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At least 379 records · Page 21

EverGREEN 2045: An Energy Mix to Decarbonize Washington State

Washington State’s future resource mix is likely to be comprised of intermittent renewables and carbon-free generation including hydropower by 2045. Generation will likely be comprised of wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), batteries, pumped storage hydropower (PSH), existing nuclear power plants, and potentially enhanced geothermal systems and advanced nuclear reactor technologies. To assess the cost and stability of the future resource mix, we partner with X-energy (advanced reactor design) and AltaRock Energy (enhanced geothermal system) for proprietary cost data. After estimating the costs of these two new technologies, we design plausible future resource mix scenarios to meet Washington State’s Clean Energy Transformation Act which transitions the state to carbon-free generation by 2045. We assess the cost and stability of the future resource mix with power system analysis tools, finding revenues are sufficient to cover variable operating and maintenance costs for most technologies providing power in 2030 and 2045, but capacity payments or power purchase agreements will likely be necessary for flexible resources, including enhanced geothermal systems and advanced nuclear reactors, to participate in the future resource mix.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Study of Excited Cascade Baryons and Preliminary Cross-Sections for Ξ(1530) Using Data from the GlueX Experiment

The spectra of predicted particles from elementary quark models (CQMs) are expansive, accurate for the low-lying spectra, but incomplete. The GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab is a vehicle to study medium energy photoproduction of hadronic states. The primary goal of the GlueX collaboration is to study Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD, also known as the strong nuclear force) and the nature of quark confinement. The GlueX collaboration uses a polarized photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target (LH 2 ) to investigate the aftermath of photon-proton interactions. The cascade baryons, denoted by Ξ, are defined by having two, second-generation, strange quarks with an additional first-generation light quark (u or d). Experimentally, few cascades have been discovered, which is the antithesis of what most models expect. The cascades have some favorable attributes but are difficult to detect because the production cross sections are small and direct production is unlikely. Fortunately, in the 12 GeV era of the GlueX experiment, there is sufficient energy, beam time and data analysis tools for the detection of excited cascade states and their properties. From the reaction γ p →Κ + Κ + Ξ - π 0 , the invariant mass spectra of Ξ - π 0 system was surveyed for new possible resonances. The invariant mass spectrum has a strong Ξ(1530) signal with other smaller resonances throughout the spectrum. Preliminary cross sections for the Ξ(1530) that was photoproduced from the proton are presented at energies never before explored. While the Ξ(1530) couples almost exclusively to the Ξπ channel, there is an easily identifiable Ξ(1690) signal decaying Ξπ. Through the use of a simultaneous fitting routing of the Ξ*- mass spectra, I was able to observe the Ξ(1690) decaying to the KΛ, as well as to the Ξ - π 0 branch. With additional statistics, a measurement of the branching ratio should be possible. Lastly, a partial wave analysis (PWA) was completed to verify that the total angular momentum of Ξ(1530) is J = 3/2 and consistent with having positive parity. Additionally, there is evidence of a potentially interesting feature slightly above the mass of the Ξ(1530) that should be more fully explored as new GlueX data becomes available.

Sumner, Brandon↗

Netostat: analyzing dynamic flow patterns in high-speed networks

Understanding flow traffic patterns in networks, such as the Internet or service provider networks, is crucial to improving their design and building them robustly. However, as networks grow and become more complex, it is increasingly cumbersome and challenging to study how the many flow patterns, sizes and the continually changing source-destination pairs in the network evolve with time. Here, we present Netostat, a visualization-based network analysis tool that uses visual representation and a mathematics framework to study and capture flow patterns, using graph theoretical methods such as clustering, similarity and difference measures. Netostat generates an interactive graph of all traffic patterns in the network, to isolate key elements that can provide insights for traffic engineering. We present results for U.S. and European research networks, ESnet and GEANT, demonstrating network state changes, to identify major flow trends, potential points of failure, and bottlenecks.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Ultracompact mirror device for forming 20-nm achromatic soft-X-ray focus toward multimodal and multicolor nanoanalyses

Abstract Nanoscale soft-X-ray microscopy is a powerful analysis tool in biological, chemical, and physical sciences. To enhance its probe sensitivity and leverage multimodal soft-X-ray microscopy, precise achromatic focusing devices, which are challenging to fabricate, are essential. Here, we develop an ultracompact Kirkpatrick-Baez (ucKB) mirror, which is ideal for the high-performance nanofocusing of broadband-energy X-rays. We apply our advanced fabrication techniques and short-focal-length strategy to realize diffraction-limited focusing over the entire soft-X-ray range. We achieve a focus size of 20.4 nm at 2 keV, which represents a significant improvement in achromatic soft-X-ray focusing. The ucKB mirror extends soft-X-ray fluorescence microscopy by producing a bicolor nanoprobe with a 1- or 2-keV photon energy. We propose a subcellular chemical mapping method that allows a comprehensive analysis of specimen morphology and the distribution of light elements and metal elements. ucKB mirrors will improve soft-X-ray nanoanalyses by facilitating photon-hungry, multimodal, and polychromatic methods, even with table-top X-ray sources.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

MSD CoP Webinar: "Advances in MSD-LIVE to Support the MSD Community of Practice"

Context: This webinar was hosted by the MultiSector Dynamics Community of Practice (MSD CoP; https://multisectordynamics.org). Advances in MSD-LIVE to Support the MSD Community of Practice Presenters: Casey Burleyson and Zoe Guillen (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Abstract: The MultiSector Dynamics Living, Intuitive, Value-adding, Environment (MSD-LIVE; msdlive.org) is a cloud-based data management system and advanced computing platform that enables MSD researchers to document and archive their data, run their models and analysis tools, and share their data, software, and workflows within the MSD Community of Practice. Recently, several high-profile datasets have attracted many new users to MSD-LIVE. This webinar has two goals: 1) To refamiliarize the MSD community and new users with the components of the platform (e.g., the data repository, model training notebooks, and data dashboards) and to highlight examples of how these components are advancing MSD science and 2) To demonstrate new features in v3 of the platform, released in late 2025. The main new feature in v3 is the ability to interactively explore data in MSD-LIVE without downloading it. MSD-LIVE users can now click a button in our data repository and launch a blank Jupyter notebook with access to the underlying data on AWS. Users can use the notebook to write analysis, visualization, or subsetting routines that process the data directly on the AWS cloud. We also added a GitHub integration feature that allows users to share analysis or visualization code they develop with the community of MSD-LIVE users. The webinar will wrap up with a look at what's coming next for MSD-LIVE in 2026. Moderator: Patrick M. Reed (MSD CoP Facilitation Team) This webinar was held on: May 12th, 2026 from 1-2 PM EST.

Open Science↗

Port of New York and New Jersey Drayage Electrification Analysis

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) evaluated the potential for drayage electrification in the Port of New York and New Jersey (PoNYNJ), with a focus on operators: Harbor Freight Transport (HF), Safeway Trucking (SWT), and International Motor Freight Inc (IMF). This report summarizes the data collection and electrification evaluation of all three drayage operators, includes detailed operational data, and identifies the performance requirements for battery electric tractors (BETs) and corresponding infrastructure operated within the context of PoNYNJ drayage operation. This report also details a methodology to evaluate opportunities, strategies, and challenges associated with future expansions of BETs in meeting PANYNJ emissions goals. The Port Authority has established a goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 across all facilities, including from tenant and stakeholder sources such as drayage trucks. NREL used real-world performance data collected on the three PoNYNJ drayage operations, along with modeling and analysis tools to compare BET to diesel trucks. From March to July 2021, NREL collected 1Hz vehicle and engine data from 46 drayage trucks at the three operators totaling nearly 121,000 miles of operation, providing enough information to assess vehicle operations for electrification potential. A Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) electric truck powertrain model was validated using PoNYNJ data and scenarios were run to evaluate drayage truck electrification requirements over the real-world cycles. The first scenario examined BET viability with minimal changes to existing operations. This assumes the trucks charge when stopped for two hours or longer, have a functional battery size of 375 kWh, and can charge at 270 kilowatts (kW) average which are the specification of the commercially available Freightliner eCascadia. The second scenario looked at what operational, charging infrastructure, and BET technology changes would be needed to fully electrify. Finally, detailed analysis was run on charging rate structure to understand operational costs to the fleets. The studied drayage trucks averaged 5.1 MPG, spent roughly 9% of their energy at idle, and drove an average of 140 miles per day with a maximum daily distance of 573 miles. The FASTSim model results indicate a comparable BET would use 417 kWh of energy per day on average accounting for cargo weight, which is close to the full usable capacity of the eCascadia currently available on the market. Based on the daily average operating data, partial fleet electrification is possible with current technology. However, some specific days of operation would require over 1,600 kWh of energy due to longer distances traveled by the trucks and more intense operation. Trucks used for long distance and intense operation cannot be readily electrified with current technology without operational changes. Full adoption of BETs could reduce CO 2 emissions from these fleets by roughly 75% today, eliminating 76 metric tons of CO 2 (MTCO 2 ) per vehicle each year, which equates to 24,100 MTCO 2 per year for all three operators. Commercially available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) have charge rates up to 350 kW. Based on the average daily modeled energy use for each operator, current industrial rate structures, and the assumption of 350 kW peak charging, full drayage electrification would increase electricity consumption. In addition, peak demand usage would increase with unmanaged charging along with cost of electricity having a direct impact on cost per mile for electric vehicles. The resulting cost per mile for BETs along with comparable cost per mile for conventional diesel trucks are also examined at $\$$4.00 per gallon of diesel. It will be important for PANYNJ and the drayage operators within the PoNYNJ to consider these load impacts to their existing electrical infrastructure and devise operational strategies that avoid coincident charging of vehicles to mitigate demand charges. Despite these electricity cost increases, savings from reductions in diesel consumption will help offset the costs of this increased electricity consumption. However, prices of both electricity and diesel are subject to change based on various factors meaning the realized savings will vary over time. This shows BETs could be cost-competitive on an energy cost per mile basis for all scenarios while diesel is above $\$$3.00/gal. Further, if diesel prices dropped to the 15-year low of $2.33/gal, it would still be cost competitive to operate the EVs with electricity costs of 16.3 ¢/kWh or less.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Software Quality Assurance Plan ANSYS LSDYNA Version 2023R1

ANSYS Inc. develops and markets engineering simulation software and services used in the aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, energy, defense, and many other industries. ANSYS is dedicated to engineering simulation and is the world’s leading software provider. ANSYS was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. ANSYS provides an engineering analysis tool combining structural, thermal, computational fluid dynamics, acoustic and electromagnetic simulation capabilities. ANSYS LS-DYNA is the most used explicit simulation program capable of simulating the response of materials to short periods of severe loading. Its many elements, contact formulations, material models, and other controls can be used to simulate complex models with control over all the details of the problem. ANSYS LS-DYNA has a vast array of capabilities to simulate extreme deformation problems using its explicit solver. Engineers can tackle simulations involving material failure and look at how the failure progresses through a part or through a system. Models with large amounts of parts or surfaces interacting with each other are also easily handled, and the interactions and load passing between complex behaviors are modeled accurately. Using computers with higher numbers of CPU cores can drastically reduce solution times. In addition, many consulting firms and hundreds of universities use ANSYS for analysis, research, and educational purposes. ANSYS is recognized worldwide as one of the most widely used and capable programs of its type. ANSYS has successfully passed over 100 customer quality system audits against American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NQA-1 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, since the company was founded, over 60 of which have been since 1997. ANSYS has successfully passed over 100 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 assessments. ANSYS design analysis software is the first created within a quality system with ISO 9001 certification, which is the internationally accepted quality standard. Product development, testing, maintenance, and support processes also meet the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) quality requirements, as they have for nearly four decades. ANSYS staff perform more than 60,000 software verification tests before releasing each new product. ASME NQA-1-2012 (Subpart 2.7 is specific to software) is the industry- and NRC-accepted approach (consensus standard) for meeting 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, requirements.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Electrified autonomous freight benefit analysis on fleet, infrastructure and grid leveraging Grid-Electrified Mobility (GEM) model

Fast-growing freight activities over the decades have become one of the major contributors to air pollution, leading to many efforts in freight decarbonization and electrification. However, the development of freight electrification is slow due to technological uncertainty, slow charging, high capital cost, etc. This paper analyzes the potential impact and benefit of heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) electrification and automation on fleet cost, infrastructure cost, the electricity grid, and environmental outcomes. In this work, we extended the vehicle electrification benefit analysis tool: Grid-Electrified Mobility (GEM) model, which had primarily been used to study light-duty passenger vehicles (LDVs), to analyze heavy-duty vehicle electrification. The extended model is derived for freight transportation electrification, and different freight electrification and automation adoption scenarios were analyzed. We find that the increased penetration of automated electric freight fleets within other types of electrified freight fleets from 1% to 99% will result in an overall cost reduction of 18.2%, fleet size reduction of 20.4%, and lower peak load reduction of 14.3%.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Small animal PET: a review of what we have done and where we are going

Abstract Small animal research is an essential tool in studying both pharmaceutical biodistribution and disease progression over time. Furthermore, through the rapid development of in vivo imaging technology over the last few decades, small animal imaging (also referred to as preclinical imaging) has become a mainstay for all fields of biologic research and a center point for most preclinical cancer research. Preclinical imaging modalities include optical, MRI and MRS, microCT, small animal PET, ultrasound, and photoacoustic, each with their individual strengths. The strong points of small animal PET are its translatability to the clinic; its quantitative imaging capabilities; its whole-body imaging ability to dynamically trace functional/biochemical processes; its ability to provide useful images with only nano- to pico- molar concentrations of administered compounds; and its ability to study animals serially over time. This review paper gives an overview of the development and evolution of small animal PET imaging. It provides an overview of detector designs; system configurations; multimodality PET imaging systems; image reconstruction and analysis tools; and an overview of research and commercially available small animal PET systems. It concludes with a look toward developing technologies/methodologies that will further enhance the impact of small animal PET imaging on medical research in the future.

Engineering↗

Single particle trace element analysis of uranium oxide standards with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to analyze over 1000 individual particles of uranium oxide trace element standard CRM124. Intra-granular analysis showed elemental concentrations were consistent across different surface locations on each uranium grain. However, inter-granular comparison revealed large heterogeneity between different grains of the same sample. By comparing the distribution of elemental concentrations across the particle populations, we were able to correctly identify a manufacturing process involving wet chemistry, rather than a dry mixing of two powders to give an overall chemical average. In conclusion, this demonstrates the utility of LIBS as a large-scale single particle analysis tool for nuclear forensics.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Transforming Energy Through Sustainable Mobility: Expanding Low-Carbon Transportation R&D Solutions

As the nation's premier laboratory for cutting-edge transportation decarbonization research and development solutions, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) pioneers the creation and deployment of sustainable mobility technologies and strategies, with a focus on slashing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change. Trucks, planes, cargo ships, and other difficult-to-decarbonize vehicles are part of this essential transition for the transportation sector, which is currently the nation's largest source of the greenhouse gas emissions. NREL provides the scientific building blocks needed to spur innovation through multifaceted analysis, research, and engineering. This work acts as a catalyst to help industry bring affordable, high-performance, energy-efficient, and low-emission modes of transport and related infrastructure to market sooner. Our researchers collaborate closely with academic, government, and industry partners to design better batteries, drivetrains, and engines. They develop technologies for high-power charging, thermal management, energy storage, and power electronics. They are also reimagining fuels and combustion while creating sustainable lightweight materials. Unbiased expert guidance - backed by credible data and analysis, tools, and scientific rigor - empowers partners to make informed decisions about sustainable transportation. NREL recognizes that communities with limited mobility options face reduced access to employment opportunities, health care, and education, lowering overall quality of life. Alongside partners, NREL experts are creating transportation solutions that meet community-identified needs and increase mobility equity in historically underserved and overburdened communities. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all solution, we take an interdisciplinary approach to mobility equity that considers the needs and challenges of diverse groups, maximizing benefits at the individual, community, and societal levels.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Dynamics modeling of molten salt reactor with reduced and expanded representations of delayed neutron precursors

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) present unique challenges in dynamic behavior due to the mobility of their fuel. In these reactors, delayed neutron precursors (DNPs) drift with the fuel circulation through the primary loop. As a result, a fraction of DNPs decays outside the core, effectively reducing the available delayed neutron population for reactivity control. Consequently, precise modeling of the distribution and behavior of DNPs is critical for accurate reactor dynamics simulations. In this study, the System Dynamics Analysis Tool (SDAT) was used to simulate a thermal-spectrum MSR under steady-state conditions and following transients. The effects of using reduced and expanded representations of DNPs with fewer or more groups than the conventional 6-group model were investigated. Their impact on the simulated distribution of precursors in the primary loop, reactivity loss value, and reactor response to transients was analyzed. Simulation results showed that reduced models lead to the loss of the actual DNPs distribution data, resulting in less accurate estimates of reactivity loss. Reactor power predictions using these reduced models showed significant deviations compared to those using the conventional 6-group model in transient simulations. Expanded models offered a more accurate representation of the distribution of DNPs and reactivity loss estimates. Reactor power predictions using expanded models showed minimal deviation from the conventional 6-group model during the simulated transients.

analysis↗

Optimization Algorithm for Criticality Experiment Design Using Whisper

Many criticality experiments performed to aid in nuclear data evaluation are designed to maximize the sensitivity of the system’s effective neutron multiplication factor to a certain nuclide reaction pair over an energy region of interest. This is typically done by evaluating possible designs in a transport code such as MCNP and selecting the one with the highest desired sensitivity. A designer has many tools to try to maximize this sensitivity such as different moderators, reflectors, fuels, and geometries. This balancing act of identifying a critical and maximally sensitive system become very computationally expensive as more variables are added and higher precisions are desired. In order to identify these optimal configurations more efficiently a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm coupled with MCNP has been developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This algorithm has been used to design two upcoming criticality experiments that will be performed at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC), located at the Nevada National Security Site, and operated by LANL, the only general-purpose critical experiments laboratory in the United States. PSO uses a population (swarm) of candidate solutions (particles) on a search space of dimensions such as moderator and reflector thicknesses or enrichments and concentrations. These particles move around the search space from generation to generation according to simple rules. Eventually, the swarm converges on the configuration that is both critical and maximally sensitive to a piece of nuclear data. PSO is well suited for criticality experiments as the algorithm is agnostic to the underlying physics, meaning it is effective on many different experimental setups. This algorithm has been modified to maximize the nuclear data similarity coefficient between an application case and an experiment aimed at replicating the application case using WHISPER, a nuclear criticality safety analysis tool. This allows for the efficient design of critical experiments informed by nuclear data sensitives.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

A practical approach to calculating magnetic Johnson noise for precision measurements

Magnetic Johnson noise is an important consideration for many applications involving precision magnetometry, and its significance will only increase in the future with improvements in measurement sensitivity. The fluctuation–dissipation theorem can be utilized to derive analytic expressions for magnetic Johnson noise in certain situations, but when used in conjunction with finite element analysis tools, the combined approach is particularly powerful as it provides a practical means to calculate the magnetic Johnson noise arising from conductors of arbitrary geometry and permeability. In this paper, we demonstrate this method to be one of the most comprehensive approaches presently available to calculate thermal magnetic noise. In particular, its applicability is shown to not be limited to cases where the noise is evaluated at a point in space but also can be expanded to include cases where the magnetic field detector has a more general shape, such as a finite-size loop, a gradiometer, or a detector that consists of a polarized atomic species trapped in a volume. Furthermore, some physics insights gained through studies made using this method are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Energy calibration of germanium detectors for the Majorana Demonstrator

The Majorana Demonstrator was a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) in the 76 Ge isotope. It was staged at the 4850-foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. The experiment consisted of 58 germanium detectors housed in a low background shield and was calibrated once per week by deploying a 228 Th line source for 1 to 2 hours. The energy scale calibration determination for the detector array was automated using custom analysis tools. We describe the offline procedure for calibration of the Demonstrator germanium detectors, including the simultaneous fitting of multiple spectral peaks, estimation of energy scale uncertainties, and the automation of the calibration procedure.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Exploring the Future Energy Value of Long-Duration Energy Storage

Long-duration energy storage is commonly viewed as a key technology for providing flexibility to the grid and broader energy systems over a multidecadal time frame. However, prior work has typically used present-day grid infrastructures to characterize the relationship between the duration and arbitrage value of storage in electricity markets. This study leverages established National Renewable Energy Laboratory grid planning and operations tools, analysis, and data to execute a price-taker model of an energy storage system for several 8760 h price series representative of current and future contiguous United States grid infrastructures with varying shares of variable renewable energy (VRE). We find that the total value of energy storage typically increases with VRE shares, but any increase in the relative value of longer storage durations over time depends on the region and grid mix. Some regions see incremental value increasing notably, up to 20–40 h in 2050, while others do not. The negative effect of lower roundtrip efficiency on value is also found to be scenario-dependent, with the energy value in higher VRE scenarios being less sensitive to roundtrip efficiency and more supportive of longer storage durations. Long-duration storage value and deployment potential are a function of evolving electricity sector infrastructure, markets, and policy, making it critical to consistently revisit potential long-duration storage contributions to the grid.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Effect of Anode Porosity and Temperature on the Performance and Lithium Plating During Fast-Charging of Lithium-Ion Cells

Twenty-four single-layer approximate to 32 mAh pouch cells are tested to determine the effect of electrode porosity on lithium plating. Twelve cells contain a graphite electrode that is 26% porous, and 47% for the other twelve. The cells are cycled using a 6-C charge and a C/2 discharge protocol at temperatures in the range of 20-50 degrees C. A macro-homogeneous electrochemical model and microstructure analysis tool set are used to help interpret experimental observations for the effect of anode porosity and ambient temperature on fast-charging performance. Additionally, comparison between the two also highlights gaps in current theoretical understanding that need to be addressed. In post-test examination, lithium plating is seen in all cells, regardless of porosity. Elevated temperature is shown to reduce the amount of lithium plating and improve initial fast-charge capacity, but also changes the rate of other, less well-understood degradation mechanisms. Apparent kinetic rate laws, At + Bt 1/2 , where A and B are constants, can be fit to most of the capacity loss and resistance increase data. The relative magnitudes of A and B change with temperature and porosity. The capacity loss data at 50 degrees C from the high-porosity cells are fit by a logistics rate law.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

First Plant Cell Atlas symposium report

The Plant Cell Atlas (PCA) community hosted a virtual symposium on December 9 and 10, 2021 on single cell and spatial omics technologies. The conference gathered almost 500 academic, industry, and government leaders to identify the needs and directions of the PCA community and to explore how establishing a data synthesis center would address these needs and accelerate progress. This report details the presentations and discussions focused on the possibility of a data synthesis center for a PCA and the expected impacts of such a center on advancing science and technology globally. Community discussions focused on topics such as data analysis tools and annotation standards; computational expertise and cyber-infrastructure; modes of community organization and engagement; methods for ensuring a broad reach in the PCA community; recruitment, training, and nurturing of new talent; and the overall impact of the PCA initiative. These targeted discussions facilitated dialogue among the participants to gauge whether PCA might be a vehicle for formulating a data synthesis center. The conversations also explored how online tools can be leveraged to help broaden the reach of the PCA (i.e., online contests, virtual networking, and social media stakeholder engagement) and decrease costs of conducting research (e.g., virtual REU opportunities). Major recommendations for the future of the PCA included establishing standards, creating dashboards for easy and intuitive access to data, and engaging with a broad community of stakeholders. The discussions also identified the following as being essential to the PCA's success: identifying homologous cell-type markers and their biocuration, publishing datasets and computational pipelines, utilizing online tools for communication (such as Slack), and user-friendly data visualization and data sharing. In conclusion, the development of a data synthesis center will help the PCA community achieve these goals by providing a centralized repository for existing and new data, a platform for sharing tools, and new analytical approaches through collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts. A data synthesis center will help the PCA reach milestones, such as community-supported data evaluation metrics, accelerating plant research necessary for human and environmental health.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗