Approximately 1,700 scientists visit SSRL annually to conduct experiments in broad disciplines including life sciences, materials, environmental science, and accelerator physics. Science highlights featured here and in our monthly newsletter, Headlines, increase the visibility of user science as well as the important contribution of SSRL in facilitating basic and applied scientific research. Many of these scientific highlights have been included in reports to funding agencies and have been picked up by other media. Users are strongly encouraged to contact us when exciting results are about to be published. We can work with users and the SLAC Office of Communication to develop the story and to communicate user research findings to a much broader audience.
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Finding a Needle in the Haystack: Identification of Functionally Important Minority Phases in an Operating Battery
Batteries are engineered to be efficient enough while balancing other factors such as cost. This has generated batteries that commonly have side reactions, both expected and unexpected. Current technology allows scientists to delve into what reactions and phases are happening within a battery at high resolution over time.
Demanding Catalysis via Energy-conserving Electron Bifurcation
Cellular metabolism is essential for life. Up until recently, we knew just two methods cells use to generate and conserve the energy required for cellular metabolism: ATP hydrolysis and electrochemical ion potential across cell membranes. Recently, a paradigm-changing third mechanism was discovered, called flavin-based electron bifurcation (FBEB).
Tuning the Properties in Perovskite Materials for Photovoltaics
The search continues for solar energy materials that are efficient and inexpensive and simple to make. Films made of metal halide perovskite crystals are good candidates because of their impressive solar cell efficiencies and their low cost to produce.
Operando Spectroscopic Microscopy of LiCoO2 Cathodes Outside Standard Operating Potentials
Given our increasing dependence of rechargeable battery containing electronic devices, including electric cars, it is important to engineer these systems to mitigate potential for catastrophic battery failure. One possible source of lithium ion battery failure is over-discharge (over-lithiation) of the cathode, which can permanently damage the battery.
Structure of the Human Cysteine Desulfurase Complex
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are cofactors that are required for the function of proteins in many critical cellular processes. All living organisms synthesize and distribute Fe-S clusters using complex biosynthetic pathways.
Structures of the CRISPR Genome Integration Complex
CRISPR, a powerful new tool that can target and change specific sequences of DNA, is based on a prokaryotic immune system response.
Unraveling the Assembly Principles of Bacterial Microcompartments
Bacterial cells have subcellular features that function as organelles called microcompartments. Bacterial microcompartments organize cellular metabolism. These compartments help increase reaction rates by colocalizing reaction components. They can also sequester sensitive or damaging reactants or products from the rest of the cell.
An Oxygen-insensitive Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst Coated by a Molybdenum-based Layer for Overall Water Splitting
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a promising carrier of energy for a future that uses more sustainable sources of fuel. H2 created from splitting H2O using renewable energy methods could result in no carbon footprint energy use. While methods of water splitting are being developed, reverse reactions are a problem.
Direct and Efficient Utilization of Solid-phase Iron by Diatoms
Diatoms, single-celled marine algae that create beautiful, symmetric cell walls composed of silica, are critical to ocean ecosystems. Responsible for up to 20% of photosynthesis in oceans, these phytoplankton are also an important part of Earth’s carbon cycles.
Biogenic Non-crystalline Uranium Identified as the Major Component of Uranium Roll-fronts
The radioactive element uranium is well-known for its role in nuclear energy. People mine naturally occurring uranium from deep sandstone deposits called roll fronts. Scientists have long thought that abiotic chemical reactions that occur over millions of years resulted in formation of crystalline uranium.
Collaborate on Science Highlights
We can work with users and the SLAC Office of Communication to develop the story and to communicate user research findings to a much broader audience.