Lipid molecules have split personalities—one part loves water, whereas the other avoids it at all costs. Lipids make up cell membranes, the frontline defense in preventing cellular access to bacterial and viral invaders.

Many researchers believe that the membrane is not just a scaffold where proteins reside, but instead actually plays an important role in a number of biological processes. Researchers are also starting to see that lipids and proteins can form small patches, similar to a mosaic. This patchiness seems to have a functional role in the life of a cell and in regulating its different processes. Functional patches of lipids are commonly referred to as lipid rafts.

The phrase “metallic glass” may sound like an oxymoron, but the substance is very real, though underutilized.

That could soon change.

EgamiResearch being done by professors like UT’s Takeshi Egami has shown the potential of metallic glass, but it took a recent move to the substance by a tech heavyweight to really open up its potential.

With liquid everywhere around us, it’s surprising to learn how little is really understood about the fundamental properties of liquids, like viscosity, at the atomic level. For a group of researchers working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source, using neutrons to study the atomic dynamics of liquid metals is key to unlocking the mystery of the atomistic origin of viscosity.

Alan Tennant has been appointed director of the Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The institute is a partnership between ORNL and UT.

“Neutrons are the future in characterizing materials, especially soft matter,” said Taylor Eighmy, vice chancellor for research and engagement. “With Alan as director, we can begin to establish deep thought leadership at UT and ORNL in this growing field.”

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are learning how the properties of water molecules on the surface of metal oxides can be used to better control these minerals and use them to make products such as more efficient semiconductors for organic light emitting diodes and solar cells, safer vehicle glass in fog and frost, and more environmentally friendly chemical sensors for industrial applications.