Assistant Secretary Katie Jereza toured PNNL capabilities that translate laboratory innovation into operational and industry impact.

Existing stream monitoring efforts capture some fire-affected regions, but most fires are in places without ongoing water quality monitoring.

A new modeling approach uses burn severity maps to test how reduced infiltration shifts surface water from soil penetration into streams after wildfire.

Model simulations in humid and semi-arid basins revealed distinct thresholds where wildfires begin to significantly alter river water flows and dissolved nutrient transport.

Across 47 sites in the Yakima River Basin of Washington State, faster oxygen consumption occurred with warmer water, more nutrients, and more suspended solids.

Researchers reveal how uncharacterized molecules affect the diversity and composition of dissolved organic matter in rivers.

Measurements show river flow volumes and seasonal timing have shifted; models project where flows will rise, fall, or shift in the future.

Artificial intelligence helps analyze images and reduce uncertainty for a key measure of watershed function.

Dynamic organic matter traits tied to reactions can surpass static descriptors in explaining decomposition rates and responses to environmental change.

Using an AI approach to combine outputs from microbial models and apply them as inputs to reactive-transport models reduces computational time by several orders of magnitude.

Global exercise advances nuclear forensic science and investigative capabilities.

PNNL experts trained Armenian engineers in ultrasonic testing, advancing local expertise for nuclear power plant inspections.

Five PNNL innovations earned 2026 R&D 100 Awards for advances in biotechnology, manufacturing, critical minerals, and nuclear security.

A team from PNNL joined the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and first responders from across the country to evaluate commercially available unmanned ground vehicles for emergency response.

Researchers at PNNL have developed an interpretable, lightweight AI model that can easily predict weld microstructure features using only basic machine sensor inputs.

As space exploration flourishes, a new governance working group has been established; Kate Doty will co-lead the effort.

PNNL has administered NGFP on behalf of NNSA since 2002. Looking toward the future, NGFP has signed a partnership agreement with INMM with the goal of expanding its reach to more future leaders with a passion to serve.

PNNL has developed a next-generation electrical resistivity tomography system for DOE that uses E4D software and AI-enhanced modeling to produce real-time subsurface images that help guide environmental remediation decisions.

Matteo Muratori, director of transportation and industry programs at PNNL, has been named to the 2026–2028 cohort of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s New Voices Program.

RemPlex 2025 Global Summit on Environmental Remediation attendees share knowledge about cleanup and monitoring of complex sites worldwide; more than 100 presentations are posted online.