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  1. Research
  2. Scientific Discovery

Scientific
Discovery

Science at Our Core

PNNL scientists conduct fundamental research to explore new horizons—both large and small—to better understand natural systems and processes and to make the world safer and more secure.

(Illustration by Timothy Holland | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

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Basic science is the centerpiece of what we do at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Research that helps us understand systems and processes provides the foundation of our work in sustainable energy and national security, opening new lines of inquiry to address the nation’s most significant challenges. Our distinctive strengths in biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, data science, and materials science are central to the discovery mission we embrace.

To address the nation’s growing need for clean energy, we discover new chemical transformations that are fast and selective and new chemistries and materials for advanced energy storage. We seek ways to understand, predict, and even control how a biological system responds to changes to its genetic code or surrounding environment. We explore the impact of the vast whirl of aerosol-laden clouds on our climate and advance the frontiers of scientific research and national security by applying artificial reasoning to scientific problems. Understanding the fundamental science behind chemical and biological systems leads us to work on solving the greatest challenges of our future.

Simply put, we do the difficult, demanding, and exhilarating fundamental research to make the world safer and more secure and our global footprint clean and conscientious. This research spurs further innovation that makes its way into our lives in the form of a reliable electricity supply, for instance, or secure gatherings free from threat.

We draw upon some of the world’s most sophisticated scientific resources, including two Department of Energy user facilities that we manage, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility—EMSL and ARM. The Energy Sciences Center, opening in fall 2021, will accelerate scientific discovery in chemistry, materials science, and computing. But our most important asset is our people—experts across the range of scientific disciplines who collaborate with colleagues worldwide, teaming together to take on the biggest scientific challenges of our time.

By the Numbers: Fundamental-Science-Related Research, Fiscal Year 2020

Staff icon - scientific discovery

585

Scientists, engineers, and professional staff

S&T funding icon - scientific discovery

$306.4M

S&T funding

Highly cited researchers icon - scientific discovery

10

Highly cited researchers

PNNL and Battelle Fellows icon - scientific discovery

36

PNNL and Battelle Fellows

Journal articles icon - scientific discovery

1,119

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Invention disclosures icon - scientific discovery

125

Invention disclosures

EFRC icon - scientific discovery

2

Energy Frontier Research Centers located at PNNL on behalf of the Department of Energy

User facilities icon - scientific discovery

2

User facilities managed by PNNL on behalf of the Department of Energy

Postgraduate students icon - scientific discovery

247

Postgraduate students

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57

Interns

Top Stories

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News Release

Shh! Quiet Cables Set to Help Reveal Rare Physics Events

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scientists examine ultra-low radiation copper cables
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
Staff Accomplishment

Stinis to Lead Two New Scientific Machine Learning Projects

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Panos Stinis
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Researchers Create a New Window on Leading Genetic Cause of Alzheimer’s

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A lipoprotein with other nervous system cells
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Featured Research

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Research Highlight

Doubling Protected Land Area Globally Could Cause Substantial Regional Shifts in Land Use

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Photograph of arid wilderness in California
SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Research Highlight

The Birth of Hydrated Electrons from Aqueous Iodide

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Generated image of water molecules with electron density clouds on some of them
SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
Research Highlight

Understanding Diopside Reactivity for Carbon Storage

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Ions leeching from rock and forming different shapes of new minerals
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Facilities & Centers

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement User Facility Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory Energy Sciences Center Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Related Divisions

Advanced Computing, Mathematics, and Data
Biological Sciences Division
Environmental Molecular Sciences Division
Physical Sciences Division

Related Links

What are Nanomaterials?

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