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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Citywide indoor air sampling mirrors wastewater and clinical for environmental surveillance of respiratory viruses

Wastewater surveillance of respiratory pathogens can provide timely estimates of viral activity and disease trends in a population. Indoor air surveillance could be used similarly with some advantages but remains largely unvalidated at the community -scale. Here, an indoor air surveillance program was employed as part of public health environmental surveillance in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Ten air samplers were placed in healthcare and congregate living settings across the city. Weekly air samples were evaluated for influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS -CoV-2 over two respiratory virus seasons (2023 -2025). Citywide, aggregated air sample positivity and viral load were closely correlated with local clinical case and wastewater surveillance data across all respiratory viruses. Virus trends in air data often preceded clinical and wastewater, although this varied across pathogens and respiratory virus seasons. Further, whole -genome sequencing of SARS -CoV-2 showed close correlation of variant proportions across all datasets. At the building -scale, air samples obtained from a single sampling device provided efficient respiratory virus surveillance, with respiratory pathogen levels mirroring citywide clinical surveillance data. These data demonstrate that air surveillance can provide respiratory virus case and variant trend data at a building or community -scale, serving as an alternative or complementary tool for public health environmental surveillance.

Wilton, Rosemarie↗
DOE OSTI2026

Isolation of genome-predicted Caldatribacterium ( Atribacterota ) reveals pervasive microbial cultivation problem due to folate precipitation

Most bacterial phyla have few or no pure cultures, including Atribacterota , comprised of ubiquitous anaerobes. Here, we report genome-guided enrichment and isolation of two Atribacterota species representing a new family, Caldatribacterium saccharofermentans from a hot spring, and Caldatribacterium inferamans from a deep aquifer. Both were co-enriched with sulfate-reducing bacteria and initially resisted isolation, which we link to inadvertent removal of precipitated folic acid by filter-sterilization of unbuffered Wolin’s vitamin solution. We then predict folate auxotrophy across the Atribacterota and ~29% of all bacteria, with extensive auxotrophy in 27% of phyla. Since ≥604 of 791 ( ≥ 76%) media with folic acid additions in the MediaDive database use unbuffered vitamin solutions in which folic acid is likely removed during filter-sterilization, we propose that folate auxotrophy limits culturability in defined media en masse. We also uncover unusual features of Caldatribacterium , including three lipid membrane-like layers (LMLs), with the inner LML surrounding the nucleoid, and a high percentage of secreted proteins, supporting a unique cell biology of Atribacterota .

Biological and medical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2025

Generalizable Image Segmentation for Microstructure Characterization Through Integrated SEM and EBSD Analysis

We demonstrate generalizable semantic segmentation using minimal ground truth data. Correlated scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements of frictionstir processed 316L stainless steel plates were used to train deep learning models for grain boundary segmentation. Secondary electron (SE) imaging taken at an accelerating voltage of 10 keV correlated to EBSD-derived grain boundaries produced the best performing model. Notably, an ensemble of three models trained on a single SE image produced accurate segmentation over a series of BSE images of samples manufactured under different processing parameters, with a resultant mean absolute error in grain size of 0.34 µm. The striking generalizability of the models likely results from the similar escape depths of the SE training input and the EBSD training output and the reduced probability of dislocation artifacts appearing in the image. This finding highlights the importance of considering the physical principles behind imaging in the development of robust segmentation models for microstructure characterization.

Taufique, Mohammad Fuad Nur↗
DOE OSTI2023

The evolution of pit morphology and growth kinetics in aluminum during atmospheric corrosion

Abstract Assessing the lifetimes of alloys in humid, corrosive environments requires growth kinetic information regarding individual instances of damage, e.g. pit growth rates. Corrosion rates measured at the continuum scale using mass change convolute the rate of pit nucleation and growth, providing limited information on local kinetics. The current study used in-situ X-ray computed tomography to measure growth rates of individual pits in aluminum over 100 h of exposure in a humid, chloride environment. While pits grew at relatively constant rates over the first hours after nucleation, significant growth-rate nonlinearities subsequently occurred. These were linked to both droplet spreading, which altered the cathode size, and changes in the mode of pit growth. Pit morphology appeared to influence the dominant growth mode and the duration of pit growth. Post-mortem serial sectioning revealed pits preferentially attacked grain-boundary triple junctions and dislocation boundaries.

Noell, Philip J. (ORCID:0000000346998999)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chlorine and potassium enrichment in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant

The elements in the Universe are synthesized primarily in stars and supernovae, where nuclear fusion favours the production of even-Z elements. In contrast, odd-Z elements are less abundant and their yields are highly dependent on detailed stellar physics, making theoretical predictions of their cosmic abundance uncertain. In particular, the origin of odd-Z elements such as phosphorus (P), chlorine (Cl) and potassium (K), which are important for planet formation and life, is poorly understood. While the abundances of these elements in Milky Way stars are close to solar values, supernova explosion models systematically underestimate their production by up to an order of magnitude, indicating that key mechanisms for odd-Z nucleosynthesis are currently missing from theoretical models. Here we report the observation of P, Cl and K in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy with X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission data, with the detection of K at above the 6σ level being the most significant finding. Supernova explosion models of normal massive stars cannot explain the element abundance pattern, especially the high abundances of Cl and K, while models that include stellar rotation, binary interactions or shell mergers agree closely with the observations. Our observations suggest that such stellar activity plays an important role in supplying these elements to the Universe.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Accurate determination of chemical abundances near a supermassive black hole

The metal abundances in galactic nuclei carry key information on the history of star formation and mass transfer in central regions of galaxies. X-ray fluorescence analysis is a unique tool to reliably measure the abundances of various elements via simple physics. Here we present a new observation of the active nucleus in the Circinus galaxy with the XRISM satellite at unprecedented X-ray energy resolution. The fluorescent iron Kα line profile modified by Compton scattering indicates that the material responsible for its emission is cold and metal rich and is located ≳0.024 pc from the supermassive black hole, consistent with the dusty torus region. The abundance pattern derived from comparing fluorescent line intensities of different metals shows subsolar ratios of argon- and calcium-to-iron and a supersolar ratio of nickel-to-iron. This abundance pattern is best produced by a combination in number fraction of 92$^{+2}_{–4}$% core-collapse supernovae from progenitor stars less massive than 20$^{+3}_{–2}$ M ⊙ and 8$^{+4}_{–2}$% type Ia supernovae. This suggests that gas feeding the supermassive black hole was enriched by recent core-collapse supernovae. Our findings imply that in metal-rich environments stars more massive than about 20 M ⊙ directly collapse into black holes or make faint supernovae without ejecting heavy metals into the space.

Astronomy and AstroPhysics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Expert elicitation survey predicts 37% to 49% declines in wind energy costs by 2050

Wind energy has experienced accelerated cost reduction over the past five years—far greater than predicted in a 2015 expert elicitation. Here we report results from a new survey on wind costs, compare those with previous results and discuss the accuracy of the earlier predictions. In this work, we show that experts in 2020 expect future onshore and offshore wind costs to decline 37–49% by 2050, resulting in costs 50% lower than predicted in 2015. This is due to cost reductions witnessed over the past five years and expected continued advancements. If realized, these costs might allow wind to play a larger role in energy supply than previously anticipated. Considering both surveys, we also conclude that there is considerable uncertainty about future costs. Our results illustrate the importance of considering cost uncertainty, highlight the value and limits of using experts to reveal those uncertainties, and yield possible lessons for energy modellers and expert elicitation.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Informed Investments in Clean Energy Technologies

Governments and companies face consequential decisions about allocating resources to the research, development, demonstration and deployment of energy technologies to meet environmental, economic and social goals. Here we discuss how research insights can inform and potentially improve these decisions to make effective use of limited resources and time in shaping the next-generation energy infrastructure. We outline three key research steps: forecasting technological change, relating investments to economic, social and environmental outcomes and informing decision-making processes. We recommend advances to address uncertainty as well as to make methods and results more practicable, emphasizing the importance of model validation, streamlining and interactivity. Progress has been made, yet further work is needed-for example, in the development of reduced-order, testable models and more comprehensive data collection. Overall, this research is beginning to inform decisions but could be adopted more widely by governments and the private sector to help support technological progress for energy affordability, equitable climate change mitigation, health benefits and other objectives.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accurate computational design of three-dimensional protein crystals

Protein crystallization plays a central role in structural biology. Despite this, the process of crystallization remains poorly understood and highly empirical, with crystal contacts, lattice packing arrangements and space group preferences being largely unpredictable. Programming protein crystallization through precisely engineered side-chain-side-chain interactions across protein-protein interfaces is an outstanding challenge. Here, in this study, we develop a general computational approach for designing three-dimensional protein crystals with prespecified lattice architectures at atomic accuracy that hierarchically constrains the overall number of degrees of freedom of the system. We design three pairs of oligomers that can be individually purified, and upon mixing, spontaneously self-assemble into >100 µm three-dimensional crystals. The structures of these crystals are nearly identical to the computational design models, closely corresponding in both overall architecture and the specific protein-protein interactions. The dimensions of the crystal unit cell can be systematically redesigned while retaining the space group symmetry and overall architecture, and the crystals are extremely porous and highly stable. Our approach enables the computational design of protein crystals with high accuracy, and the designed protein crystals, which have both structural and assembly information encoded in their primary sequences, provide a powerful platform for biological materials engineering.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

A global atlas of soil viruses reveals unexplored biodiversity and potential biogeochemical impacts

Historically neglected by microbial ecologists, soil viruses are now thought to be critical to global biogeochemical cycles. However, our understanding of their global distribution, activities and interactions with the soil microbiome remains limited. Here we present the Global Soil Virus Atlas, a comprehensive dataset compiled from 2,953 previously sequenced soil metagenomes and composed of 616,935 uncultivated viral genomes and 38,508 unique viral operational taxonomic units. Rarefaction curves from the Global Soil Virus Atlas indicate that most soil viral diversity remains unexplored, further underscored by high spatial turnover and low rates of shared viral operational taxonomic units across samples. By examining genes associated with biogeochemical functions, we also demonstrate the viral potential to impact soil carbon and nutrient cycling. This study represents an extensive characterization of soil viral diversity and provides a foundation for developing testable hypotheses regarding the role of the virosphere in the soil microbiome and global biogeochemistry.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Life and death in the soil microbiome: how ecological processes influence biogeochemistry

We report soil microorganisms shape global element cycles in life and death. Living soil microorganisms are a major engine of terrestrial biogeochemistry, driving the turnover of soil organic matter — Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon pool and the primary source of plant nutrients. Their metabolic functions are influenced by ecological interactions with other soil microbial populations, soil fauna and plants, and the surrounding soil environment. Remnants of dead microbial cells serve as fuel for these biogeochemical engines because their chemical constituents persist as soil organic matter. This non-living microbial biomass accretes over time in soil, forming one of the largest pools of organic matter on the planet. In this Review, we discuss how the biogeochemical cycling of organic matter depends on both living and dead soil microorganisms, their functional traits, and their interactions with the soil matrix and other organisms. With recent omics advances, many of the traits that frame microbial population dynamics and their ecophysiological adaptations can be deciphered directly from assembled genomes or patterns of gene or protein expression. Thus, it is now possible to leverage a trait-based understanding of microbial life and death within improved biogeochemical models and to better predict ecosystem functioning under new climate regimes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Cross-HLA targeting of intracellular oncoproteins with peptide-centric CARs

The majority of oncogenic drivers are intracellular proteins, thus constraining their immunotherapeutic targeting to mutated peptides (neoantigens) presented by individual human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes. However, most cancers have a modest mutational burden that is insufficient to generate responses using neoantigen-based therapies. Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer that harbours few mutations and is instead driven by epigenetically deregulated transcriptional networks. Here we show that the neuroblastoma immunopeptidome is enriched with peptides derived from proteins that are essential for tumourigenesis and focus on targeting the unmutated peptide QYNPIRTTF, discovered on HLA-A*24:02, which is derived from the neuroblastoma dependency gene and master transcriptional regulator PHOX2B. To target QYNPIRTTF, we developed peptide-centric chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) using a counter-panning strategy with predicted potentially cross-reactive peptides. We further hypothesized that peptide-centric CARs could recognize peptides on additional HLA allotypes when presented in a similar manner. Informed by computational modelling, we showed that PHOX2B peptide-centric CARs also recognize QYNPIRTTF presented by HLA-A*23:01 and the highly divergent HLA-B*14:02. Finally, we demonstrated potent and specific killing of neuroblastoma cells expressing these HLAs in vitro and complete tumour regression in mice. These data suggest that peptide-centric CARs have the potential to vastly expand the pool of immunotherapeutic targets to include non-immunogenic intracellular oncoproteins and widen the population of patients who would benefit from such therapy by breaking conventional HLA restriction.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Spin splitting of dopant edge state in magnetic zigzag graphene nanoribbons

Spin-ordered electronic states in hydrogen-terminated zigzag nanographene give rise to magnetic quantum phenomena that have sparked renewed interest in carbon-based spintronics. Zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs)-quasi one-dimensional semiconducting strips of graphene bounded by parallel zigzag edges-host intrinsic electronic edge states that are ferromagnetically ordered along the edges of the ribbon and antiferromagnetically coupled across its width. Despite recent advances in the bottom-up synthesis of GNRs featuring symmetry protected topological phases and even metallic zero mode bands, the unique magnetic edge structure of ZGNRs has long been obscured from direct observation by a strong hybridization of the zigzag edge states with the surface states of the underlying support. Here, we present a general technique to thermodynamically stabilize and electronically decouple the highly reactive spin-polarized edge states by introducing a superlattice of substitutional N-atom dopants along the edges of a ZGNR. First-principles GW calculations and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveal a giant spin splitting of low-lying nitrogen lone-pair flat bands by an exchange field (~850 tesla) induced by the ferromagnetically ordered edge states of ZGNRs. Finally, our findings directly corroborate the nature of the predicted emergent magnetic order in ZGNRs and provide a robust platform for their exploration and functional integration into nanoscale sensing and logic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Targeting of intracellular oncoproteins with peptide-centric CARs

The majority of oncogenic drivers are intracellular proteins, constraining their immunotherapeutic targeting to mutated peptides (neoantigens) presented by individual human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes. However, most cancers have a modest mutational burden that is insufficient for generating responses using neoantigen-based therapies. Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer that harbours few mutations and is instead driven by epigenetically deregulated transcriptional networks. Here we show that the neuroblastoma immunopeptidome is enriched with peptides derived from proteins essential for tumorigenesis. We focused on targeting the unmutated peptide QYNPIRTTF discovered on HLA-A*24:02, which is derived from the neuroblastoma-dependency gene and master transcriptional regulator PHOX2B. To target QYNPIRTTF, we developed peptide-centric chimeric antigen receptors (PC-CARs) through a counter panning strategy using predicted potentially cross-reactive peptides. We further proposed that PC-CARs can recognize peptides on additional HLA allotypes when presenting a similar overall molecular surface. Informed by our computational modelling results, we show that PHOX2B PC-CARs also recognize QYNPIRTTF presented by HLA-A*23:01, the most common non-A2 allele in people with African ancestry. Finally, we demonstrate potent and specific killing of neuroblastoma cells expressing these HLAs in vitro and complete tumour regression in mice. These data suggest that PC-CARs have the potential to expand the pool of immunotherapeutic targets to include non-immunogenic intracellular oncoproteins and allow targeting through additional HLA allotypes in a clinical setting.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Blueprinting extendable nanomaterials with standardized protein blocks

A wooden house frame consists of many different lumber pieces, but because of the regularity of these building blocks, the structure can be designed using straightforward geometrical principles. The design of multicomponent protein assemblies, in comparison, has been much more complex, largely owing to the irregular shapes of protein structures. Here we describe extendable linear, curved and angled protein building blocks, as well as inter-block interactions, that conform to specified geometric standards; assemblies designed using these blocks inherit their extendability and regular interaction surfaces, enabling them to be expanded or contracted by varying the number of modules, and reinforced with secondary struts. Using X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy, we validate nanomaterial designs ranging from simple polygonal and circular oligomers that can be concentrically nested, up to large polyhedral nanocages and unbounded straight ‘train track’ assemblies with reconfigurable sizes and geometries that can be readily blueprinted. Because of the complexity of protein structures and sequence–structure relationships, it has not previously been possible to build up large protein assemblies by deliberate placement of protein backbones onto a blank three-dimensional canvas; the simplicity and geometric regularity of our design platform now enables construction of protein nanomaterials according to ‘back of an envelope’ architectural blueprints.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Birth of protein folds and functions in the virome

The rapid evolution of viruses generates proteins that are essential for infectivity and replication but with unknown functions, due to extreme sequence divergence. Here, using a database of 67,715 newly predicted protein structures from 4,463 eukaryotic viral species, we found that 62% of viral proteins are structurally distinct and lack homologues in the AlphaFold database. Among the remaining 38% of viral proteins, many have non-viral structural analogues that revealed surprising similarities between human pathogens and their eukaryotic hosts. Structural comparisons suggested putative functions for up to 25% of unannotated viral proteins, including those with roles in the evasion of innate immunity. In particular, RNA ligase T-like phosphodiesterases were found to resemble phage-encoded proteins that hydrolyse the host immune-activating cyclic dinucleotides 3',3'- and 2',3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Experimental analysis showed that RNA ligase T homologues encoded by avian poxviruses similarly hydrolyse cGAMP, showing that RNA ligase T-mediated targeting of cGAMP is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of immune evasion that is present in both bacteriophage and eukaryotic viruses. Together, the viral protein structural database and analyses presented here afford new opportunities to identify mechanisms of virus–host interactions that are common across the virome.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

The bulk motion of gas in the core of the Centaurus galaxy cluster

Galaxy clusters contain vast amounts of hot ionized gas known as the intracluster medium (ICM). In relaxed cluster cores, the radiative cooling time of the ICM is shorter than the age of the cluster. However, the absence of line emission associated with cooling suggests heating mechanisms that offset the cooling, with feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) being the most likely source. Turbulence and bulk motions, such as the oscillating (‘sloshing’) motion of the core gas in the cluster potential well, have also been proposed as mechanisms for heat distribution from the outside of the core. Here we present X-ray spectroscopic observations of the Centaurus galaxy cluster with the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission satellite. We find that the hot gas flows along the line of sight relative to the central galaxy, with velocities from 130 km s −1 to 310 km s −1 within about 30 kpc of the centre. This indicates bulk flow consistent with core gas sloshing. Although the bulk flow may prevent excessive accumulation of cooled gas at the centre, it could distribute the heat injected by the AGN and bring in thermal energy from the surrounding ICM. The velocity dispersion of the gas is found to be only ≲120 km s −1 in the core, even within about 10 kpc of the AGN. This suggests that the influence of the AGN on the surrounding ICM motion is limited in the cluster.

galaxies and clusters↗