DOE Biological and Environmental Research Highlights Database

Description
This is a public database containing highlights of BER programmatic research generated by program managers. It is updated regularly as new highlights and occasional press releases are received. To access press releases about BER-funded research from DOE, national laboratories, universities, and other institutions, go to U.S. Department of Energy Science News at Eurekalert (www.eurekalert.org/doe/).

Topic Coding Notes

  • Topic codes have been assigned to each of the highlights in this database. Because many highlights transcend a number of programs and research areas, coding has been prioritized for the most relevant topic categories to prevent searches from becoming nonspecific. This means that certain specialized searches may require several searches to obtain all of the entries being sought.
  • If you find there are highlights that should receive different codes, please notify Kris Christen at christenks@ornl.gov.
  • Since most highlights cite a journal article, the ‘Scientific Literature’ classification has been reserved for entries that mention research featured on a journal cover, BER scientists authoring or editing a book, announcements regarding publication of a workshop report, and special journal issues featuring BER-funded research.

Search Features

  • Topical Searches can be conducted by selecting one or multiple topics from the various listed categories (Mission Science, Cross-Cutting, User Facilities and Centers, and Research Areas).
    • To search for all highlights associated with a listed topic, select the topic of interest and click ‘List’.
    • Selecting multiple topics results in a Boolean ‘or’ search, meaning the database returns a list of highlights pertaining to each topic selected. For example, selecting ‘Environmental Cleanup’ and ‘Microbes and Communities’ displays all highlights from both topic areas.
    • To restrict results to the intersection of two or more topic areas, use the Keyword Search option and type ‘and’ between words. For example, typing ‘microbes and environmental cleanup’ displays only those highlights discussing microbes associated with cleanup.
  • Search results are displayed in reverse chronological order.
  • To list all of the entries in the database, click the ‘Clear all choices’ button, then click the ‘Search’ button.
  • Full Text Searches can be conducted using the Keyword Search option. The search engine examines all of the words in every stored entry and displays highlights matching the search words supplied. Keyword Search can be further narrowed by selecting one or more of the listed topics.
    • Acronyms such as ARM currently must be spelled out and enclosed in quotes—e.g.,“Atmospheric Radiation Measurement”—in order to display only the most relevant highlights.
  • Searches also can be conducted by the release date of the research highlight or by BER division.

 

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Recent Highlights

Jan 30, 2013
Plants, Fungi, and Microbes: Symbiosis in Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form intimate affiliations with the roots of many plant types. [more...]

Jan 17, 2013
New Analytical Tool Enables Switchgrass Improvement
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a prime bioenergy feedstock candidate due to its h [more...]

Jan 16, 2013
Marginal Lands: A Valuable Resource for Sustainable Bioenergy Production
Growing plants on marginal lands, or lands unsuitable for conventional agricultural crops, i [more...]

Jan 01, 2013
New Insights into Cloud Entrainment Processes
As a cloud grows, air outside the cloud is entrained, or drawn into the cloud due to turbulent mo [more...]

Dec 09, 2012
Using Synchrotron Spectroscopy to Understand How a Protein Evolves
A major challenge in research to enable large-scale production of biofuels is developing enzymes [more...]