January 2019 – July 2022
Lab researchers have developed an open-source tool called FasTensor to help other scientists efficiently process and analyze massive datasets. In this Q+A, the FasTensor team, including Bin Dong, Kesheng “John” Wu, and Suren Byna, discuss what sets their tool apart from the competition. https://cs.lbl.gov/news-media/news/2022/berkeley-labs-fastensor-provides-pain-free-big-data-analysis/
Supercapacitors are essential in many electronic devices like computers. A group of Foundry researchers has synthesized a two-dimensional material designed to store more charge and discharge faster, enabling better device performance. https://foundry.lbl.gov/2021/12/20/faster-larger-energy-storage-materials/
An experiment led by researchers in the Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division was sent to the International Space Station to test the ability of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, to store and protect DNA from damage. This approach could promise an inexpensive way to transport DNA. https://biosciences.lbl.gov/2022/01/21/bse-experiment-sent-to-international-space-station-to-test-dna-storage-method/
Astronomical observations confirm that heavy elements were created in stars and stellar explosions. Questions about this process remain. ExaStar, a Lab-led exascale computing project, is designing multiphysics codes to simulate supernova explosions and neutron star mergers to find those answers. https://ascr-discovery.org/2021/12/exastar-power/
Advancements in electron microscopy have allowed researchers to image materials at increasingly high resolutions. Now, a collaboration of international Foundry users from research and industry has created a new imaging procedure that should allow observation of material behavior in real time. https://foundry.lbl.gov/2022/01/13/watching-atoms-move-at-the-nanoscale/
Revealing molecular structures with X-ray crystallography requires… well, crystals. But what about the molecules that don’t form photogenic crystals? A team of scientists is solving the problem by combining a custom-built algorithm and an epic laser. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2022/01/19/crystallography-misfit-crystals/
Berkeley Lab is part of a coalition that was named one of only 60 finalists in the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The Lab’s work focuses on modernizing the construction industry and developing affordable, zero-emission solutions. https://buildings.lbl.gov/news/berkeley-lab-build-back-better
Geoscientists from Lawrence Berkeley, Sandia, and Los Alamos national labs are collaborating on the HotBENT project, which will evaluate the long-term safety properties of bentonite, a clay-based material placed around buried canisters of high-level nuclear waste. https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fnewscenter.lbl.gov%2F2022%2F01%2F18%2Fnational-labs-support-safe-nuclear-waste-disposal-by-studying-safety-material-for-underground-sites-2%2F&sa=D&ust=1642636911704000&usg=AOvVaw39Gqt1NeC0DgnrZQNfiVMs
A new report published by Berkeley Lab makes a unifying case that utilities, regulators, and stakeholders need to prioritize energy equity in deploying clean energy technologies and resources. The report outlines systemic changes needed to advance equity in electric utility regulation. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2022/01/14/electricity-regulation-with-equity-and-justice-for-all/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1642519263775182&usg=AOvVaw1uQ3GfdLCAoalup6s-8wbG
The Lab’s research, researchers, and expertise help fuel stories in publications across the world. The News Center highlights a selection of these stories in the “Lab in the News” section. Check out this week’s highlights. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/#text-7