News from the NNI Community - Research Advances Funded by Agencies Participating in the NNI

Researchers at Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Center’s McGovern Medical School, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center have developed artificial enzymes made of oxidized charcoal nanoparticles that are highly effective at breaking down damaging reactive oxygen species produced in response to an injury. The oxidized charcoal nanoparticles can be made from an activated carbon source that is inexpensive, good manufacturing practice (GMP)-certified, and already being used in humans to treat acute poisoning.

Researchers at Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Center’s McGovern Medical School, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center have developed artificial enzymes made of oxidized charcoal nanoparticles that are highly effective at breaking down damaging reactive oxygen species produced in response to an injury. The oxidized charcoal nanoparticles can be made from an activated carbon source that is inexpensive, good manufacturing practice (GMP)-certified, and already being used in humans to treat acute poisoning.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a film made of tiny carbon nanotubes which has a combination of thermal, electrical, and physical properties that make it an appealing candidate for next-generation smart fabrics. The researchers were able to optimize the thermal and electrical properties of the material, allowing the material to retain its desirable properties even when exposed to air for many weeks. This material may enable the development of clothing that can heat or cool the wearer on demand.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a film made of tiny carbon nanotubes which has a combination of thermal, electrical, and physical properties that make it an appealing candidate for next-generation smart fabrics. The researchers were able to optimize the thermal and electrical properties of the material, allowing the material to retain its desirable properties even when exposed to air for many weeks. This material may enable the development of clothing that can heat or cool the wearer on demand.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that it is awarding 11 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) a total of $200 million over six years. With a program investment of nearly $350 million over six years in emerging fields such as quantum materials, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, MRSECs leverage diverse expertise in areas such as polymers, ceramics, and magnetic nanomaterials to forge new research endeavors driven by a vision of the materials of tomorrow. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that it is awarding 11 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) a total of $200 million over six years. With a program investment of nearly $350 million over six years in emerging fields such as quantum materials, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, MRSECs leverage diverse expertise in areas such as polymers, ceramics, and magnetic nanomaterials to forge new research endeavors driven by a vision of the materials of tomorrow. 

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, Japan’s High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Japan’s National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Nagoya University, and Hiroshima University have discovered that photocathodes that produce electron beams for electron microscopes and advanced accelerators can be refreshed and rebuilt repeatedly if the electron-emitting materials are deposited on layers of graphene. The researchers proposed that the resilience of photocathodes deposited on graphene surfaces was due to weaker binding between the emitter atoms and the underlying carbon layer.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, Japan’s High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Japan’s National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Nagoya University, and Hiroshima University have discovered that photocathodes that produce electron beams for electron microscopes and advanced accelerators can be refreshed and rebuilt repeatedly if the electron-emitting materials are deposited on layers of graphene. The researchers proposed that the resilience of photocathodes deposited on graphene surfaces was due to weaker binding between the emitter atoms and the underlying carbon layer.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette announced $100 million in funding for 10 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to build a twenty-first-century energy economy and strengthen U.S. economic leadership and energy security. In recognition of the importance of teams in energy research, the EFRC program brings together researchers from multiple disciplines and institutions. The current cohort of EFRCs includes six new centers and renewals of two existing ones, all to be funded for up to four years. An additional two existing centers were awarded two-year extensions to support the completion of research in progress. The list of the 10 EFRCs that received funding is available at: https://science.osti.gov/-/media/bes/pdf/Funding/EFRC_Awards_July2020.pdf

U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette announced $100 million in funding for 10 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate the scientific breakthroughs needed to build a twenty-first-century energy economy and strengthen U.S. economic leadership and energy security. In recognition of the importance of teams in energy research, the EFRC program brings together researchers from multiple disciplines and institutions. The current cohort of EFRCs includes six new centers and renewals of two existing ones, all to be funded for up to four years. An additional two existing centers were awarded two-year extensions to support the completion of research in progress. The list of the 10 EFRCs that received funding is available at: https://science.osti.gov/-/media/bes/pdf/Funding/EFRC_Awards_July2020.pdf