Feature Articles

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that genetically distinct populations within the same species of fungi can produce unique mixes of secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds with applications in medicine, industry and agriculture. The finding could open new avenues for drug discovery and provide a deeper understanding of fungal evolution.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that genetically distinct populations within the same species of fungi can produce unique mixes of secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds with applications in medicine, industry and agriculture. The finding could open new avenues for drug discovery and provide a deeper understanding of fungal evolution.

Among Brian Davison's many accomplishments at ORNL, he's most proud of forming PRISM, a thriving employee resource group for LGBTQIA+ staff.

An ORNL-led team comprising researchers from multiple DOE national laboratories is using artificial intelligence and computational screening techniques - in combination with experimental validation - to identify and design five promising drug therapy approaches to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered a single gene that simultaneously boosts plant growth and tolerance for stresses such as drought and salt, all while tackling the root cause of climate change by enabling plants to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

A team performed simulations on the Summit supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility and found that electrons in cuprates interact with phonons much more strongly than was previously thought, leading to experimentally observed "kinks," or sudden changes, in the relationship between an electron's energy and the momentum it carries.

Researchers from Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville uncovered hidden and unexpected quantum behavior in a simple iron-iodide material (FeI2) discovered almost a century ago. The new insights were enabled using neutron scattering experiments and theoretical physics calculations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team's findings solves a 40-year-old puzzle about the material's mysterious behavior and could be used as a map to unlock a treasure trove of quantum phenomena in other materials.

Deborah Frincke, one of the nation's preeminent computer scientists and cybersecurity experts, serves as associate laboratory director of the National Security Science Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

At the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists use artificial intelligence, or AI, to accelerate the discovery and development of materials for energy and information technologies.

Nuclear physicist Caroline Nesaraja of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory evaluates nuclear data vital to applied and basic sciences. Her work ensures that the scientific community has the best nuclear data for fundamental research and applications including medical isotopes, nuclear energy and national and international security.