U.S. Department of Energy Research News

Public Release: 2-Aug-2013

Angewandte Chemie International Edition
A crystal of a different color
PNNL chemists have unexpectedly made two differently colored crystals -- one orange, one blue -- from one chemical in the same flask while studying a special kind of molecular connection called an agostic bond. The discovery reported this week in Angewandte Chemie International Edition provides industrial chemical reactions such as those that occur while making plastics and fuels.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 29-Jul-2013
Field test could lead to reducing CO2 emissions worldwide
An injection of carbon dioxide, or CO2, has begun at a site in southeastern Washington to test deep geologic storage. Battelle researchers based at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are injecting 1,000 tons of CO2 one-half mile underground to see if the greenhouse gas can be stored safely and permanently in ancient basalt flows.

Department of Energy

Public Release: 26-Jun-2013

PLOS ONE
Salmonella infection is a battle between good and bad bacteria in the gut
A new study in PLOS ONE that examined food poisoning infection as-it-happens in mice revealed harmful bacteria, such as a common type of Salmonella, takes over beneficial bacteria within the gut amid previously unseen changes to the gut environment. The results provide new insights into the course of infection and could lead to better prevention or new treatments.

National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 18-Jun-2013
Stop hyperventilating, say energy efficiency researchers
A single advanced building control now in development could slash 18 percent -- tens of thousands of dollars -- off the overall annual energy bill of the average large office building, with no loss of comfort. Instead of running ventilation full blast whenever just a single person is in the room, customize the amount of ventilation based on the number of people actually present.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 6-Jun-2013

IEEE Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics
Making sense of patterns in the Twitterverse
If you think keeping up with what's happening via Twitter, Facebook and other social media is like drinking from a fire hose, multiply that by seven billion -- and you'll have a sense of what Court Corley wakes up to every morning. Corley has created a powerful digital system, dubbed SALSA, capable of analyzing billions of tweets and other messages in just seconds, in an effort to discover patterns and make sense of all the information.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Public Release: 27-May-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Salmonella uses protective switch during infection
For the first time, researchers have found a particular kind of molecular switch in the food poisoning bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium under infection-like conditions. This switch, using a process called S-thiolation, appears to be used by the bacteria to respond to changes in the environment during infection and might protect it from harm, researchers report this week online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 23-May-2013
PNNL staff recognized for scientific accomplishments, moving technologies into the marketplace
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory honored more than 165 staff for their creation, development and commercialization of intellectual property at PNNL's annual Intellectual Property Commercialization Recognition & Rewards Program banquet.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 22-May-2013
PNNL-developed injection molding process recognized with emerging technologies award
An injection-molding method that has potential to aid the aerospace, biomedical and auto industries by increasing the use of titanium and other durable, lightweight and corrosion-resistant metals has earned a national innovation award.

Department of Energy

Public Release: 21-May-2013

Environmental Science & Technology
Going green: Nation equipped to grow serious amounts of pond scum for fuel
A new analysis shows that the nation's land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in the United States, one-twelfth of the country's yearly needs. For the best places to produce algae for fuel, think hot, humid and wet. Especially promising are the Gulf Coast and the Southeastern seaboard.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 20-May-2013
Not just blowing in the wind: Compressing air for renewable energy storage
A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month.

Bonneville Power Administration, DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory