

Researchers Peter Cummings and Michael Simpson propose that mimicking natural processes can lead to more efficient and reliable devices. By exploiting contrarian behavior and 'noise,' scientists can develop technology that outperforms traditional methods, as seen in the humble bacterial cell's ability to withstand modern medicines.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalACS Nano·DateApr 28, 2011

Hydrocarbons in the deep earth

Researchers used computational simulations to explore hydrocarbon formation from methane under high pressure and temperature conditions. They found that hydrocarbons with multiple carbon atoms can form from methane at temperatures greater than 1,500 K and pressures 50,000 times those at the Earth's surface.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 14, 2011

Expanding the degrees of surface freezing

Scientists have found that molecules in thin films remain frozen at a temperature where the bulk material is molten. This phenomenon, known as surface freezing, occurs at the buried interface between bulk liquids and solid surfaces, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius above the melting point of the bulk material.

SourceDOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 31, 2011

Closing in on the pseudogap

A team of scientists has found that the pseudogap in high-temperature superconductors is not a gradual transition to superconductivity, but rather a distinct phase of matter. This discovery challenges current understanding and opens up new possibilities for achieving superconductivity at higher temperatures.