ORNL’s Muralidharan elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Govindarajan Muralidharan, a scientist and inventor at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI.

The NAI was established to recognize inventors with U.S. patents and to promote academic technology and innovation that globally benefits society. NAI fellows have achieved the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.


AI — Revealing hidden biology

Scientists have developed a novel approach to computationally infer previously undetected behaviors within complex biological environments by analyzing live, time-lapsed images that show the positioning of embryonic cells in C. elegans, or roundworms. Their published methods could be used to reveal hidden biological activity. 


Hydropower — DNA in a drop

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using a novel approach in determining environmental impacts to aquatic species near hydropower facilities, potentially leading to smarter facility designs that can support electrical grid reliability.


Energy storage — Calculating better batteries

Scientists can speed the design of energy-dense solid-state batteries using a new tool created by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Solid-State Battery Performance Analyzer and Calculator, or SolidPAC, can help researchers who have developed a promising new material but are unsure how to design a successful cell, said ORNL’s Ilias Belharouak. “It builds practicality into the search for better batteries,” he said.


Climate — Drier air

A new analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows that intensified aridity, or drier atmospheric conditions, is caused by human-driven increases in greenhouse gas emissions. The findings point to an opportunity to address and potentially reverse the trend by reducing emissions.

Scientists examined the underlying causes for these long-term changes in global aridity using a multipronged approach and a wealth of observational data from 1965 to 2014.