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

Research Shows Global Photosynthesis on the Rise

University of California Merced scientist Elliott Campbell and an interdisciplinary, international team of scientists discovered a chemical record of global photosynthesis, by analyzing the gases trapped in layers of Antarctic snow. They estimate that the sum of all plant photosynthesis on Earth grew by 30 percent over the 200-year record they captured.

Research Links Decline in Hemlock Forests to Changes in Water Resources

An insect infestation that is killing hemlock trees in New England forests is having a significant impact on the water resources of forested ecosystems that provide essential water supplies to one of the nation's most populous regions, according to research by Indiana University geographers and colleagues at three universities in Massachusetts.

Securing the Future

University of South Carolina chemistry researcher Hans-Conrad zur Loye's work has culminated in the creation of the Center for Hierarchical Waste Form Materials, which will develop storage materials that can contain nuclear waste for thousands of years.

Artificial Topological Matter Opens New Research Directions

An international team of researchers have created a new structure that allows the tuning of topological properties in such a way as to turn on or off these unique behaviors. The structure could open up possibilities for new explorations into the properties of topological states of matter.

To E-, or not to E-, the Question for the Exotic “Si-III” Phase of Silicon

New work led by Carnegie’s Tim Strobel and published in Physical Review Letters shows that one form of silicon, called Si-III (or sometimes BC8), which is synthesized using a high-pressure process, is what’s called a narrow band gap semiconductor.

Gray Tin Exhibits Novel Topological Electronic Properties in 3D

In a surprising new discovery, alpha-tin, commonly called gray tin, exhibits a novel electronic phase when its crystal structure is strained, putting it in a rare new class of 3D materials called topological Dirac semimetals (TDSs).

A Big Leap Toward Tinier Lines

A team of researchers at MIT and in Chicago have created a self-assembly technique that could lead to long-awaited, simple method for making smaller microchip patterns.

Team at the University of Delaware Highlights Work on Tuning Block Polymers for Nanostructured Systems

Block polymers, which are two or more polymer chains with different properties linked together, show great promise for many of these applications, and a research group at the University of Delaware has made significant strides in their development over the past several years.

Enzyme Structures Illuminate Mechanism Behind Bacteria’s Bioremediation Prowess

Scientists from the Department of Biochemistry and Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have solved the structure of an enzyme caught in the act of attacking toluene — a chemical derived from wood and oil.

Indiana University-led Team Maps Zika Virus Protein to Speed Search for Cure

A new study shows how Indiana University scientists are speeding the path to new treatments for the Zika virus, an infectious disease linked to birth defects in infants in South and Central America and the United States.

New Way to Characterize Cellulose, Advance Bioproducts

Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to define the molecular structure of cellulose, which could lead to cheaper and more efficient ways to make a variety of crucial bioproducts.

Argon is not the “Dope” for Metallic Hydrogen

Researchers from the Carnegie Institute of Science, Uppsala University and the University of Chicago found that argon-doped hydrogen stayed in its molecular form even up to the highest pressures, unable to force hydrogen into a superconductive, metallic state.