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Supercomputer simulations show how to speed up chemical reaction rates

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Using the now-decommissioned Summit supercomputer, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory ran the largest and most accurate molecular dynamics simulations yet of the interface between water and air during a chemical reaction.

Journal: JACS

Nanofibers yield stronger, tougher carbon fiber composites

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an innovative new technique using carbon nanofibers to enhance binding in carbon fiber and other fiber-reinforced polymer composites – an advance likely to improve structural materials for automobiles, airplanes and other applications that require lightweight and strong materials.

Journal: Advanced Functional Materials

Center for Bioenergy Innovation taps Cregger, Eckert as chief science officers

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has promoted Melissa Cregger and Carrie Eckert to serve as chief science officers, advancing the center’s mission of innovations for new domestic biofuels, chemicals and materials.

Funder: U.S. Department of Energy

MIT researchers use Frontier to model the density, pressure inside neutron stars

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

For astrophysicists, neutron stars stand out as objects of irresistible fascination — perhaps, in part, because of how difficult they are to decipher. But calculations conducted on the Frontier supercomputer, located at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have revealed new clues about the inner workings of neutron stars.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

Using AI to construct on the level

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

Researchers at ORNL have developed a tool that gives builders a quick way to measure, correct and certify level foundations. FLAT, or the Flat and Level Analysis Tool, examines a 360-degree laser scan of a construction site using ORNL-developed segmentation algorithms and machine learning to locate uneven areas on a concrete slab.

Exploring materials for fusion energy with ORNL's Yan-Ru Lin

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs.

Journal: Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science

3D-printed metal molds poised to accelerate US auto manufacturing

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Recent advancements at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory show that 3D-printed metal molds offer a faster, more cost-effective and flexible approach to producing large composite components for mass-produced vehicles than traditional tooling methods.

The research, conducted at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, or MDF, at ORNL, confirms that large-scale additive manufacturing is well-suited for creating complex metal molds, with efficiencies that could accelerate the adoption of lightweight composite materials in the automotive sector.

Funder: U.S. Department of Energy

Quantum Science Center summer school draws record attendance

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

The fifth annual Quantum Science Center, or QSC, Summer School at Purdue University, held Apr. 21 through Apr. 25, 2025, welcomed its largest group of students to date. Experts from industry, academia and national laboratories gathered at the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute to share their research in multiple areas of quantum science.

UT-Battelle, industry partners energize Oak Ridge High School STEM program with state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Business Announcement

UT-Battelle has contributed up to $475,000 for the purchase and installation of advanced manufacturing equipment to support a program at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge High School that gives students direct experience with the AI- and robotics-assisted workplace of the future.

Novel biosensor illuminates plant RNA in real time

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Scientists at ORNL have developed a first-ever method of detecting ribonucleic acid, or RNA, inside plant cells using a technique that results in a visible fluorescent signal. The technology can help researchers detect and track changes in RNA and gene expression in real time, providing a powerful tool for the development of hardier bioenergy and food crops and for detection of unwanted plant modifications, pathogens and pests.

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