The Advanced Photon Source
a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility

A Cozy Graphene Coat Helps LNOs Reach Their Full Potential:  The use of lithium nickel oxide (LNO) cathodes for batteries is hampered by poor stability and electrochemical degradation, especially when cycled at higher operating voltages. Researchers used the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source to investigate the workings of LNO degradation and found the primary culprit, and that a graphene-based surface coating can substantially mitigate LNO high-voltage degradation.

Under Strain, Materials Take on Enhanced Quantum Properties:  Scientists studying materials that exhibit quantum properties would like to manipulate those properties to better understand them and to create useful materials, including superconductors that work at temperatures well above absolute zero. Researchers using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source have shown that severely deforming materials provides yet another way to control their quantum characteristics.

Reducing Global Warming While Generating Fossil Fuel Alternatives:  To tackle climate change driven by excessive use of fossil fuels, scientists have sought various ways to recycle carbon from carbon dioxide (CO₂). Using various techniques including research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source, researchers obtained results which could eventually lead to practical ways to both reduce atmospheric CO₂ and generate alternate, environmentally friendly fuels.

Unraveling SARS-Cov-2’s Mutagenic Prowess One Enzyme at a Time:  Research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source may provide the basis for the future development of therapeutics that target SARS-CoV-2’s proofreading capacity and thereby potentially improving patient outcomes.

Advancing Our Understanding of Cell Death:  Apoptosisis a necessary process that helps keep organisms healthy in response to infection and environmental stress. Interfering with apoptosis can cause problems like cancer. Experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source which revealed the structural basis for two ways in which a pro-apoptotic protein is activated during the initiation of apoptosis may one day aid in the design of drugs that can force cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, which in turn could shrink or eliminate tumors.

Relaxing with Soft Materials:  A team of investigators used the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source for their studies of the detailed microscopic dynamics of relaxation in a model soft gel, establishing a previously elusive connection between the rearrangement events occurring on the microscopic scale and the observable stress relaxation behavior on the macroscale.

Development of a Nanoparticle Vaccine against Epstein-Barr Virus:  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the cause of infectious mononucleosis and has been associated with the development of a number of different cancers as well as multiple sclerosis. Over 95% of adults worldwide have already been infected and most of us harbor the virus in a latent (inactive) form. Promising results, based in part on data obtained at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source, may lead to human trials of an effective EBV vaccine.

New Lanthanide Isolation Technique Allows for More Efficient Rare-Earth Metal Extraction:  Lanthanides are rare-earth metals that are used to produce a wide range of industrial and digital products, including magnets, batteries, lasers, and capacitors. Researchers employed a variety of synchrotron x-ray techniques at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source to obtain data that have the potential to help make lanthanide extraction more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Using X-rays to Decode a Complex Piece of Cellular Machinery, Atom by Atom:   More than 20 years spent studying and deciphering the structure and function of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) at the Advanced Photon Source and other U.S. Department of Energy x-ray light sources yields an understanding of how the NPC works, which could have major implications for healthcare research.

Microbes in the Gut Drive Toxicity of Environmental Chemicals:  Many diseases have been attributed to chronic inflammation of intestinal tissues in the last few decades and have been linked to environmental chemicals such as triclosan, an antimicrobial agent used in soaps, toothpastes, and other hygienic products. Research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source demonstrates that gut microbiota plays a key role in the toxicity of environmental chemicals and highlights the importance of considering gut microbiota in evaluating the toxic potential of those chemicals.

Ultrafast X-rays Track Charge Flows in a Promising Photovoltaic Material:  A class of materials known as lead halide perovskites show remarkable potential for use in optoelectronic applications. Experiments carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Photon Source should improve the theoretical framework used to describe these materials, thereby hastening their practical use for solar power and other applications.