"This is a major win in a larger effort to synthesize critical materials and battery materials using molten salts," says @berkeleylab.lbl.gov's Mike Whitaker.

Scientists in California pulled carbon from the air, then made graphite without mining

Scientists in California say they may have found a cleaner way to make one of modern life's most important materials: graphite.

thecooldown.com

We are excited to see so many familiar faces among the recipients of the @jgi.doe.gov - @molecularfoundry.lbl.gov Critical Minerals & Materials call. We are looking forward to writing about all of your great discoveries! @berkeleylab.lbl.gov

Joint Genome Institute@jgi.doe.gov · 4w ago

Congrats to the 20 recipients of our first Critical Minerals & Materials call, in partnership with @molecularfoundry.lbl.gov! These projects integrate genomics with nanoscale science, aimed at developing transformative bio-based technologies involving critical minerals and materials.

Interested in working with the JGI and never led a proposal with us? Now is your chance! We are accepting submissions to our New Investigator call for first-time PIs. Deadline to submit is Sept. 9. jointgeno.me/CSPnewPI @berkeleylab.lbl.gov @biosci.lbl.gov

CSP New Investigator Call | Joint Genome Institute

The CSP New Investigator Call is for investigators and research initiatives new to the JGI. Projects must be independent of ongoing JGI proposals, and lead PIs cannot have been lead PI on any previous...

jointgeno.me

Join our team! We are seeking postdoc candidates interested in pioneering all-organic batteries in partnership with the Energy Storage Research Alliance. @berkeleylab.lbl.gov @molecularfoundry.lbl.gov @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social Apply here: phxc1b.rfer.us/LBLQjvHHo

From our FY26 joint CMM call: Dawn Chiniquy is using high-throughput bacterial genetics & targeted genome engineering to study how plant-associated bacteria capture and tolerate rare earth elements, aiding recovery strategies. @berkeleylab.lbl.gov Full portfolio: https://jointgeno.me/CMMFY26

A hidden treasure lies within lignin—every year 100 million tons of lignin is produced, yet most of it is wasted. Researchers at @berkeleylab.lbl.gov developed a scalable method for turning lignin into benzylamines, chemicals used in the production of dye, fertilizer, pesticide, and pharmaceuticals

A team led by Berkeley Lab has observed Bose-Einstein Condensates in an atomically thin semiconductor. The device is tunable at high temperature, and could one day advance quantum information science, quantum simulations, and next-gen optoelectronics.

Scientists Reveal Hidden Structure of a Quantum Fluid

The advance establishes a new solid-state platform for studying high-temperature Bose-Einstein condensates in semiconductor devices, and could one day advance quantum information science, quantum simu...

newscenter.lbl.gov

New model could help materials scientists move promising discoveries toward manufacturing dramatically faster with higher purity and yield. "It closes the gap between material discovery and new technologies that benefit society.” – Kristin Persson, Berkeley Lab senior scientist

New AI Modeling Approach Accelerates the Development of Advanced Materials

First-of-its-kind, data-driven machine learning model reveals in fine detail the pathway that solid-state reactions take.

newscenter.lbl.gov

NASA’s Artemis missions will need more water than astronauts can carry. Berkeley Lab researchers are helping search for frozen water beneath the Moon’s surface—work that could support longer lunar missions. @als.lbl.gov @universityofhawaii.bsky.social

Ice Ice Maybe: New Ways to Search for Frozen Water on the Moon

Scientists used a unique vacuum chamber that mimics moon conditions to design an approach for ice prospecting with seismic waves. The work could help future Artemis missions find water.

newscenter.lbl.gov

The cyclotron didn’t just transform physics, it transformed how science gets done. Ernest O. Lawrence brought together experts across disciplines, creating a team-based model that became a blueprint for the U.S. #DOE’s national laboratories. #Freedom250

Today is #NationalInternDay, and we are thrilled to spotlight Jack Addison, a SULI intern who has worked with our communications team this summer. Jack has been the creative force behind our first-person social media content. Thank you for helping us share the story of Biosciences Area research!

Researchers watched carbon dioxide turn into graphite in real time, revealing how captured carbon could one day become a critical battery material instead of waste. #CriticalMinerals https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/07/30/pulling-graphite-out-of-thin-air/

“The running joke in the industry is that you can make anything but money from lignin. We’ve shown that even the most stubborn industrial lignin can be upgraded into valuable chemical building blocks.” - Chang Dou, Berkeley Lab

A New Application for Industry’s Toughest Lignin

Researchers convert an underutilized byproduct of the pulp and paper industry into a valuable industrial chemical.

newscenter.lbl.gov

World’s most advanced gamma-ray detector is ready for science! Researchers will use the newly commissioned Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA) to explore how stars form heavy elements and test the limits of the nucleus. @lbnlnuclearsci.bsky.social

GRETA Comes Online for a New Era of Nuclear Science

After a successful commissioning run, GRETA is ready to give researchers an unprecedented look into the hearts of atoms.

newscenter.lbl.gov

New Q&A: Berkeley Lab's Stefan Wild explains how the Transformational AI Models Consortium (ModCon) is building core #AI capabilities for every Genesis Mission science project—advancing energy, scientific discovery, and national security. @cs.lbl.gov

Q&A: Accelerating Scientific Discovery with the Genesis Mission’s ModCon

Stefan Wild is leading LBNL’s contributions to ModCon, a national effort to develop core AI capabilities that will support every Genesis Mission science project.

newscenter.lbl.gov

At low energies, material around a fusion reaction isn’t just a container—it can change how often fusion occurs. @atap.lbl.gov and @ucdavis.bsky.social researchers say the finding could guide neutron-source materials.

When It Comes to Fusion, Materials Matter

Researchers found that the structure and composition of materials can dramatically increase how often fusion happens at low energies. With a better understanding of the mechanism behind that effect, we may eventually be able to design materials that improve neutron sources or other fusion-based tech

newscenter.lbl.gov

Berkeley Lab will lead 13 new #GenesisMission projects and partner on more than 30 others. The work combines #AI, supercomputing, scientific data, and advanced instruments to speed discovery in energy, materials, water, fusion, critical minerals, and national security.

Berkeley Lab to Lead 13 New Genesis Mission AI Projects

Researchers will apply AI, supercomputing, and advanced instruments to accelerate discoveries for energy, science, and national security.

newscenter.lbl.gov

We are excited to welcome 11 new fellows to Cyclotron Road, our @departmentofenergy.bsky.social-backed entrepreneurship program! In partnership with Activate, these innovators will turn cutting-edge technologies into market-ready solutions. 100 companies & counting! 🙌 https://bit.ly/3Rk2k8F

"We live in a moment of profound opportunity," says Kathy Yelick, who officially starts today as Director of Berkeley Lab. She’s ready to lead the next gen of breakthroughs in AI, energy, and computing. Welcome Kathy!

Kathy Yelick’s First Day Message as Berkeley Lab Director

YouTube video by Berkeley Lab

youtu.be

On Lab Director Mike Witherell's (@mwitherell.bsky.social) last day, he reflects on his legacy: our mission of science & tech, the inspiration behind our core values of stewardship, and team collaboration. Advice to researchers? “Pay attention to your voice.” Watch now ⬇️

Colleagues Interview Lab Director Mike Witherell on his Last Official Walk Through the Lab

After nearly a decade of service, Mike Witherell's last day as Berkeley Lab's director is today, June 30. The Lab community was invited to help send him off as he took his final official walks around the Lab as Director, stopping at several locations ac...

youtu.be

Hi everyone, my name is Jack. I'm a SULI summer intern at Berkeley Lab. Over the next several weeks I’ll be creating posts sharing my experiences learning about cool research projects across the Biosciences Area. I hope you enjoy this series as I much as I enjoy making it!

Scientists can now image smaller molecules that are critical to biomedical research with a new form of #cryoEM. The technology, developed by Berkeley Lab, @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, and @biohub.org, reveals molecular structures that were previously out of reach.

New Electron Microscopy Tech Breaks into the Elusive Realm of Small Molecules

Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley physicists and machinists have built a technology that boosts the performance of electron microscopes, allowing detailed images of the small molecules and cell structures ...

newscenter.lbl.gov

Nuclear medicine got it's start in what would become the Biosciences Area at @berkeleylab.lbl.gov. The field is now undergoing a massive evolution. Hear about the shift from traditional beta-emitting isotopes to the high-energy power of alpha emitters. 🎧 https://youtu.be/xHwxfi71RCE

Genome Watch👀 "In search of phage tail-like particiles: nature's versatile nanomachines" highlights the importance of predictive models. 🖥️🧬 Full Story: https://rdcu.be/fgU2m @berkeleylab.lbl.gov @axelvisel.bsky.social @natureportfolio.nature.com

In search of phage tail-like particles: nature’s versatile nanomachines - Nature Reviews Microbiology

This Genome Watch article highlights the importance of predictive models for identifying and characterizing the roles of phage tail-like particles as a tool for bioengineering and biocontrol.

nature.com

What do donuts and the cyclotron have in common? They're both round. One changed breakfast. The other changed #physics. 🍩 Nearly a century later, it's still fascinating to hear Berkeley Lab founder Ernest O. Lawrence explain his invention. #InternationalDonutDay

✅ 15,000 miles of fiber ✅ 85 Tbps of capacity ✅ 2.6 exabytes of scientific data moved each year "When a network like @esnet.bsky.social works well, it's invisible. And that's our superpower." — @indermonga.bsky.social, ESnet Executive Director. Watch the video to see ESnet's global reach.

"This work makes quantum simulation more efficient by placing multiple 'randomized cameras' on quantum dynamics, allowing researchers to capture more energy information from shorter #quantum experiments." – Yizhi Shen, @cs.lbl.gov postdoc

Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences@cs.lbl.gov · 2mo ago

How do we make today’s early-stage quantum computers useful for complex chemistry? ⚛️🧪 A new hybrid approach from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov & @harvard.edu bypasses current hardware limits by combining streamlined quantum “snapshots” with powerful classical data analysis: bit.ly/MODMD #QuantumComputing

“The foundational genomic models from our project will have broad application and help transform biotechnology and industrial processes.” – Paul Adams, LBNL Biosciences Area https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/02/02/foundational-ai-models-to-accelerate-biological-discovery/

Foundational AI Models to Accelerate Biological Discovery

Berkeley Lab is helping build AI models for autonomous research that will enable prediction and precise design of biological systems.

bit.ly

Chaochao Dun, one of C&EN's 2026 Talented Twelve, makes high-entropy materials at @molecularfoundry.lbl.gov @berkeleylab.lbl.gov. He is developing cutting-edge materials for clean energy: cen.acs.org/energy/2026-... #CENT12 #chemsky 🧪

C&EN (Chemical & Engineering News)@cenmag.bsky.social · 3mo ago

We're teasing T12 recipients in the lead up to our Talented 12 issue. Let us know if you can guess the T12-er based on their responses and stay tuned for the full Talented 12 feature publishing soon! #CENT12 #chemsky

The @ccst.us has released their most recent report featuring the impacts made by California federal labs. From the development of energy efficient windows to the bioeconomy, Berkeley Lab is helping make our local community, state & nation more resilient. Details ⬇️

California Council on Science and Technology (CCST)@ccst.us · 3mo ago

CA's national labs have made some of the biggest breakthroughs of our time: fusion energy, quantum computing, climate data, and the Artemis mission. CCST's 2025 Impact Report shows how that expertise connects to CA policymakers and communities. 🔗 bit.ly/4bidemR #SciencePolicy #CCST #FederalLabs