New Look at Deep Mantle Discontinuity

December 14, 2009

Researchers using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne have carried out experiments at high temperature and pressure on compositions representative of the Earth’s mantle, shedding new light on the phase transition thought to be responsible for a seismic discontinuity observed above the Earth’s core–mantle boundary.

Searching for Next-Generation Electronic Materials

December 14, 2009

A new class of layered oxide materials discovered thanks to research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory offers scientists unprecedented opportunities for creating the next generation of electronic devices.

“Temple of the Mind” Unlocked

December 4, 2009

The full structure of a fiendishly complicated and important brain protein has been determined by researchers using two U.S. Department of Energy x-ray light sources, potentially enabling the development of new treatments for a wealth of neurological disorders.

A Key to Drought Resistant Crops

December 4, 2009

Research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon could help engineer crops that thrive in harsh environments around the world and combat global food shortages, and could also have implications for stress disorders in humans.

Secrets of the Lacewing’s Silk

November 2, 2009

Scientists have completed studies that confirm the elegant and unique structure of the silken egg stalk of the green lacewing (Chrysopidae), thanks to high-brightness x-rays from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne. The information they obtained suggests that lacewing silk has both reasonable tensile strength and very high extensibility and may have potential value as a biomaterial.