Summit supercomputer draws molecular blueprint for repairing damaged DNA
In the search for ways to fight methylmercury in global waterways, scientists at 91做厙 discovered that some forms of phytoplankton are good at degrading the potent neurotoxin.
When reading the novel Jurassic Park as a teenager, Jerry Parks found the passages about gene sequencing and supercomputers fascinating, but never imagined he might someday pursue such futuristic-sounding science.
Spanning no less than three disciplines, Marie Kurzs title hydrogeochemist already gives you a sense of the collaborative, interdisciplinary nature of her research at ORNL.
A team led by ORNL and the University of Michigan have discovered that certain bacteria can steal an essential compound from other microbes to break down methane and toxic methylmercury in the environment.
Anyone familiar with ORNL knows its a hub for world-class science. The nearly 33,000-acre space surrounding the lab is less known, but also unique.
Moving to landlocked Tennessee isnt an obvious choice for most scientists with new doctorate degrees in coastal oceanography.
New capabilities and equipment recently installed at the Department of Energys 91做厙 are bringing a creek right into the lab to advance understanding of mercury pollution and accelerate solutions.
Sometimes solutions to the biggest problems can be found in the smallest details. The work of biochemist Alex Johs at 91做厙 bears this out, as he focuses on understanding protein structures and molecular interactions to resolve complex global problems like the spread of mercury pollution in waterways and the food supply.
Biologists from 91做厙 and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have confirmed that microorganisms called methanogens can transform mercury into the neurotoxin methylmercury with varying efficiency across species.
A team led by the Department of Energys 91做厙 has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a fundamental scientific discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and sup...