The Hanford Site is now immobilizing radioactive waste in glass: a process known as vitrification. PNNL contributed 60 years of materials science expertise—and is providing operational support—to help the nation meet this cleanup milestone.

In a recent study, PNNL researchers found that noncrystalline mineral surfaces can bind microbial residues to build soil organic matter.

Pioneering autonomous science facility puts a big focus on tiny microbes and AI-driven science.

Predicting how organisms’ characteristics respond to not only their genes, but also their environments (a nascent field called predictive phenomics), is extraordinarily challenging. Researchers at PNNL are using AI to tackle that challenge.

PNNL researchers have found yet another way to turn trash into treasure: using algal biochar, a waste production from hydrothermal liquefaction, as a supplementary material for cement.

Understanding molecular modifications of proteins in the red yeast could help scientists re-engineer the organism’s phenotype.

PNNL researchers continue to deliver high-quality, high-impact research on radioactive waste and nuclear materials management, earning “Papers of Note” and “Superior Paper” awards.

PNNL researchers showcased subsurface sampling and remediation expertise at the 2025 Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable.

Jeff Burghardt is the chair of the technical program for the 59th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium of the American Rock Mechanics Association.

PNNL chemical engineer Mariefel Olarte shares passion for mentoring students and the next-generation workforce.

RemPlex and IAEA convene international leaders to tackle recruitment and retention in complex environmental cleanup efforts.

Led by interns from multiple DOE programs, a newly expanded dataset allows researchers to use easy-to-obtain measurements to determine the elemental composition of a promising carbon storage mineral.

New methodology can evaluate the potential for carbon storage and critical mineral recovery in undercharacterized geological settings.

A new database allows researchers to connect lattice parameters and composition in olivine.

Francesca Pierobon holds a joint appointment with UW and WSU to advance low-carbon technologies.

PNNL researchers earned five Papers of Note, 17 Superior Papers, and one poster award for their environmental remediation, radioactive waste, and nuclear energy-related presentations.

Data from SOSAT web tool informs site selection and management for the subsurface injection of captured carbon dioxide.

PNNL undergraduate intern Madeline Bartels leads research to verify and quantify carbon mineralization at an unprecedented small scale.

To improve our ability to “see” into the subsurface, scientists need to understand how different mineral surfaces respond to electrical signals at the molecular scale.

Recycling polyolefin materials is challenging. One waste management strategy is plastic upcycling. New work demonstrates a single-step upcycling route coupling cracking and alkylation, recycling carbon and keeping valuable resources active.