Category: Science News

A Joint Genome Institute-supported study finds that as warm-adapted microbes edge polewards, they’d oust resident tiny algae. https://jgi.doe.gov/climate-change-threatens-base-of-polar-oceans-bountiful-food-webs/

Lab researchers have reported new clues to solving a cosmic conundrum: How the quark-gluon plasma – nature’s perfect fluid – evolved into the building blocks of matter during the birth of the early universe. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/09/16/closer-look-inside-perfect-fluid/

Researchers supported through the Joint Genome Institute’s Emerging Technologies Opportunity Program are finding early success in boosting cell productivity in a cell-free “soup.” The discovery is the beginning of what one researcher called “a beautiful collaboration” with JGI. https://jgi.doe.gov/etop-boosting-small-molecule-production-in-super-soup/

As lithium-ion batteries — the type commonly found in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices — are reaching the theoretical limits of their energy-storing potential, researchers at Berkeley Lab envision a future of safe, high-performance rechargeable lithium-metal (Li-metal) batteries. https://eta.lbl.gov/news/article/safely-harnessing-power-lithium-metal

Lab researchers joined an international effort to produce a computer software tool called RoseTTAFold. The tool assesses relationships within and between structures, eventually helping to build a very detailed picture of a protein’s shape. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/09/07/ai-fueled-protein-prediction/

Scientists from Oxford University, Diamond Light Source, and Berkeley Lab, who specialize in studying the atom-by-atom choreography of enzymes, have revealed new insights into the function of isopenicillin N synthase, an enzyme needed to produce some of the world’s most critical antibiotics. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/09/07/enzyme-action-penicillins/

High-power laser pulses enable a variety of applications, ranging from scientific research to industry and medicine. At the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center, scientists use plasma channels, or “capillaries,” to produce stable, higher intensity pulses. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/09/09/unprecedented-plasma-lensing-for-high-intensity-lasers/

Researchers at Berkeley Lab and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have proposed an experiment that takes advantage of the two weirdest properties of quantum theory to settle the persistent question: Is gravity truly a quantum force? https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/09/07/is-gravity-a-quantum-force/

The Molecular Foundry’s fall proposal call is now open. User proposals will be accepted until Sept. 30. The fall call emphasizes nanoscale science, including nanostructures, high-resolution microscopy, and advanced nano-fabrication. Click to learn more and for proposal writing tips. https://foundry.lbl.gov/2021/08/25/foundry-proposal-call-fall2021/