Using a modified 3D printer, a team of scientists at Berkeley Lab have fabricated a magnetic device out of liquids. Their findings could lead to a revolutionary class of printable liquid devices for a variety of applications from artificial cells that deliver targeted cancer therapies to flexible liquid robots that can change their shape to adapt to their surroundings.
A Graphene Superconductor That Plays More Than One Tune
July 17th, 2019Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a graphene device that’s thinner than a human hair but has a depth of special traits. It easily switches from a superconducting material that conducts electricity without losing any energy, to an insulator that resists the flow of electric current, and back again to a superconductor – all with a simple flip of a switch.
Some Assembly Required: Scientists Piece Together the Largest U.S.-Based Dark Matter Experiment
July 16th, 2019Most of the remaining components needed to fully assemble an underground dark matter-search experiment called LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) arrived at the project’s South Dakota home during a rush of deliveries in June. When complete, LZ will be the largest, most sensitive U.S.-based experiment yet that is designed to directly detect dark matter particles.
New Sensor Could Shake Up Earthquake Response Efforts
July 11th, 2019An optical sensor developed at Berkeley Lab could speed up the time it takes to evaluate whether buildings are safe to occupy after a major earthquake. After four years of extensive peer-reviewed research and simulative testing at the University of Nevada’s Earthquake Engineering Laboratory, the Discrete Diode Position Sensor (DDPS) will be deployed for the first time this summer in a multi-story building at Berkeley Lab – which sits adjacent to the Hayward Fault, considered one of the most dangerous faults in the United States.
Epic Research Endeavor Reveals Cause of Deadly Digestive Disease in Children
July 10th, 2019Nearly ten years ago, a group of Israeli clinical researchers emailed Berkeley Lab geneticist Len Pennacchio to ask for his team’s help in solving the mystery of a rare inherited disease that caused extreme, and sometimes fatal, chronic diarrhea in children. Now, following an arduous investigative odyssey that expanded our understanding of regulatory sequences in the human genome, the multinational scientific group has announced the discovery of the genetic explanation for this disease.
Can’t Take the Heat? ‘Cool Walls’ Can Reduce Energy Costs, Pollution
July 9th, 2019A study by scientists at Berkeley Lab modeled several different types and ages of homes, retail stores, and office buildings in cities across California and the U.S. and found that sunlight-reflecting “cool” exterior walls can save as much or more energy than sunlight-reflecting cool roofs in many places.
Berkeley Lab Scientists Earn Prestigious White House Early Career Award
July 8th, 2019Two scientists with Berkeley Lab are among 315 researchers named on July 2 by President Donald Trump to receive the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Two faculty scientists jointly affiliated with Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley are also among those selected to receive the honor.