U.S. Department of Energy Research News

6-Jan-2010
Argonne advanced battery research driving to displace gasoline
In excess of seven million barrels of gasoline are consumed by vehicles in the United States every day. As scientists race to find environmentally sound solutions to fuel the world's ever-growing transportation needs, battery researchers are exploring the promise of lithium-air battery technology.

10-Dec-2009
Probing life's extremes in Yellowstone
Frank Roberto trawls Yellowstone's thermal pools for viruses and microbes. On a recent trip to the park, he hunted for bacteria that could aid in the production of biofuels and bioplastics.

6-Oct-2009
Conference tackles interstate transmission
The US electricity grid is strained to its limit, and the nation's windiest and sunniest places are rarely near cities that generate high demand. Finding ways to string new power lines across several states is a challenge for even the most creative regulators and energy analysts determined to increase America's use of renewable energy.

16-Sep-2009
Both directions at once
The challenge of controlling climate change is a goal that, to many, appears to be at odds with the equally important goal of energy security. However, the idea that the two goals are somehow mutually exclusive is not one accepted by ORNL energy researcher David Greene. "We don't want to sacrifice one for the other," he says. "We want -- and we believe it possible -- to achieve environmental goals and energy security goals at the same time.

5-Feb-2009
The secrets of Darwin's dinobird
For centuries, the field of archaeology has depended on what's visible to the naked eye. Now, researchers are revealing what lies beneath the surface of a key evolutionary fossil, Darwin's "dinobird."

2-Dec-2008
Mother of pearl secret revealed
Advanced Light Source scientists Andreas Scholl and Nobumichi Tamura were part of a team that used beams from the PEEM-3 and x-ray diffraction microscopes to reveal new secrets behind the mysterious formation of mother of pearl, or nacre, the inner lining of the shells of abalone and certain other mollusks.

25-Jul-2008
Argonne, UChicago researchers pursue grasses as Earth-friendly biofuel
At a small site on the Batavia campus of Fermilab, ecologist Julie Jastrow of Argonne National Laboratory pushes the scientific frontier in a new and exciting way: she watches the grass grow.

10-Jun-2008
US Secretary of Energy concludes productive G8+3 Energy Ministerial Meeting in Japan
US Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman today concluded his weekend visit to Aomori, Japan where he participated in the Five-Country and the Group of Eight, China, India and Korea Energy Ministerial meetings hosted by Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari. While in Japan, the Secretary met with ministers and other high-level government officials from G8 countries, China, India and Korea to discuss ways to enhance global energy security, while simultaneously combating global climate change.

3-Apr-2008
DOE technology monitors CO2 injection in Australian gas field
Australia has launched the first carbon sequestration project in the southern hemisphere with the help of technology developed by researchers at the US Department of Energy. The Otway Basin Pilot Project will inject and monitor carbon dioxide in a depleted gas field in southeastern Australia to demonstrate the feasibility of storing the greenhouse gas in the Waarre Formation of the Otway Basin, and similar formations worldwide, to fight global climate change.

28-Mar-2008
US Department of Energy to provide up to $2.4M to advance solar energy in 12 US cities
US Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will make available up to $2.4 million to 12 cities across the country selected as Solar America Cities, chosen for their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures. These projects further President Bush's Solar America Initiative, which aims to make electricity from solar photovoltaics cost-competitive with conventional electricity by 2015.

18-Mar-2008
DOE announces strategic Engineering and Technology Roadmap for cleanup of Cold War era nuclear waste
The US Department of Energy released an Engineering and Technology Roadmap, which details initiatives aimed at reducing the technical risks and uncertainties associated with cleaning up Cold War era nuclear waste over the next ten years.

15-Jun-2007
Cytochrome studies provide biofuel cell potential
Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and collaborators have purified the protein called outer membrane cytochrome A (OmcA) from Shewanella oneidensis, a bacterium with promise for bioremediation of contaminants and the design of microbial fuel cells. They have measured its ability to bind and transfer electrons to mineral hematite, a solid ferric oxide. The team has shown that purified OmcA can directly reduce solid metals and that purified proteins are a next step in biofuel cell development.

15-Jun-2007
Aerosol particles and cloud droplets -- Microscopic modulators of climate
Scientists around the world use sophisticated computer models to simulate future scenarios of all types -- including global climate. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are playing a key role in the improvement of these models by providing new information about the role of aerosols in the atmosphere.

15-Jun-2007
Dust in the wind
In March 2006, a major dust storm occurred in Niamey, Niger. Although a common occurrence, this was the first time both satellite- and ground-based instruments were used simultaneously to assess the impact of airborne Saharan dust on incoming and outgoing solar radiation.

15-Jun-2007
On thin icege/gi
Thin clouds high in the upper troposphere, like cirrus clouds, may have a significant influence on Earth's climate and enhance the "greenhouse effect" by absorbing more of the sun's radiation than they take in. Unknown is how ice crystals in these clouds absorb and reflect radiant energy and enhance the amount of radiant energy emitted toward the earth's surface.

15-Jun-2007
Iron nanoparticles could lead to more effectives carbon tetrachloride cleanup
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the University of Minnesota and Oregon Health and Science University discovered that not all iron nanoparticles are created equal. Some, in fact, may be especially useful for cleaning up groundwater contaminated with carbon tetrachloride.Bi%3A1181862272

14-Jun-2007
Taming the hairy mushroom
Fungi (yeasts, molds and mushrooms) have gotten a bad rap over the years. They have been blamed for infecting food crops and represent some of the most universal and costly pathogens known to man -- both of which overshadow the important contributions fungi make, such as providing critical agricultural nutrients and compounds for antibiotics.

26-May-2007
Berkeley Lab, EPA studies confirm large public health and economic impact of dampness and mold
A pair of studies to be published in the journal Indoor Air have quantified the considerable public health risks and economic consequences in the United States from building dampness and mold.

22-May-2007
Energy department awards $22.7 million for basic solar energy research
The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $22.7 million in basic research projects aimed at improving the capture, conversion and use of solar energy. The research will help increase the amount of solar power in the nation�s energy supply.

21-May-2007
Energy department awards $11.2 million for hydrogen research
The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $11.2 million in awards for research aimed at overcoming the scientific challenges associated with the production, storage and use of hydrogen.

11-May-2007
An ancient bathtub ring of mammoth fossils
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory geologists have put out a call for teeth tusks, femurs and any and all other parts of extinct mammoths left by massive Ice Age floods in southeastern Washington.

22-Mar-2007
Balancing oil and environment... responsibly
As the price of oil continues to fluctuate unpredictably and nears the brink of depletion, pursuing unconventional oil supplies, such as oil shale, oil sands, heavy oils, and oils from biomass and coal, has become increasingly attractive. Of particular significance to the American way is that our continent has significant quantities of these resources.

22-Mar-2007
Biomarkers -- Transforming human health and the environment
You've seen it in the news headlines: Anthrax discovered in the mail� SARs outbreak� Norovirus outbreak� Potential for an avian flu pandemic looms� Obesity and diabetes threaten Americans' health� Demand for water on the rise, while water quality falls. What do they have in common?

22-Mar-2007
Digging into dirt -- Subsurface science at PNNL
Imagine drinking water that has dripped through the sponge you've just used to clean the breakfast dishes. This is happening around the world. Rain and snow pass through soil polluted with pesticides, poisonous metals and radionuclides into the underground streams that supply rivers, lakes and drinking water.

8-Mar-2007
NREL scientists win Dan David Prize in future category
Two scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been named Dan David Prize Laureates for 2007.