91°µÍø

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News Releases

ORNL's Communications team works with news media seeking information about the laboratory. Media may use the resources listed below or send questions to news@ornl.gov.
A graphical representation about a gene in a poplar tree. There is a close up of a tree to the right and the far left-top corner. There is a strand of DNA going down the middle of the image with an ant and two small circles showing the organisms inside the DNA

A team of scientists with two Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers — the Center for Bioenergy Innovation at 91°µÍø and the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — identified a gene in a poplar tree that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height by about 30% in the field and by as much as 200% in the greenhouse. 

Pictured is the process of converting greenhouse gases to syngas, shown with a city scape with CO2 and CH4 turning to a mountain landscape with CO and H2

A chemical reaction can convert two polluting greenhouse gases into valuable building blocks for cleaner fuels and feedstocks, but the high temperature required for the reaction also deactivates the catalyst. A team led by ORNL has found a way to thwart deactivation. The strategy may apply broadly to other catalysts.

A silicon-carbide-based thermal protection system developed by ORNL and Sierra Space researchers will be used on the Sierra Space DC100 Dream Chaser.

Researchers with the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø and Sierra Space Corporation have developed a new silicon-carbide-based thermal protection system, or TPS, for reusable commercial spacecraft. 

Image of Stable Isotope Production and Research Facility

The Department of Energy has awarded an $88.8 million contract to Hensel Phelps for the construction of a facility to enrich stable isotopes at 91°µÍø. 

Honors and Awards graphic with white lettering on top of a green, blue and white background

UT-Battelle, which manages 91°µÍø for the Department of Energy, recognized outstanding individuals and teams at the annual Awards Night event held Saturday at The Venue at Lenoir City. The prestigious awards celebrate exceptional contributions in research, operations and community engagement. 

ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer speaks to a crowd at the historic Graphite Reactor.

The American Physical Society has recognized the Graphite Reactor, located at the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø, as an APS historic site. APS President Young-Kee Kim presented a plaque commemorating the recognition on Monday, Nov. 4, the 81st anniversary of the reactor’s first achieving criticality in 1943.

An observation tower overlooks a Panama rainforest

Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought. The research, detailed in the journal Nature, is expected to improve Earth system simulations that scientists use to predict the future climate, and spotlights the importance of natural carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas mitigation. 

An image of 5 men's portraits stacked two at the top and three at the bottom

The Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø has named five researchers as ORNL Corporate Fellows in recognition of their significant career accomplishments and continued leadership.

A graphic representation of AI

The Department of Energy announced a $67 million investment in several AI projects from institutions in both government and academia as part of its AI for Science initiative. Six ORNL-led (or co-led) projects received funding.

Electron microscopy measurements in deep learning real time
A research team led by the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø has devised a unique method to observe changes in materials at the atomic level.