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ORNL, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development were recognized by the Federal Laboratory Consortium, or FLC, for their efforts to develop Tennessee as a national leader in fusion energy. 

A team from ORNL, joined by university students, recently traveled to the Ohio State University Research Reactor to conduct a novel experiment on nuclear thermal rocket fuel coatings — one that could help propel NASA’s astronauts to Mars faster and more efficiently. 

During his first visit to 91����, Energy Secretary Chris Wright compared the urgency of the Lab’s World War II beginnings to today’s global race to lead in artificial intelligence, calling for a “Manhattan Project 2.”

ORNL's Gregorich and Syed Islam recently completed Cohort 19 of the Energy I-Corps program, an initiative of DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions that provides teams of researchers and industry mentors with an immersive two-month training.

Nick Sokol founded Algaeo, a company that uses microalgae to produce organic fertilizers, offering a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to synthetic fertilizers. Supported by 91����'s Innovation Crossroads program, Sokol is developing this technology to improve soil health, boost plant growth and support small-scale farmers.

Shaun Gleason has been named director of the Partnerships Office at ORNL. Gleason has worked at ORNL for several decades, in a variety of roles, including Director of Science-Security Initiative Integration, Director of the Computational Sciences and Engineering Division and Director of Institutional Planning.

A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels. 

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s 91���� recently demonstrated an autonomous robotic field monitoring, sampling and data-gathering system that could accelerate understanding of interactions among plants, soil and the environment.

ORNL researchers reached a significant milestone by building an entire 6.5-foot turbine blade tip using novel materials. The team then tested it against the forces of simulated lightning in a specialized lab at Mississippi State University, where the blade tip emerged pristine after tests that isolate the effects of high voltage. 

In November, state leaders from across the advanced energy industry gathered in downtown Knoxville to recognize current and future leaders and celebrate innovation at the 11th annual Opportunities in Energy conference, held by the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council.