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Chad sitting in a lab coat at a desk

Chad Parish, a senior researcher at ORNL, studies materials at the atomic level to improve nuclear reactors. His work focuses on fusion and fission energy, using microscopy and collaborating with experts to advance materials for extreme environments.

Pictured is the ForWarn vegetation tracking tool that shows where areas of red where disturbance to forest canopy occured

The ForWarn visualization tool was co-developed by ORNL with the U.S. Forest Service. The tool captures and analyzes satellite imagery to track impacts such as storms, wildfire and pests on forests across the nation.

Larry York is sitting in front of a computer screen showing an image of plant phenotyping

The Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory at ORNL utilizes robotics, multi-modal imaging, and AI to enhance understanding of plant genetics and interactions with microbes. It aims to connect genes to traits for advancements in bioenergy, agriculture, and climate resilience. Senior scientist Larry York highlights the lab's capabilities and the insights from a new digital underground imaging system to improve biomass feedstocks for bioenergy and carbon storage.

Takeshi Egami stands at his workstation at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source where he used novel experimental methods to propose the density wave theory. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Distinguished materials scientist Takeshi Egami has spent his career revealing the complex atomic structure of metallic glass and other liquids — sometimes sharing theories with initially resistant minds in the scientific community. 

pulsed laser deposition setup

In a game-changing study, ORNL scientists developed a deep learning model — a type of artificial intelligence that mimics human brain function — to analyze high-speed videos of plasma plumes during a process called pulsed laser deposition.

Bryan Maldonado

As a mechanical engineer in building envelope materials research at ORNL, Bryan Maldonado sees opportunities to apply his scientific expertise virtually everywhere he goes, from coast to coast. As an expert in understanding how complex systems operate, he’s using machine learning methods to control the process and ultimately optimize performance. 

Debjani Singh

Debjani Singh, a senior scientist at ORNL, leads the HydroSource project, which enhances hydropower research by making water data more accessible and useful. With a background in water resources, data science, and earth science, Singh applies innovative tools like AI to advance research. Her career, shaped by her early exposure to science in India, focuses on bridging research with practical applications.

Digital image of molecules would look like. There are 10 clusters of these shapes in grey, red and blue with a teal blue background

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have developed a method leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate the identification of environmentally friendly solvents for industrial carbon capture, biomass processing, rechargeable batteries and other applications.

Two green oak leaves with other matter in two circles above them. To the right, a yellow blob. To the left, a brown material inside a bowl.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists ingeniously created a sustainable, soft material by combining rubber with woody reinforcements and incorporating “smart” linkages between the components that unlock on demand.

Man in blue shirt and grey pants holds laptop and poses next to a green plant in a lab.

John Lagergren, a staff scientist in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Plant Systems Biology group, is using his expertise in applied math and machine learning to develop neural networks to quickly analyze the vast amounts of data on plant traits amassed at ORNL’s Advanced Plant Phenotyping Laboratory.