RICHLAND, Wash. — In some cases, soot — the fine, black carbon silt that is released from stoves, cars and manufacturing plants — can pack more of a climatic punch than greenhouse gases, according to a paper published in the journal Atmospheri…
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A new analysis of sulfur emissions appearing in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics shows that after declining for a decade, worldwide emissions rose again in 2000 due largely to international shipping and a growin…
RICHLAND, Wash. — Meteorological equipment typically used to monitor storms could help power grid operators know when to expect winds that will send turbine blades spinning, as well as help them avoid the sudden stress that spinning turbines c…
Locke Island is a small island in a bend of the Columbia River in eastern Washington that plays a special role in the culture of the local Indian tribes. Since the 1970s, however, it has been eroding away at a rate that has alarmed tribal lead…
WASHINGTON — Though the massive glaciers of the greater Himalayan region are retreating slowly, development agencies can take steps now to help the region’s communities prepare for the many ways glacier melt is expected to impact their lives, …
RICHLAND, Wash. — A new study of an exotic, infectious virus that has caused three recent outbreaks in the United States reveals clues to how the virus might damage lungs during infection. The findings also suggest possible new ways to treat lu…
On the battlefield, having a reliable source of power to operate the many advanced electronic devices a soldier carries is essential. But today’s heavy and cumbersome batteries fall short in satisfying the military’s needs. In search of both a lightweight and reliable alternative, the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed the smallest power system yet, all wrapped up in a micro-sized package.
A team of experimental and theoretical researchers from Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have observed that gold displays unexpected properties when it exists in extremely small particles. The current issue of Science magazine carries an article describing their research.
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have extracted part of the human immune system and reconstituted it in brewer’s yeast in a fashion that enables powerful machines to quickly identify new antibodies. The advance could have major repercussions for fundamental biological science as well as industries that use antibodies for sensors, biodetectors, diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents.
Researchers have identified or confirmed 490 proteins in human blood serum — nearly doubling the number of known serum proteins, according to a paper accepted for publication in the December issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. “We have performed the most extensive identification of proteins in serum to date,” said Joel Pounds, corresponding author and a PNNL staff scientist. “We studied blood serum because it holds clues to all the major processes in our bodies. We need to know what proteins exist in that serum to know how they might be used to predict disease susceptibility, monitor disease progression or diagnose disease.” These clues include proteins that “leak” from dead and dying cells, and proteins secreted into blood or released from tumors. Identifying these proteins allows scientists to conduct additional studies to define each protein’s functional role in cells and the body.