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

MIT Develops Self-Shading Windows

A team of researchers at MIT has developed a new way of making windows that can switch from transparent to opaque, potentially saving energy by blocking sunlight on hot days and thus reducing air-conditioning costs.

Research by MIT Undergrad Helps Crack Chemical Mystery

Researchers at MIT and Penn State University have discovered the sulfur atom needed to produce lipoic acid – an important cofactor – is cannibalized from an iron-sulfur cluster already contained within the LipA enzyme.

Simulating Complex Catalysts Key to Making Cheap and Powerful Fuel Cells

Using a unique combination of advanced computational methods, University of Wisconsin–Madison chemical engineers have demystified some of the complex catalytic chemistry in fuel cells — an advance that brings cost-effective fuel cells closer to reality.

Neutrinos, Ever Bizarre, Enjoy the Spotlight

Two separate, international scientific collaborations studying neutrinos, the T2K experiment in Japan, and the NOvA experiment at Fermilab, have reported new insights into how neutrinos behave. Colorado State University researchers have played a significant role in both.

Using Nanotechnology to Give Fuel Cells More Oomph

At the same time Honda and Toyota are introducing fuel cell cars to the U.S. market, a team of researchers from Vanderbilt University, Nissan North America and Georgia Institute of Technology have teamed up to create a new technology designed to give fuel cells more oomph.

Stanford-led Experiments Point Toward Memory Chips 1,000 Times Faster Than Today’s

Stanford-led research shows that an emerging memory technology, based on a new class of semiconductor materials, could deliver the best of both worlds, storing data permanently while allowing certain operations to occur up to a thousand times faster than today’s memory devices.

Study Shows How Mutations Disrupt ALS-Linked Protein

New research explains how the protein TDP43 normally concentrates into droplets and how ALS-related mutations disrupt that, leading to them to form more problematic aggregates that afflict cells.

J.R. Macdonald Lab Receives Nearly $8 Million DOE Grant Renewal

Kansas State University's J.R. Macdonald Laboratory hosts the atomic, molecular and optical physics program in the physics department and is one of the largest such programs in the country.

Plants Have Their Cake and Eat it Too

Scientists have thought for a long time now that plants don’t do a good job growing and defending at the same time. The Howe lab at Michigan State University has created a plant that does both.

A Data-Cleaning Tool for Building Better Prediction Models

Software developed by computer scientists at Columbia University and University of California at Berkeley called ActiveClean analyzes a user’s prediction model to decide which mistakes to edit first, while updating the model as it works. With each pass, users see their model improve.

Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools; MU Researchers Working to Produce Vital Radioisotopes at a Cheaper Cost

Nuclear researchers at the University of Missouri are exploring alternate materials that could be used to help recycle the metals used to produce radioisotopes more efficiently and with less waste.

Next-Generation Thermoelectrics

Funded by a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, UC Santa Barbara chemical engineering professor Rachel Segalman and materials professor Michael Chabinyc will investigate ways of improving thermoelectric performance in polymeric materials.