Back
Physical and Life Sciences
River ecosystem that converts air to fertilizer could hold clues for sustainable nitrogen production
Every living thing needs nitrogen, and the world uses a significant portion of its energy making nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture. Studying microorganisms that naturally capture atmospheric nitrogen — a process called nitrogen fixation — can inspire new sustainable methods to produce fertilizers, saving energy and reducing water pollution. In a new study, published in…
Learn what it takes to make a new element with the Big Ideas Lab podcast
Scientists are still adding to the periodic table and expanding what we know about matter. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), researchers are creating entirely new elements that exist for only moments. In the latest episode of the Big Ideas Lab, step into the world of superheavy element discovery to understand how these rare atoms are made, why they matter…
New book documents optics innovations that were integral to ignition
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is a chandelier “holding a system of high-precision optics,” according to a newly published book. But unlike a delicate chandelier illuminating a room, NIF’s thousands of optical components are able to resist or survive damage even under the enormous strain of amplifying and directing NIF…
Controlling water cuts energy costs for ethylene production
Maintaining American energy independence requires minimizing reliance on foreign countries to produce commodity chemicals and fuels. Using carbon dioxide electrolyzers to produce valuable chemical precursors such as ethylene provides one way to diversify domestic feedstocks. But, so far, these devices have been limited by their low efficiency, which makes them energy…
Lab scientists win four 2025 R&D 100 awards
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and engineers have earned four awards among the top 100 inventions worldwide. The trade journal R&D World Magazine recently announced the winners of the awards, often called the “Oscars of innovation,” recognizing new commercial products, technologies and materials that are available for sale or license for their…
When carbon crystallizes: molecular simulations reveal why graphite outshines diamond
There’s a reason why engagement rings are more expensive than wooden pencils. Diamond and graphite are both made of crystallized carbon, but diamond is much rarer. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers including Margaret Berrens at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) created molecular dynamics simulations to explain what material forms when…
Samples from asteroid Bennu contain secrets of the early solar system
In September 2023, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission became the first U.S. mission to collect a sample of material from an asteroid and return it to Earth. Now, a team including researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has analyzed that material. Their work, published in…
Carbon nanotube ‘smart windows’ offer energy savings
Half of the sun's radiant energy falls outside of the visible spectrum. On a cold day, this extra infrared light provides additional warmth to residential and commercial buildings. On a warm day, it leads to unwanted heating that must be dealt with through energy-intensive climate control methods such as air-conditioning. Visibly transparent “smart windows” that can…
LLNL’s Luis Zepeda-Ruiz wins prestigious award from American Association for Crystal Growth
At a conference held this summer, the American Association for Crystal Growth (AACG) recognized Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist Luis Zepeda-Ruiz with its Gentile Service Award for “long and meritorious service to the crystal growth community.” Named after Tony Gentile, who spent many years serving AACG, this honor has only been bestowed four times…
LLNL demonstrates new model that explains plutonium’s peculiar behavior
Normally, materials expand when heated. Higher temperatures cause atoms to vibrate, bounce around and take up a larger volume. However, for one specific phase of plutonium — called delta-plutonium — the opposite inexplicably occurs: it shrinks above room temperature. As part of its national security mission, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) aims to predict the…
Meet LLNL: Three interns on what makes the Lab special
Each summer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) welcomes a new cohort of talented interns from all academic backgrounds, eager to contribute to groundbreaking research and real-world problem-solving. In this article, three interns share their unique perspectives on what makes LLNL a truly special place to learn and grow. From pioneering artificial intelligence…
LLNL pushes frontier of fusion target design with AI
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have reached a milestone in combining AI with fusion target design by deploying AI agents on two of the world’s most powerful supercomputers to automate and accelerate inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. Part of an AI framework called the Multi-Agent Design Assistant (MADA), LLNL scientists and…
LLNL’s Sichi Li appointed to JACS Au Early Career Advisory Board
JACS Au, an open-access journal from the American Chemical Society, has selected Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) staff scientist Sichi Li to serve on its 2025–2026 Early Career Advisory Board. JACS Au publishes high-impact, cutting-edge research across the full spectrum of chemistry and related disciplines. The Early Career Advisory Board is composed of…
LLNL researchers train liquid droplets to play tic-tac-toe
Artificial intelligence and high-performance computing are driving up the demand for massive sources of energy. But neuromorphic computing, which aims to mimic the structure and function of the human brain, could present a new paradigm for energy-efficient computing. To this end, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) created a droplet-based platform…
First-of-its-kind microscope takes 3D ghost images of nanoparticles
Ghost imaging is like a game of Battleship. Instead of seeing an object directly, scientists use entangled photons to remove the background and reveal its silhouette. This method can be used to study microscopic environments without much light, which is helpful for avoiding photodamage to biological samples. So far, quantum ghost imaging has been limited to two dimensions,…
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory leads groundbreaking DeNOVO initiative in AI antibody design
In a pioneering project aimed at revolutionizing the design of antibodies and antibody-like molecules through the power of AI, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is working to transform medical countermeasure development and biologics discovery. The project is part of an interagency agreement between the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and the…
Deep-learning model predicts how toxic plumes move through cities
In 2023, a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. In 2025, a series of destructive wildfires ravaged Los Angeles. In both cases, a toxic plume — a cloud of harmful airborne materials that disperse over time and space due to wind and turbulence — was released. Toxic plumes from industrial accidents, chemical spills and structural fires can pose…
Self-driving lab to automate the discovery of novel alloys
Pure metals like aluminum or titanium don’t always have the desired material properties — strength, hardness, ductility or corrosion resistance — for a given application. For this reason, researchers seek out novel alloy solutions, mixing a primary metal element with a series of other elements to create a material with tailored properties for uses in aerospace, defense,…
Big Ideas Lab podcast visits the Forensic Science Center: part 2
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Forensic Science Center (FSC) is a unique place. It is the only forensic science center in the United States that could accept a truly mixed hazard sample — with a biological material, a chemical agent, explosives and nuclear material. It is one of only two laboratories in the United States — and among 30 in the world — that is…
LLNL and Purdue University accelerate discovery of medical countermeasures for emerging chemical threats
In a major advance for chemical defense and public safety, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Forensic Science Center (FSC) and Purdue University have developed and demonstrated a high-throughput, automated mass spectrometry platform. Their platform dramatically accelerates the discovery of medical countermeasure candidates against A-series…
