Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory News - SciTechDaily

125 Years After Its Discovery, Actinium’s Chemistry Still Baffles Scientists

Lauren Biron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:31:01 +0000

A study at Berkeley Lab has revealed new insights into actinium, an element critical for emerging cancer treatments. By examining its crystal structure, researchers have noted unique properties that could enhance targeted alpha therapy, a promising method in cancer treatment. Although the element actinium was first discovered at the turn of the 20th century, researchers [...]

Unlocking the Power of Quantum Materials With Breakthrough Technology

Michael Matz, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:55:14 +0000

A powerful combination of high-throughput computation and precise fabrication techniques has been developed to accelerate the discovery of quantum defects. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated an approach that combines high-throughput computation and atomic-scale fabrication to engineer high-performance quantum defects. The methods provide a novel pathway to accelerate the discovery of quantum materials for [...]

Decades-Old Biology Technique Reveals Key to Prolonging Electric Aircraft Battery Life

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 05:14:57 +0000

A recent study has shown that a groundbreaking electrolyte solution, identified through a bioscience technique, has quadrupled the cycle life of batteries used in electric aircraft. When it comes to figuring out why electric aircraft batteries lose power over time, one typically wouldn’t think to turn to a decades-old approach biologists use to study the [...]

Atomic Revelations: New Imaging Technique Unveils the Dynamic World Inside Catalysts

Aliyah Kovner, DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 15:22:00 +0000

A new technique developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory uses advanced microscopy to study electrochemical reactions at the atomic level, revealing detailed transformations in catalyst materials and offering insights into improving their efficiency and durability. Electrochemical reactions are chemical transformations caused by or accompanied by the flow of electric currents. They are the basis of [...]

Femtosecond Lasers Spearhead the Quantum Computing Revolution

Theresa Duque, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 19:04:22 +0000

Berkeley Lab’s new technique uses femtosecond lasers and hydrogen to precisely create qubits in silicon, advancing prospects for scalable quantum computing and networks. Berkeley Lab researchers have reported a major advancement that could bring us closer to a scalable quantum computer. Using a femtosecond laser during experiments exploring the role of hydrogen in qubit formation, [...]

Tiny Titans: Revolutionary Microcapacitors Set to Supercharge Next-Gen Electronics

Alison Hatt, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sat, 18 May 2024 03:47:46 +0000

New microcapacitors developed by scientists show record energy and power densities, paving the way for on-chip energy storage in electronic devices. Researchers are striving to make electronic devices smaller and more energy-efficient by integrating energy storage directly onto microchips. This approach minimizes the energy losses that occur when power is transferred between the different device [...]

CRISPR-Crafted Cuisine: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:04:56 +0000

Hacking the genome of fungi for smart foods of the future. With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it’s easy to see how biotechnology can change the food industry. Advances in genetic engineering are allowing us to harness microorganisms to produce cruelty-free products that are healthy for consumers and [...]

New Alloy Shocks Scientists With Its Nearly Impossible Strength and Toughness

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 08:16:55 +0000

Researchers have discovered an extraordinary metal alloy that won’t crack at extreme temperatures due to kinking, or bending, of crystals in the alloy at the atomic level. A metal alloy composed of niobium, tantalum, titanium, and hafnium has shocked materials scientists with its impressive strength and toughness at both extremely hot and cold temperatures, a [...]

Quantum Control Unlocked: Creating Resistance-Free Electron Channels

Theresa Duque, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:26:44 +0000

For the first time, scientists electrically manipulate a ‘chiral interface state’ in a 2D material, with promise for energy-efficient microelectronics and quantum computing. Scientists have taken the first atomic-resolution images of an exotic quantum phenomenon that could help researchers advance quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics. The work enables the visualization and control of electron flow [...]

Dark Energy Revealed Through Largest 3D Map of the Universe Ever Made

Lauren Biron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:48:13 +0000

Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to make the largest 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy, the mysterious cause of its accelerating expansion. DESI mapped galaxies and quasars with unprecedented detail, creating the largest 3D map of the universe ever made and measuring how fast the universe expanded [...]

More Complex Than Human Genome: Unlocking the Sweet Mysteries of Sugarcane DNA

Lauren Biron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:49:20 +0000

Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants. Exploring sugarcane’s genetic code could help researchers develop more resilient and productive crops, with implications for both sugar production and biofuels. Until now, sugarcane’s complicated genetics made [...]

Category 6 Hurricanes: A New Reality in Climate Change Science

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:29:45 +0000

For over half a century, the National Hurricane Center has employed the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to convey the potential for property damage; this system classifies hurricanes on a scale ranging from Category 1 (wind speeds of 74 – 95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds exceeding 158 mph). But as increasing ocean temperatures contribute to ever [...]

Unlocking the Secrets of Soil Microbes to Improve Climate Predictions

Julie Bobyock, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 18:54:47 +0000

Scientists are using the DNA from soil microbes to model how they function and use carbon, ultimately helping to advance the accuracy of climate models. Climate models are essential to predicting and addressing climate change, but can fail to adequately represent soil microbes, a critical player in ecosystem soil carbon sequestration that affects the global [...]

Researchers Add New “Twist” to Classical Material Design

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 06:46:41 +0000

Scientists have discovered that crystals can twist when they are sandwiched between two substrates – a critical step toward exploring new material properties for electronics and other applications. Researchers from the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have grown a twisted multilayer crystal structure for [...]

Unlocking the Mystery of Arctic Wetlands’ Methane Emissions Surge

Julie Bobyock, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:25:29 +0000

Berkeley Lab scientists show decadal increases in wetland methane emissions in Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Wetlands are Earth’s largest natural source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is about 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. A research team from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) [...]

Google Scientists Discovered 380,000 New Materials Using Artificial Intelligence

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:01:49 +0000

The expansion of the open-access resource is instrumental for scientists in developing novel materials for future technologies. New advancements in technology frequently necessitate the development of novel materials – and thanks to supercomputers and advanced simulations, researchers can bypass the time-consuming and often inefficient process of trial-and-error. The Materials Project, an open-access database founded at the [...]

Increasing the Energy Density of Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrodes

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 17:20:09 +0000

New research enhances hybrid supercapacitors by creating more efficient electrodes, marking a significant step forward in energy storage technology. Like batteries, supercapacitors are a type of energy-storage device. However, while batteries store energy electrochemically, supercapacitors store energy electrostatically—through the buildup of charge on their electrode surfaces. Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs) combine the advantages of both systems [...]

Scientists Identify Hidden Phase Transition Between Liquid and Solid

Rachel Berkowitz, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 08:32:59 +0000

Improved understanding of glassy dynamics could help scientists explain why a liquid behaves like a solid, and develop useful new materials. Researchers have identified a hidden phase transition in amorphous materials like plastic and glass. Through combining theory, simulations, and previous studies, they observed that the molecules in these materials become extremely viscous at a [...]

Powering Ahead: Nobel-Winning Chemistry Unleashes Next-Generation Energy Storage Devices

Rachel Berkowitz, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 17:39:38 +0000

Flexible polymers made with a new generation of the Nobel-winning “click chemistry” reaction find use in capacitors and other applications. Society’s increasing demand for high-voltage electrical technologies – including pulsed power systems, cars, electrified aircraft, and renewable energy applications – requires a new generation of capacitors that store and deliver large amounts of energy under [...]

Nature’s Quantum Code: Unraveling the Secrets of Photosynthesis

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:35:13 +0000

A cutting-edge experiment has unveiled the quantum dynamics underlying one of nature’s most essential processes. Using a complex cast of metal-studded pigments, proteins, enzymes, and co-enzymes, photosynthetic organisms can convert the energy in light into the chemical energy for life. A study recently published in Nature has now revealed that this natural chemical process is [...]

Scientists Use Bacteria To Make Renewable, Infinitely Recyclable Plastics

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 05:44:15 +0000

Scientists have successfully engineered microbes to produce ingredients for recyclable plastics, offering an environmentally friendly substitute to finite and polluting petrochemicals. Plastic waste poses a significant challenge as most plastics are not recyclable, and many are manufactured using finite, environmentally damaging petrochemicals. However, this situation is beginning to change. Researchers have recently succeeded in engineering [...]

Engineered Bacteria Offer a Powerful New Way To Combat Climate Change

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Wed, 10 May 2023 23:16:21 +0000

Researchers have uncovered a novel pathway in bacteria that holds the potential to decarbonize various industries. This breakthrough could significantly decrease the emission of greenhouse gases generated during the production of fuels, drugs, and chemicals. A collaborative research effort between the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley has resulted in the engineering of bacteria [...]

Researchers Discover That Electrons Play a Surprising Role in Heat Transfer Between Layers of Semiconductors

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 11:47:42 +0000

An electronic bridge facilitates the fast transfer of energy between semiconductors. Researchers are exploring the potential applications of two-dimensional (2D) materials in transistors and optoelectronics, as semiconductor devices continue to become smaller. Controlling the flow of electricity and heat in these materials is essential for their functionality, but a deeper understanding of these behaviors at [...]

Scientists Successfully Edit the Genes of Nature’s Master Manipulators

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 03:02:46 +0000

Researchers are utilizing the gene-editing technology CRISPR to modify the viruses that have evolved to engineer bacteria. CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing tool, is making waves in the scientific community once more with its potential to edit the genomes of viruses that infect bacteria. Led by CRISPR pioneers Jennifer Doudna and Jill Banfield, a team has [...]