Berkeley Lab scientists have been putting the X-ray spotlight on composite materials in respirators used by the military, police, and first responders, work that could eventually lead to better gas masks.
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Dark Fiber: Using Sensors Beneath Our Feet to Tell Us About Earthquakes, Water, and Other Geophysical Phenomena
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have shown for the first time that dark fiber – the vast network of unused fiber-optic cables installed throughout the country and the world – can be used as sensors for detecting earthquakes, the presence of groundwater, changes in permafrost conditions, and a variety of other subsurface activity.
New Catalyst Gives Artificial Photosynthesis a Big Boost
A research team including Berkeley Lab scientists has created a new catalyst on the path toward artificial photosynthesis — a system that would use renewable energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into stored chemical energy.
Watching a Quantum Material Lose Its Stripes
In quantum materials, periodic stripe patterns can be formed by electrons coupled with lattice distortions. To capture the extremely fast dynamics of how such atomic-scale stripes melt and form, Berkeley Lab scientists used femtosecond-scale laser pulses at terahertz frequencies. Along the way, they found some unexpected behavior.
‘Holy Grail’ for Batteries: Solid-State Magnesium Battery a Big Step Closer
A team of Department of Energy (DOE) scientists at the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) has discovered the fastest magnesium-ion solid-state conductor, a major step towards making solid-state magnesium-ion batteries that are both energy dense and safe.
Berkeley Lab Takes Home Four R&D 100 Awards for Cutting-Edge Technologies
Technologies that help determine how solar energy affects the grid, benchmark energy savings for low-carbon cities, understand the functions of genes in microbes under different environmental conditions, and simulate how chemical reactions occur and change as fluids travel underground — all developed by researchers at Berkeley Lab — have received annual R&D 100 awards.
Berkeley Lab Physicist, Atmospheric Chemist Named AAAS Fellows
Michael Barnett, a senior physicist and educator; and Ronald C. Cohen, a climate and air quality researcher – have been named as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society, formed in 1848.
Research Becomes Reality in Study of Fire Impact on Sonoma Water Resources
Catastrophic fires in Northern California burned more than 110,000 acres in Sonoma and Napa counties last month – including 8 percent of the Russian River watershed. Now with the rainy season underway Berkeley Lab’s research – which seeks to understand how the hydrology and microbiology of the surface and groundwater system respond to extreme events – has become even more critical.
Detailed View of Immune Proteins Could Lead to New Pathogen-Defense Strategies
Biologists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley used cryo-EM to resolve the structure of a ring of proteins used by the immune system to summon support when under attack, providing new insight into potential strategies for protection from pathogens. The researchers captured the high-resolution image of a protein ring, called an inflammasome, as it was bound to flagellin, a protein from the whiplike tail used by bacteria to propel themselves forward.
X-Rays Reveal the Biting Truth About Parrotfish Teeth
A new study has revealed a chain mail-like woven microstructure that gives parrotfish teeth their remarkable ability to chomp on coral all day long – the structure could serve as a blueprint for designing ultra-durable synthetic materials.
