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A research team successfully captured the most detailed view to date of water’s hydrogen bonding patterns around DNA. The findings, produced in part through neutron scattering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, open new possibilities for studying how water impacts DNA function.

Quantum entanglement occurs when two particles appear to communicate without a physical connection, a phenomenon Albert Einstein famously called “spooky action at a distance.” Nearly 90 years later, a team led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrated the viability of a “quantum entanglement witness” capable of proving the presence of entanglement between magnetic particles, or spins, in a quantum material.

ORNL story tips: Predicting water quality, stronger & ‘stretchier’ alloys, RAPID reinforcement and mountainous water towers

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) did to study the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The team used neutrons and x-rays to map part of the internal structure of the coronavirus to create an accurate 3-D model. Specifically, the scientists mapped the main protease (Mpro), an enzyme involved in the virus replication, to which they added test inhibitor molecules discovered using high-speed computer screening. One test inhibitor, labeled HL-3-68, demonstrated a superior ability to bind to and inhibit the function of Mpro compared to others that were tested. Details of the study, titled “Structural, electronic and electrostatic determinants for inhibitor binding to subsites S1 and S2 in SARS-CoV-2 main protease,” are published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Twenty-five nonprofit entities have been awarded grants totaling $150,000 from UT-Battelle to support community-focused programs in East Tennessee. UT-Battelle manages and operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Oklahoma, known as OU, recently executed a memorandum of understanding to officially recognize their partnership in pursuing shared research and development goals.

Research teams from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and their technologies have received seven 2021 R&D 100 Awards, plus special recognition for a COVID-19-related project.

Vipin Kumar, a composites researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been recognized by SAMPE, the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, with the 2021 Young Professional Emerging Leadership Award.

Analytical chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a rapid way to measure isotopic ratios of uranium and plutonium collected on environmental swipes, which could help International Atomic Energy Agency analysts detect the presence of undeclared nuclear activities or material.

A team of fusion researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used datasets from measurements on the Joint European Torus, or JET, tokamak to model an improved method for quantifying the amount of plasma-radiated power during a disruption of normal operations.