Transformative Beyond Li-ion Battery Technologies
This seminar series is organized and sponsored by Battery500 Consortium, a multi-institute program supported by the Department of Energy to accelerate development and manufacturing of next-generation batteries for electric vehicles.
BILE SALT HYDROLASE PROBE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME
The complex mixture of microbes in the gut (i.e. the gut microbiome) can have a major impact on host health, with effects ranging from altering nutrient absorption and creating chemical signals that modulate host physiology. A prominent example of microbiome-host interaction is chemical microbial modification of the host's bile acid pool. Certain microbes are capable of modulating the hydrophobicity of the bile acid pool through the activity of bile salt hydrolases. Bile salt hydrolases catalyze the hydrolysis of bile salts to free bile acids and amino acids. The result of BSH activity is a net change in the physicochemical properties of the bile acid pool, ultimately making it more hydrophobic, and therefore making fatty gut contents more prone to excretion. Increasing BSH activity is postulated to be an effective strategy for treating obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Currently, the bioassays for characterizing bile salt hydrolase activity are time-consuming or have poor sensitivity. We have invented a continuous fluorescence-based BSH assay that is easy to use and is compatible with gut microbiome samples. The chemistry of our assay is fundamentally different from other BSH assays. Because our assay provides a fluorescent readout in real time it is significantly easier to setup than other BSH assays, and has considerably higher sensitivity that assays that rely on detection of the amine product.
Video Captures Bubble-blowing Battery in Action
PNNL research has created a unique video that shows oxygen bubbles inflating and later deflating inside a tiny lithium-air battery. The knowledge gained from the video could help make lithium-air batteries that are more compact, stable and
Battery 500's First Seedling Projects Awarded Nearly $6 Million
Nearly $6 million in new funding has been awarded to 15 energy storage projects through the PNNL-led Battery500 consortium.
Frontiers in Battery Research and Development: from Materials to Manufacturing
This seminar series is organized and sponsored by Battery500 Consortium, a multi-institute program supported by the Department of Energy to accelerate development and manufacturing of next-generation batteries for electrical vehicles.
New Sodium, Aluminum Battery Aims to Integrate Renewables for Grid Resiliency
A new sodium battery technology shows promise for helping integrate renewable energy into the electric grid. The battery uses Earth-abundant raw materials such as aluminum and sodium.
Rheology of spinel sludge in molten glass
Modeling the Movement of Impurities in Molten Uranium
A team of scientists at PNNL developed new computational models to predict the behavior of these impurities and reduce the expense and risk related to actinide metal production.