Feature Articles

Researchers at Duke University and Michigan State University used neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to gain new fundamental insights into two magnesium-based materials. Investigations at the atomic scale revealed the origin and mechanism behind the materials' ability to convert thermal energy at room temperature into electricity and provides possible new pathways for improving thermoelectric applications such as those in the Perseverance rover and myriad other devices and energy-generation technologies.

On the road leading to the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, drivers may notice that many of the green trees lining the entrance to the lab are dappled with brown leaves. At first glance, the sight isn't extraordinary, as deciduous tree leaves turn hues of oranges and browns before falling to the ground each autumn. Yet, just weeks past the summer solstice, this phenomenon is out of place and is in fact evidence of another natural occurrence: cicada "flagging."

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that genetically distinct populations within the same species of fungi can produce unique mixes of secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds with applications in medicine, industry and agriculture. The finding could open new avenues for drug discovery and provide a deeper understanding of fungal evolution.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that genetically distinct populations within the same species of fungi can produce unique mixes of secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds with applications in medicine, industry and agriculture. The finding could open new avenues for drug discovery and provide a deeper understanding of fungal evolution.

Among Brian Davison's many accomplishments at ORNL, he's most proud of forming PRISM, a thriving employee resource group for LGBTQIA+ staff.

An ORNL-led team comprising researchers from multiple DOE national laboratories is using artificial intelligence and computational screening techniques - in combination with experimental validation - to identify and design five promising drug therapy approaches to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered a single gene that simultaneously boosts plant growth and tolerance for stresses such as drought and salt, all while tackling the root cause of climate change by enabling plants to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

A team performed simulations on the Summit supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility and found that electrons in cuprates interact with phonons much more strongly than was previously thought, leading to experimentally observed "kinks," or sudden changes, in the relationship between an electron's energy and the momentum it carries.

Researchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville uncovered hidden and unexpected quantum behavior in a simple iron-iodide material (FeI2) discovered almost a century ago. The new insights were enabled using neutron scattering experiments and theoretical physics calculations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team's findings solves a 40-year-old puzzle about the material's mysterious behavior and could be used as a map to unlock a treasure trove of quantum phenomena in other materials.