- Number 293 |
- August 17, 2009
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On the light path to bioenergy
Pollutant-free fuel cells require a cheap, abundant source of hydrogen fuel. Plants, algae, and blue-green bacteria produce hydrogen by harvesting sunlight and using the energy to split water. This reaction is done by a large protein complex that slowly degrades and must be regenerated.
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Revealing protein structures at record pace
Determining the precise structure of a protein can take years, but a high-throughput protein pipeline developed by researchers working at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Light Source could help scientists keep pace with the flood of data from far-ranging genomic studies.
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INL team paves way to Generation IV reactor
Nuclear-grade graphite is a key component of the next generation of nuclear power reactors. But supplies of nuclear grade graphite are depleted, and available sources are idiosyncratic. That's why testing new graphite sources is vital for the nuclear power plants of tomorrow.
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Dark energy camera scans ancient skies
Technicians at DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory are assembling a camera that will take pictures of the universe not only as we see it today but back through time, closer to when the universe began. Mounted on the Blanco telescope in Chile, the Dark Energy Camera will capture images of roughly 300 million galaxies, allowing scientists to see galaxies as they were when the universe was only a few billion years old.