A closer look at how COVID-19 damages human lungs
A recent study conducted at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory provides the first atomic-level detailed model of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) envelope protein when bound to human proteins within the lungs. The study was recently published in
The utility of cryo-EM
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a high-resolution imaging technology that uses frozen samples, gentle electron beams, and sophisticated imaging software to acquire highly detailed images. The electrons used in cryo-EM, as well as other forms of EM, allow scientists to visualize biological molecules at a much smaller scale as a result of their extremely short wavelength. In fact, it is estimated that the wavelength of electrons is 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light.
High-nickel-content cathodes offer high capacity, a chemical property that could power electric vehicles over much longer distances than current batteries support. Unfortunately, the high nickel content also causes these cathode materials to degrade more quickly, creating cracks and stability issues as the battery cycles. In search of solutions to these.
Maria Stefaniak
Maria Stefaniak was born in Poland and graduated with a Bachelor and Master of Science at Warsaw University of Technology (WUT). She is doing her doctoral studies in the frame of the double-diploma BGF Cotutelle program at WUT and Subatech-IMT Atlantique in France.
Stefaniak’s research focuses on the studies of properties of strongly interacting matter and its transition between the quark gluon plasma (QGP) and the gas state. One of the methods to access such extreme conditions is examining the matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions, which can be obtained during experiments at Brookhaven’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Solenoidal Tracker, also known as “STAR.”
Credit: Brookhaven National Laboratory
UPTON, NY A team of researchers led by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has studied an elusive property in cathode materials, called a valence gradient, to understand its effect on battery performance. The findings, published in
Nature Communications, demonstrated that the valence gradient can serve as a new approach for stabilizing the structure of high-nickel-content cathodes against degradation and safety issues.
High-nickel-content cathodes have captured the attention of scientists for their high capacity, a chemical property that could power electric vehicles over much longer distances than current batteries support. Unfortunately, the high nickel content also causes these cathode materials to degrade more quickly, creating cracks and stability issues as the battery cycles.