U.S. Department of Energy Research News

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: 16-May-2013

Nature
New X-ray method shows how frog embryos could help thwart disease
An international team of scientists using a new X-ray method recorded the internal structure and cell movement inside a living frog embryo in greater detail than ever before. This result showcases a new method to advance biological research and the search for new treatments for genetic diseases.

Department of Energy

Public Release: 29-Apr-2013

Nature Methods
Comparing proteins at a glance
A revolutionary X-ray analytical technique enables researchers at a glance to identify structural similarities and differences between multiple proteins under a variety of conditions and has already been used to gain valuable new insight into a prime protein target for cancer chemotherapy.

US Department of Energy Office of Science, National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 11-Apr-2013

Science
Tiny wireless device shines light on mouse brain, generating reward
Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. The scientists report their findings in the journal Science.

NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience, US Department of Energy

Public Release: 11-Apr-2013

Science
A bright idea: Tiny injectable LEDs help neuroscientists study the brain
A new class of tiny, injectable LEDs is illuminating the deep mysteries of the brain. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St. Louis developed ultrathin, flexible optoelectronic devices -- including LEDs the size of individual neurons -- that are lighting the way for neuroscientists in the field of optogenetics, a new area of neuroscience that uses light to stimulate targeted neural pathways in the brain.

National Institutes of Health, US Department of Energy

Public Release: 9-Apr-2013

Journal of Nuclear Medicine
System provides clear brain scans of awake, unrestrained mice
Researchers have shown that the AwakeSPECT system can obtain detailed, functional images of the brain of a freely moving, conscious mouse.

US Department of Energy's Office of Science, National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 4-Apr-2013

Nature
Antibody evolution could guide HIV vaccine development
Observing the evolution of a particular type of antibody in an infected HIV-1 patient, a study spearheaded by Duke University, including analysis from Los Alamos National Laboratory, has provided insights that will enable vaccination strategies that mimic the actual antibody development within the body.

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 4-Apr-2013

Journal of Nuclear Medicine
ORNL's awake imaging device moves diagnostics field forward
A technology being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory promises to provide clear images of the brains of children, the elderly and people with Parkinson's and other diseases without the use of uncomfortable or intrusive restraints.

Public Release: 2-Apr-2013
New instrument will quickly detect botulinum, ricin, other biothreat agents
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are developing a medical instrument that will be able to quickly detect a suite of biothreat agents, including anthrax, ricin, botulinum, shiga and SEB toxin. Sandia's work is funded by a recent grant -- nearly $4 million over four years -- from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health

Public Release: 1-Apr-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Research deciphers HIV attack plan
A new study by Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of Pennsylvania scientists defines previously unknown properties of transmitted HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. The viruses that successfully pass from a chronically infected person to a new individual are both remarkably resistant to a powerful initial human immune-response mechanism, and they are blanketed in a greater amount of envelope protein that helps them access and enter host cells.

Public Release: 18-Mar-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Human microbe study provides insight into health, disease
Microbes from the human mouth are telling Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists something about periodontitis and more after they cracked the genetic code of bacteria linked to the condition.

Public Release: 11-Mar-2013
Lyncean Technologies, Inc. receives $1.1M grant from DOE to develop the Compact Light Source
Lyncean Technologies, Inc. has received a Fast-Track SBIR grant of $1.1M from the Department of Energy to further develop their flagship product, the Compact Light Source, a miniature synchrotron that produces tunable, high-quality X-rays for broad scientific and industrial use. The grant will be performed in collaboration with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 7-Mar-2013

PLOS ONE
Illuminating fractures: X-ray imaging sheds new light on bone damage
Using cutting-edge X-ray techniques, Cornell University researchers have uncovered cellular-level detail of what happens when bone bears repetitive stress over time, visualizing damage at smaller scales than previously observed. Their work could offer clues into how bone fractures could be prevented.

National Institutes of Health, US Department of Energy

Public Release: 26-Feb-2013

Cell
Target: Cancer
A microscopy technique developed at the University of Akron could be key to improving cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs.

NIH/National Cancer Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US Department of Energy

Public Release: 19-Feb-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Computer modeling reveals how surprisingly potent hepatitis C drug works
A study by researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and a multinational team reveals how daclatasvir, a direct-acting antiviral agent in development for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), targets one of its proteins and causes the fastest viral decline ever seen with anti-HCV drugs -- within 12 hours of treatment.

National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, University of Illinois Walter Payton Liver Center Guild

Public Release: 18-Feb-2013

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
In fight against cancer, a closer look at nuclear blebbing
Misshapen cell nuclei are frequently observed in the cells of people with cancer and other diseases, but what causes the abnormality -- and why it is associated with certain disorders -- has remained unclear. Northwestern University researchers have developed a mathematical model that clarifies the mechanisms that cause bulges known as "blebs" in cells' nuclear membranes. The work could be a step toward bleb prevention, which may ultimately provide potential therapies for related diseases.

US Department of Energy

Public Release: 15-Feb-2013

2013 AAAS Annual Meeting
Data challenges the APB on BPA
A controversial component of plastic bottles and canned food linings that have helped make a safer food supply has recently come under attack: bisphenol A. BPA has the potential to mimic estrogen if blood and tissue levels are high enough. Now, an analysis of almost 150 BPA exposure studies shows that in the general population, people's exposure may be many times too low for BPA to effectively mimic estrogen in the human body.

Environmental Protection Agency

Public Release: 11-Feb-2013

Cell
New details on the molecular machinery of cancer
New details into the activation of a cell surface protein that has been strongly linked to a large number of cancers and is a major target of cancer therapies have been reported by Berkeley Lab researchers.

NIH/National Cancer Institute

Public Release: 7-Feb-2013

Science
For drug makers, new 3-D control opens wealth of options
A team of scientists anchored at Yale University has demonstrated a new, highly versatile approach for quickly assembling drug-like compounds, establishing a broad new route to drug discovery and medical treatment. They report their results in the journal Science on Feb. 8.

National Institutes of Health, US Department of Energy, Swiss National Science Foundation

Public Release: 4-Feb-2013
February 2013 story tips from Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Precise optical imaging is vital for better diagnosis of breast cancer. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and New Mexico State University have produced a graphene sheet 40 inches in diagonal. By studying the effects of climate change on the Gulf Coastal region's economy, agriculture and energy production, ORNL researchers are addressing key questions posed by the Department of Energy while designing a tool that the scientific community can use to predict how climate change will impact small localized areas elsewhere.

Public Release: 31-Jan-2013

Cell
Genome-wide atlas of gene enhancers in the brain online
Berkeley Lab researchers have unveiled a first-of-its-kind atlas of gene-enhancers in the brain that should greatly benefit future research into the underlying causes of neurological disorders such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia.

National Institutes of Health