Archived News Releases for 2011

For more information on ORNL and its research and development activities, please refer to the resources listed below or to one of our Media Contacts. If you have a general media-related question or comment, you can send it to news@ornl.gov.

 
ORNL image analysis prowess advances retina research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 21, 2011 — Armed with a new ability to find retinal anomalies at the cellular level, neurobiologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have made a discovery they hope will ultimately lead to a treatment for cancer of the retina.

Data-driven tools cast geographical patterns of rainfall extremes in new light
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2011 — Using statistical analysis methods to examine rainfall extremes in India, a team of researchers has made a discovery that resolves an ongoing debate in published findings and offers new insights.

Hans Christen elected Fellow of American Physical Society
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 14, 2011 — Hans Christen of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been elected fellow of the American Physical Society.

Simpson, Riedinger elected fellows of AAAS
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 8, 2011 — Michael Simpson of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Supercomputer reveals new details behind drug-processing protein model
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 6, 2011 — Supercomputer simulations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are giving scientists unprecedented access to a key class of proteins involved in drug detoxification.

Carbon dioxide emissions rebound quickly after global financial crisis
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 5, 2011 — The sharp decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions attributed to the worldwide financial crisis in 2009 quickly rebounded in 2010, according to research supported by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORNL receives inaugural East Tennessee Green Light Award
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2011 — The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has received the inaugural East Tennessee Green Light Award from the U.S. Green Building Council East Tennessee Chapter for "exemplary contributions to sustainability in the built environment."

ORNL's Amit Goyal receives E.O. Lawrence Award
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 28, 2011 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory materials scientist and Corporate Fellow Amit Goyal has been named a winner of the Department of Energy's Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award honoring U.S. scientists and engineers for exceptional contributions in research and development supporting DOE and its mission.

Maksymovych named ORNL's 2011 top scientist
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 14, 2011 — Petro Maksymovych of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences has earned the Director's Award for Outstanding Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology.

DOE upgrade opens data floodgate for Jaguar, other supercomputers
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 14, 2011 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Jaguar, the nation's most powerful computer, is now connected to the Advanced Networking Initiative network, which allows users to move vast quantities of data in areas such as energy assurance, climate simulation and basic sciences.

ORNL fundamental discovery casts enzymes in new light
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 8, 2011 — A tree outside Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Pratul Agarwal's office window provided the inspiration for a discovery that may ultimately lead to drugs with fewer side effects, less expensive biofuels and more.

Secretary of Energy recognizes ORNL Fukushima, Gulf, nonproliferation efforts
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 7, 2011 — Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are among those recognized by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu with Achievement Awards for their efforts in response to two major global events: the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and the Fukushima reactor accident. A successful project to secure uranium and plutonium in the former Soviet Union was also recognized.

ORNL wins three 2011 Department of Energy Sustainability Awards
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Nov. 3, 2011 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory has received three Sustainability Awards from the Department of Energy for its achievements in energy efficiency and waste reduction.

First-of-a-kind tension wood study broadens biofuels research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 25, 2011 — Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind study of a naturally occurring phenomenon in trees to spur the development of more efficient bioenergy crops.

Method of studying roots rarely used in wetlands improves ecosystem research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 13, 2011 — A method of monitoring roots rarely used in wetlands will help Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers effectively study the response of a high-carbon ecosystem to elevated temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide.

ORNL awards contract to Cray for Titan supercomputer
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 11, 2011 — The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has awarded a contract to Cray Inc. to increase the Jaguar supercomputer's science impact and energy efficiency. The upgrade, which will provide advanced capabilities in modeling and simulation, will transform the DOE Office of Science-supported Cray XT5 system, currently capable of 2.3 million billion calculations per second (petaflops), into a Cray XK6 system with a peak speed between 10 and 20 petaflops.

US ITER Contract Awarded for ITER Early Delivery Cooling Water System Equipment
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 6, 2011 — The US ITER Project Office at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory has awarded a $13.2 million task order to AREVA Federal Services for fabrication of five drain tanks for the ITER tokamak cooling water system. The international ITER project aims to demonstrate the scientific and technical feasibility of fusion energy for the commercial power grid. To date, US ITER has awarded more than $260 million in contracts to US industry, laboratories and universities in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

High-performance simulation, neutrons uncover three classes of protein motion
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 30, 2011 — Molecular motion in proteins comes in three distinct classes, according to a collaboration by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, in research reported in Physical Review Letters.

ORNL discovers amazing electrical properties in polymers
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 22, 2011 — Crystals and ceramics pale when compared to a material researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered that has 10 times their piezoelectric effect, making it suitable for perhaps hundreds of everyday uses.

ORNL invention unravels mystery of protein folding
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 14, 2011 — An Oak Ridge National Laboratory invention able to quickly predict three-dimensional structure of protein could have huge implications for drug discovery and human health.

ORNL new material possible boon for lithium ion batteries
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 8, 2011 — Batteries could get a boost from an Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovery that increases power, energy density and safety while dramatically reducing charge time.

Neutron analysis reveals unique atom-scale behavior of 'cobalt blue'
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Sep. 6, 2011 — Neutron scattering studies of "cobalt blue," a compound prized by artists for its lustrous blue hue, are revealing unique magnetic characteristics that could answer questions about mysterious properties in other materials.

Dow Kokam, ORNL sign agreement to boost lithium ion battery performance
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 24, 2011 — Dow Kokam and the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working together to enhance the Michigan-based company's capabilities to develop and commercialize advanced lithium ion batteries.

Project's completion gives neutron science community reason to SING
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 16, 2011 — Five of the world's most advanced instruments for neutron scattering research are serving the neutron science community following the completion of the $68.5 million SING project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS).

ORNL microscopy generates new view of fuel cells
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2011 — A novel microscopy method at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is helping scientists probe the reactions that limit widespread deployment of fuel cell technologies.

ORNL's Britt and Mays named 2011 American Chemical Society Fellows
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Aug. 9, 2011 — Phillip Britt, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Chemical Sciences Division, and Jimmy Mays, a jointly appointed Distinguished Scientist at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, have been elected to the 2011 class of fellows of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

ORNL's LandScan population dataset licensed to East View Cartographic
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 28, 2011 — UT-Battelle has entered into an exclusive distributorship license with East View Cartographic (EVC) for an award winning population distribution database. The LandScan High Resolution Global Population DataSet, developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has already seen success in a number of research, educational, humanitarian and corporate applications.

UT-Battelle donates $25,000 to Alvin Weinberg memorial effort
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 20, 2011 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory managing contractor UT-Battelle has donated $25,000 to an effort to honor the memory of Alvin M. Weinberg, the Department of Energy national laboratory's first director who was recognized as a nuclear pioneer and science visionary.

New ORNL facility to provide cutting-edge science
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 19, 2011 — Oak Ridge National Laboratory's new Chemical and Material Sciences Building will help provide cutting-edge technology advances for the future, according to the Department of Energy's Office of Science Director William Brinkman, who spoke during the dedication ceremony for the new facility.

Brinkman dedicates new ORNL materials research facility
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 19, 2011 — William Brinkman, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, joined officials from DOE and Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Tuesday to dedicate a new Chemical and Materials Sciences Building.

Oak Ridge establishes carbon fiber composites consortium
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 19, 2011 — Fourteen companies have agreed to join with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to establish the Oak Ridge Carbon Fiber Composites Consortium, which will work to accelerate the development, demonstration and commercial application of new low-cost carbon fiber and composites materials in many different industry sectors.

US ITER Awards Contract to General Atomics for Manufacturing Superconducting Magnets
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 19, 2011 — The US ITER Project Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory competitively awarded a multi-year contract to General Atomics to produce superconducting magnets for the central solenoid of ITER, an experimental fusion facility that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy for the commercial power grid.

Hydrogen may be key to growth of high-quality graphene
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., July 18, 2011 — A new approach to growing graphene greatly reduces problems that have plagued researchers in the past and clears a path to the crystalline form of graphite's use in sophisticated electronic devices of tomorrow.

ORNL researchers win seven R&D 100 awards
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 22, 2011 — Scientists and engineers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have received seven R&D 100 Awards presented by R&D Magazine.

ORNL neutrons, simulations reveal details of bioenergy barrier
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 15, 2011 — A first of its kind combination of experiment and simulation at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is providing a close-up look at the molecule that complicates next-generation biofuels.

ORNL package tracking system takes social media to new heights
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 13, 2011 — What has made the Internet such a success could help change the way high-dollar and hazardous packages are tracked, according to Randy Walker of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Bhaduri, Dai named UT-Battelle corporate fellows
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 9, 2011 — Budhendra Bhaduri and Sheng Dai of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been named UT-Battelle corporate fellows in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their scientific and technical fields.

Neutron analysis explains dynamics behind best thermoelectric materials
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., June 6, 2011 — Neutron analysis of the atomic dynamics behind thermal conductivity is helping scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory gain a deeper understanding of how thermoelectric materials work. The analysis could spur the development of a broader range of products with the capability to transform heat to electricity.

Three ORNL researchers receive Office of Science early career research grants
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 26, 2011 — Three researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are among recipients of Office of Science Early Career Research Program awards for 2011.

ORNL marks completion of solar-assisted EV charging stations
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 25, 2011 — With 125 solar-assisted electric vehicle charging stations to be built from Knoxville to Memphis, Tennessee is poised to lead the nation with an electric vehicle demonstration project led by the Department of Energy and industry partners.

Neutrons provide first sub-nanoscale snapshots of Huntington's disease protein
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 18, 2011 — Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee Medical Center have for the first time successfully characterized the earliest structural formation of the disease type of the protein that causes Huntington's disease. The incurable, hereditary neurological disorder is always fatal and affects one in 10,000 Americans.

ORNL energy harvesters transform waste into electricity
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 16, 2011 — Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a technology being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ORHS's Chris Ludtka receives four-year UT-Battelle Scholarship
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 10, 2011 — Chris Ludtka, a senior at Oak Ridge High School, is the recipient of the 2011

New ORNL solar cell technology cranks up efficiency
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 29, 2011 — With the creation of a 3-D nanocone-based solar cell platform, a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Jun Xu has boosted the light-to-power conversion efficiency of photovoltaics by nearly 80 percent.

Conducting ferroelectrics may be key to new electronic memory
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 25, 2011 — Novel properties of ferroelectric materials discovered at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are moving scientists one step closer to realizing a new paradigm of electronic memory storage.

Bacterial genome may hold answers to mercury mystery
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 8, 2011 — A newly sequenced bacterial genome from a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could contain clues as to how microorganisms produce a highly toxic form of mercury.

ORNL's alumina-forming austenitic alloy licensed to Carpenter Technology Corp.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 7, 2011 — Metal alloy manufacturer Carpenter Technology Corp. has licensed an alumina-forming austenitic stainless steel alloy developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Six nature walks scheduled this spring
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 4, 2011 — Six free nature walks are scheduled this spring in various areas of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation.

TextOre license puts ORNL's Piranha in its tank
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 4, 2011 — TextOre's licensing of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Piranha is enabling the Virginia-based company to introduce a powerful search and mining tool capable of processing large amounts of text data from the Internet.

ORNL's Pennycook named Materials Research Society Fellow
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 1, 2011 — Stephen Pennycook of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been elected to the class of 2011 fellows of the Materials Research Society.

ORNL, industry collaboration puts spotlight on solar
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 1, 2011 — Four manufacturers of solar energy components are working with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to address some of their biggest challenges.

Key plant traits yield more sugar for biofuels
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 29, 2011 — OAK RIDGE, Tenn, March 29, 2011 - New clues about plant structure are helping researchers from the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center narrow down a large collection of poplar tree candidates and identify winners for future use in biofuel production.

UT-Battelle names top small business subcontractors
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 29, 2011 — UT-Battelle, LLC, management and operating contractor for the Department

Neutron analysis yields insight into bacteria for solar energy
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 23, 2011 — Structural studies of some of nature's most efficient light-harvesting systems are lighting the way for new generations of biologically inspired solar cell devices.

BESC scores a first with isobutanol directly from cellulose
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 7, 2011 — In the quest for inexpensive biofuels, cellulose proved no match for a bioprocessing strategy and genetically engineered microbe developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center.

'Fingerprints' match molecular simulations with reality
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2011 — A theoretical technique developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is bringing supercomputer simulations and experimental results closer together by identifying common "fingerprints."

UT-Battelle Gives $140,000 for Waterfront Pavilion
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2011 — UT-Battelle has donated $140,000 to help the City of Oak Ridge begin the first project of the city's waterfront development on Melton Hill Lake.

New lignin 'lite' switchgrass boosts biofuel yield by more than one-third
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 14, 2011 — Bioethanol from new lines of native perennial prairie grass could become less costly because of plant engineering by The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and fermentation research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

U.S. Rep. Fleischmann touts ORNL as national energy treasure
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2011 — One month into his freshman term in Congress, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., is advocating Oak Ridge as a national energy treasure.

Young physicists compete in Oak Ridge-based national tournament
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2011 — Some of the brightest high school physics students from across the United States converged on Oak Ridge recently for the annual USA Invitational Young Physicists Tournament.

ORNL's Jaguar helps BMI win award, nation save fuel
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 9, 2011 — A BMI Corp. SmartTruck technology that could save 1.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel and $5 billion in fuel costs per year has hit the road in record time in part because of simulations performed on the nation's most powerful supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Neutron analysis reveals 'two doors down' superconductivity link
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 7, 2011 — Neutron scattering analysis of two families of iron-based materials suggests that the magnetic interactions thought responsible for high-temperature superconductivity may lie "two doors down": The key magnetic exchange pairings occur in a next-nearest-neighbor ordering of atoms, rather than adjacent atoms.

ORNL breaks safety record
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 4, 2011 — UT-Battelle announced today that Oak Ridge National Laboratory's approximately 5,000 employees and subcontractors recently passed a historic safety milestone by working 4 million hours without a serious injury.

'Tall order' sunlight-to-hydrogen system works, neutron analysis confirms
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 3, 2011 — Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a biohybrid photoconversion system -- based on the interaction of photosynthetic plant proteins with synthetic polymers -- that can convert visible light into hydrogen fuel.

ORNL receives two national tech transfer awards
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2011 — Two teams from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have won awards for excellence in technology transfer from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.

New DOE bioenergy Web site has ORNL roots
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 25, 2011 — Policy makers, industry, researchers and the public have a new way to gain and share information about biofuels with the Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework, or KDF, developed by a team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and sponsored by the Department of Energy.

UT-Battelle gives $450,000 for distance learning
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 21, 2011 — UT-Battelle announced today a gift of $450,000 to Knox County's Great Schools Partnership to fund distance learning programs in science and math for high schools in Knox and surrounding counties. The program is designed to help bolster student achievement despite a severe shortage of teachers trained for many science and math courses.

Natural dissolved organic matter plays dual role in cycling of mercury
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 11, 2011 — Nature has a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde relationship with mercury, but researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have made a discovery that ultimately could help explain the split personality.