Skip to main content
ORNL Corporate Research Fellow and Geospatial Science and Human Security Division Director Budhu Bhaduri has been elected as a fellow of the American Association of Geographers. The honor recognizes Bhaduri for his “innovation, mentorship and wide-ranging leadership” in geographic sciences. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

ORNL’s Budhendra “Budhu” Bhaduri has been elected a fellow of the American Association of Geographers. The honor recognizes Bhaduri as “a world leader in innovation, development and application of research in human dynamics, geographic data science, remote sensing and scalable geocomputation.”

Biofuels, such as those derived from the switchgrass being harvested in this field in Vonore, Tennessee, are just one of the technology-based solutions that ORNL summit participants identified recently as key to decarbonizing the agriculture sector. Credit: Erin G. Webb, ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy.

Energy and sustainability experts from ORNL, industry, universities and the federal government recently identified key focus areas to meet the challenge of successfully decarbonizing the agriculture sector

This protein drives key processes for sulfide use in many microorganisms that produce methane, including Thermosipho melanesiensis. Researchers used supercomputing and deep learning tools to predict its structure, which has eluded experimental methods such as crystallography.  Credit: Ada Sedova/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology is using supercomputing and revolutionary deep learning tools to predict the structures and roles of thousands of proteins with unknown functions.

Mo Khaleel

Moe Khaleel has been selected to lead the National Sciences Security Directorate, or NSSD, at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL’s biosensor system reveals CRISPR activity in poplar plants, which glow bright green under ultraviolet light, compared to normal plants, which appear red. Credit: Guoliang Yuan/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using technology developed at ORNL. 

Radiochemist Shelley VanCleve works to purify an isotope using a glove box in ORNL’s Radiochemical Engineering Development Center. VanCleve was involved in the final purification of berkelium that led to the discovery of the new element 117, tennessine, in 2010. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

It’s elemental — scientists agree that the periodic table is incomplete. And when it comes to unveiling parts of the periodic table yet undiscovered, ORNL is doing some heavy lifting.

ORNL’s Larry York studies how plant root traits contribute to crop productivity. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Biologist Larry York’s fascination with plant roots has spurred his research across four continents and inspired him to create accessible tools that enable others to explore the underground world.

Planting native grasses such as the bioenergy crop switchgrass can restore habitat for birds like this Eastern kingbird. Credit: Chris Lituma/West Virginia University

An analysis by Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows that using less-profitable farmland to grow bioenergy crops such as switchgrass could fuel not only clean energy, but also gains in biodiversity.

In a study, ORNL researchers concluded that the most direct path to plastic upcycling is through designing polymers specifically for reuse, which would allow the material to be converted into high-value products. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers determined that designing polymers specifically with upcycling in mind could reduce future plastic waste considerably and facilitate a circular economy where the material is used repeatedly.

By studying the activity patterns of populations around the world, scientists at ORNL are identifying the communities that are most likely to face extreme climate events and associated national security challenges. Credit: Erik Schmidt/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Using novel data sets and computing systems, researchers at ORNL are simulating how climate change affects the safety and security of the country.