News /rasei/ en RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer selected as a 2026 Gilbreth Lecturer /rasei/2026/01/28/rasei-fellow-kat-knauer-selected-2026-gilbreth-lecturer <span>RASEI Fellow Kat Knauer selected as a 2026 Gilbreth Lecturer</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-28T09:36:05-07:00" title="Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - 09:36">Wed, 01/28/2026 - 09:36</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2026_01_GilbrethLecturer_Thumbnail.png?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=DEw_iGnd" width="1200" height="800" alt="Banner with profile picture of Kat Knauer and the NAE logo"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/279"> Recognition </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/284" hreflang="en">Circular Economy</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/269" hreflang="en">Energy Applications</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/312" hreflang="en">Knauer</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/289" hreflang="en">Polymers</a> </div> <a href="/rasei/our-community">Daniel Morton</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead">The Gilbreth Lectures recognize early-career engineers and provides a platform to share their work broadly with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Community.&nbsp;</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nae.edu/31202/Armstrong-Endowment-for-Young-Engineers-Gilbreth-Lectures-" rel="nofollow">Gilbreth lectures</a> were established in 2001 by the Council of the National Academy of Engineering as a means of recognizing outstanding young American engineers and making them more visible to NAE members. Recipients of the lectureships are nominated from The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering program and are given the opportunity to make presentations at the NAE’s fall Annual Meetings and spring National Meetings.</p><p>The Gilbreth Lectureships are named in honor of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Moller_Gilbreth" rel="nofollow">Lillian Gilbreth</a>, the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1965. Lillian was a pioneer in the field of Human Factors, often considered to be the first industrial/organizational psychologist, whose research helped industrial engineers recognize the importance of the psychological dimensions of work.</p><p><a href="https://research-hub.nrel.gov/en/persons/katrina-knauer/" rel="nofollow">Kat’s</a> selection was based on her talk at the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium on “AI-Driven Plastic Redesign for Recyclable Materials”. Congratulations to Kat, and we look forward to hearing about the presentations!&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>January 2026</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/2026_01_GilbrethLecturer_Hero.png?itok=CyymTuiP" width="1500" height="322" alt="Banner with profile picture of Kat Knauer and the NAE logo"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:36:05 +0000 Daniel Morton 1519 at /rasei The case of the vanishing seeds: How curiosity-driven research is future-proofing “Smart Windows” /rasei/2026/01/27/case-vanishing-seeds-how-curiosity-driven-research-future-proofing-smart-windows <span>The case of the vanishing seeds: How curiosity-driven research is future-proofing “Smart Windows”</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-27T10:02:14-07:00" title="Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - 10:02">Tue, 01/27/2026 - 10:02</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2025_12_Windows_Thumbnail.png?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=7RWgxY1I" width="1200" height="800" alt="Dynamic windows looking out over the flatiron mountains"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/170"> Publication Highlight </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/285" hreflang="en">Buildings</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/269" hreflang="en">Energy Applications</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/67" hreflang="en">McGehee</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/274" hreflang="en">Nanoscience and Advanced Materials</a> </div> <a href="/rasei/our-community">Daniel Morton</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Find out more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c19998" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Read the Article</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><p class="hero">Have you ever walked into a room on a glorious Colorado summer day and felt the heat radiating through the glass?&nbsp;</p><p class="lead">We usually solve this by cranking up the air conditioning or closing the blinds, losing our mountain view in the process. But what if the window itself could think? A team led by <a href="/rasei/michael-mcgehees-rasei-engagement" rel="nofollow">Mike McGehee</a>, a Fellow at RASEI, describes research that improves the robustness of such a device.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>For years researchers have been working on “smart windows”, devices that could “sense” the conditions outside and “react” to them. This investigation centers around a promising technology called Reversible Metal Electrodeposition (RME). The technical details of this process are complex, but you can understand the concept by thinking of it as a reversible coat of paint. At the flip of a switch, a thin layer of metal, in this case silver, spreads across the glass to form a layer that tints it, blocking out the heat and the glare. Flip the switch again and the silver dissolves back into a clear liquid, making the window transparent.&nbsp;</p><p>Buildings are responsible for consuming around 40% of all generated energy globally, much of which is expended in regulating the temperature, heating and cooling the building interior. Installing smart windows that can react to the environmental conditions could provide a very effective mechanism to reduce energy use and slash energy bills by automatically managing how much heat enters a room. It has been estimated that just by controlling the amount of sunlight that is let into a building through a window, we could cut energy bills by up to as much as 20%.</p></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/Windows-02.png?itok=BDw4urEg" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Figure showing the schematics of window transition"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>However, there have been a number of challenges to overcome in order to take this initial discovery from the lab to a product that can be deployed for use in buildings. One challenge is that early versions of these windows started out fast but grew “lazy” over time. After a few thousand uses the tinting / de-tinting process slowed, taking almost four times longer than it did on day one.</p><p><span>This is where the researchers undertook some detailed investigations to identify what was going on, and what could be done to fix it. A collaboration between the McGehee group (at the University of Colorado Boulder) and the </span><a href="https://barile.epizy.com/index.php?i=1" rel="nofollow"><span>Barile Group</span></a><span> (at the University of Nevada) set out to find out exactly what was happening. The team decided to look closer, using a combination of high-powered x-rays and electrochemical tests. The windows were using tiny “seeds” of platinum to help the silver grow on the glass. Platinum is recognized for being tough and non-reactive, and so should be perfect as a nucleation point for the silver. Using these advanced techniques the team explored exactly what was happening to the platinum seeds during the clearing phase, when the silver “paint” is stripped away.&nbsp;</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>To their surprise, the platinum was not as tough as they initially thought. In the special liquid environment needed for the windows, the platinum seeds were actually dissolving and washing away when the window was switched to clear. As the number of seeds dropped, the silver had fewer locations to grow from, which was the cause behind the window tinting slowing.</p><p>This led the team to ask the question “What can we do to make the seeds more resilient?”, which led them to use gold in place of platinum. While gold and platinum are both precious metals, in water, which is the solvent used inside the window panels, gold is more stable and less susceptible to decomposition and dissolving. When they swapped the platinum seeds for gold ones, the results were immediate. Even after 7,500 cycles, the equivalent of years of daily use, the windows transitioned just as fast as the first time they were used.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/Windows-01.png?itok=ZXThEYdT" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Chart that shows the performance of different versions of the dynamic windows"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>These gold-based windows provide an exciting range of opportunities. Not only because of their improved stability over many thousands of cycles, but also because they can express multiple colors by varying the voltage, a feature of the size of the gold particles. This presents opportunities for their use in displays and communications devices. This technology offers a better, smarter window that could passively save significant amounts of energy if deployed in commercial and residential buildings. This work shows how the impact of making fundamental chemical changes can unlock the potential of new technologies.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>January 2026</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/2025_12_Windows_Hero.png?itok=gBExJg6r" width="1500" height="322" alt="Images of dynamic windows looking out over the mountains above Boulder"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:02:14 +0000 Daniel Morton 1518 at /rasei Locking in Solar Power: How a Stronger Interlayer Boosts Perovskite Cell Durability /rasei/2026/01/05/locking-solar-power-how-stronger-interlayer-boosts-perovskite-cell-durability <span>Locking in Solar Power: How a Stronger Interlayer Boosts Perovskite Cell Durability</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-05T12:31:00-07:00" title="Monday, January 5, 2026 - 12:31">Mon, 01/05/2026 - 12:31</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2026_01_Marder_Science_Thumbnail.png?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=gKUipwt7" width="1200" height="800" alt="Illustration of a phosphonic acid reacting with a perovskite"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/170"> Publication Highlight </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/51" hreflang="en">Barlow</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/266" hreflang="en">Energy Generation</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/50" hreflang="en">Marder</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/274" hreflang="en">Nanoscience and Advanced Materials</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/287" hreflang="en">Perovskites</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/273" hreflang="en">Solar Power</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead">New Molecular Designs Extend the Life and Efficiency of Next-Generation Solar Cells</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Find out more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adz7969" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Read the Article</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><p>Posted on the RASEI website with permission and minor modifications from the piece published by David DeFusco on the <a href="https://aps.unc.edu/home-page-news-item/study-reveals-tiny-chemical-fix-dramatically-extends-the-life-of-next-generation-solar-cells/" data-entity-type="external" rel="nofollow">UNC Chapel Hill Applied Physical Sciences Site here</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><span>A new study published in&nbsp;</span><em><span>Science</span></em><span> led by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill, with collaborators from the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), explains why perovskite solar cells—fast-rising rivals to traditional silicon panels—tend to break down under prolonged heat and sunlight, especially ultraviolet light, and reveals a promising strategy to dramatically slow that damage.</span></p><p><span>The work focuses on a thin “interlayer” that sits between the electrode and the perovskite material inside a solar cell. This layer is only a single molecule thick, but it plays an outsized role in how long the device lasts.</span></p><p><span>“These interlayers are meant to help charges move efficiently out of the perovskite and into the circuit,” said Chengbin Fei, first author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in UNC’s Department of Applied Physical Sciences. “But we found that some of the same chemical features that make them useful can also cause long-term damage if they’re not tightly attached to the electrode.”</span></p><p><span>Many high-performance perovskite solar cells use interlayers based on phosphonic acids. These molecules stick to a transparent electrode made of indium tin oxide, or ITO, and help pull positive charges out of the perovskite. Until now, most researchers assumed these layers were harmless once installed. Fei and his colleagues discovered that this is not always true.</span></p><p><span>The researchers found that some of these tiny helper molecules aren’t firmly stuck to the solar cell’s surface. When the cell gets hot or sits in sunlight that includes ultraviolet rays, those that are loosely attached molecules can break free. Once that happens, they start interfering with the solar material itself. They trigger harmful changes inside the cell: key ingredients fall apart, iodine-related components react in damaging ways and lead turns into a form that no longer works properly. Over time, all of this damage adds up and causes the solar cell to produce less and less electricity.</span></p><p><span>“In simple terms, the acid part of these molecules can act like a slow poison,” said Fei. “At high temperatures and under UV light, it accelerates chemical reactions that the perovskite just can’t tolerate.”</span></p><p><span>To understand what was happening, the researchers used a range of techniques, including spectroscopy and X-ray measurements, to watch how the materials changed over time. They found that stronger acids caused faster damage and that UV light made the reactions much worse. This explained why devices that look stable at first can fail after hundreds or thousands of hours outdoors.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><span>The key advance came when the researchers at UNC and the University of Colorado Boulder created a new version of this thin helper layer containing a combination of two molecules that sticks much more tightly to the electrode surface. Seth Marder, the senior author at the University of Colorado-Boulder and Director of the </span><a href="/rasei/" rel="nofollow"><span>Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)</span></a><span> says “the molecule our team developed was designed to not only interact with the electrode surface but more strongly with its neighboring molecules. Consequently the molecules stay more securely in place, reducing the reactive parts that can break away and damage the solar material that is deposited on top ”. As a result, the layer still helps charges flow out of the cell, but it no longer triggers the damaging reactions that shorten the cell’s lifetime.</span></p><p><span>Simply put, “when the molecule is firmly locked onto the surface, it can’t wander into the perovskite and cause trouble,” said Fei. “That simple change makes a huge difference over time.”</span></p><p><span>Solar cells made with the new interlayer design showed striking improvements and met a key performance milestone. Under harsh test conditions—85 degrees Celsius, continuous bright light that included UV and constant operation—the devices ran for nearly 3,000 hours before losing just 10 percent of their efficiency. That level of durability has not been reported before for this type of perovskite solar cell.</span></p></div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <blockquote class="ucb-article-blockquote"> <div class="ucb-article-blockquote-icon font-gold"> <i class="fa-solid fa-quote-left"></i> </div> <div class="ucb-article-blockquote-text"> <div>The molecule our team developed was designed to not only interact with the electrode surface but more strongly with its neighboring molecules. Consequently the molecules stay more securely in place, reducing the reactive parts that can break away and damage the solar material that is deposited on top. <br> - Seth Marder</div> </div></blockquote> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p><span>The researchers also scaled up their approach to small solar modules, closer to what might be used in real products. These “minimodules,” about the size of a postcard, reached power conversion efficiencies above 22 percent and kept working for more than 2,000 hours under the same stressful conditions, which is considered very high performance for this type of solar technology.</span></p><p><span>Jinsong Huang, senior author of the paper and UNC Louis D. Rubin Distinguished Professor, said the results address one of the most important barriers to commercialization. “Efficiency alone is not enough,” he said. “For perovskite solar technology to succeed outside the lab, it must survive heat, light and time. This work shows a clear chemical pathway to make that happen.”</span></p><p><span>Beyond improving one specific material, the study sends a broader message to the field. Tiny details at buried interfaces—places that are hard to see and easy to overlook—can control the lifetime of an entire solar module. By understanding and managing these details, researchers can design devices that last far longer.</span></p><p><span>“This study reminds us that stability is a chemistry problem as much as an engineering one,” said Wei You, a co-author of the study and UNC Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Applied Physical Sciences. “Once you understand the chemistry, you can start to fix it.”</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>January 2026</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/2026_01_Marder_Science_Hero.png?itok=lL771p1G" width="1500" height="322" alt="Illustration of a phosphonic acid reacting with a perovskite"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:31:00 +0000 Daniel Morton 1469 at /rasei The Filament Factory: How two specialized cells team up to build microscopic rock and drive carbon capture /rasei/2026/01/05/filament-factory-how-two-specialized-cells-team-build-microscopic-rock-and-drive-carbon <span>The Filament Factory: How two specialized cells team up to build microscopic rock and drive carbon capture</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-05T10:26:55-07:00" title="Monday, January 5, 2026 - 10:26">Mon, 01/05/2026 - 10:26</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2025_12_Cyanobacteria_Thumbnail.jpg?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=KBFwixpV" width="1200" height="800" alt="images of cyanobacteria"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/170"> Publication Highlight </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/282" hreflang="en">Bio-Catalysis</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/135" hreflang="en">Cameron</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/269" hreflang="en">Energy Applications</a> </div> <a href="/rasei/our-community">Daniel Morton</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em><span>In the tiny, beaded chain of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047, two different cells, the photosynthetic factory worker and the nitrogen-fixing specialist, play distinct and powerful roles in creating solid minerals.&nbsp;</span></em></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Find out more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09065-w" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Read the Article</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-09065-w#Sec15" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Check out the Videos</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><p><span>A team led by Renewable And Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) Fellow </span><a href="/rasei/jeff-camerons-rasei-engagement" rel="nofollow"><span>Jeff Cameron</span></a><span> and Nature, Environment, Science &amp; Technology (NEST) Studio co-founder </span><a href="/nest/erin-espelie" rel="nofollow"><span>Erin Espelie</span></a><span>, used advanced high-resolution microscopy to capture the key moments; the factory worker leaks materials when stressed, and the specialist accelerates crystal growth through contact, proving that single-cell behaviors are a vital trigger for biomineralization. Understanding the cellular processes could inform large-scale applications, from oceanic buffering and soil improvement to mineral formation, and living building materials that sequester carbon.</span></p><p>A central enabling technology to lower pollution and reduce carbon emissions is developing clever ways to capture, and handle carbon dioxide. One avenue of investigation is to use processes already developed by Nature. There is significant research focused on using one of the Earth’s oldest and powerful processes: <strong>Microbiologically Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation, or MICP for short</strong>. Bacteria and algae through their normal life functions naturally create rock, specifically calcium carbonate, the main component of limestone. This process is a critical process in oceanic buffering and holds immense potential promise for green technologies. If we can understand, and harness this process, we could use such bacteria for a broad range of applications. We could create “living” cements for self-healing concrete, stabilize fragile soils, even enhance industrial carbon dioxide sequestration. However, to control this process we first need to understand the specific cellular blueprints that guide these microbial construction projects. Until now, those blueprints have been frustratingly fuzzy.</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>To better understand the puzzle of biomineralization the team explored the cellular structure of the cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047 (hereafter <em>Anabaena</em>). Think of this organism as a tiny <strong>“Filament Factory”</strong>, one that grows as a string of cells, essentially a beaded green chain (they show up as red in the images because of the microscopy technique), where labor is divided in specific jobs. The links in the chain are not identical, it contains two specialized cell types that perform distinct, but equally important tasks.</p><p>First, let’s consider the <strong>Vegetative Cells</strong>, which are like tireless <strong>“Photosynthetic Factory Workers”</strong>. These are the green, abundant cells with the primary job of harvesting solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into sugars (Photosynthesis). This process has long been proposed as the main cause for triggering rock formation through MICP, as it raises the local pH, making the environment more alkaline, which encourages calcium carbonate to precipitate.</p><p>The other kind of cells, which can be found scattered along the filament, are called <strong>Heterocysts</strong>. These are like <strong>“Nitrogen-Fixing Specialists”</strong>. These cells are slightly larger, more solidly built, and specialize in converting atmospheric nitrogen gas into a usable form for the entire filament. This requires an extremely lo-oxygen environment, distinguishing the heterocysts and giving them a significant influence over the cells surrounding chemical environment.</p><p>To understand the process in a stepwise fashion the team were able to treat the bacterial system with a specific nutrient cocktail that essentially “turned off” the generalized photosynthesis-driven precipitation and instead focus solely on the effects of these two specialized cells. By developing approaches to shutdown specific parts of the process the team could use advanced microscopy techniques to better pin-point the single-cell behaviors responsible for triggering the formation and growth of microscopic rock.</p><p>Unlocking this level of detail in the cellular workings of a cyanobacteria requires specialized tools. The researchers used a suites of powerful high-resolution techniques to interrogate the bacteria, including <strong>Quantitative Fluorescence Microscopy</strong> and <strong>Raman Microscopy</strong>, that enabled them to watch the action unfold. The ability to directly observe the single-cell processes was critical to determining how the “Filament Factory” uses two distinct mechanisms for biomineralization.</p><p>The first observation centers around the <strong>Vegetative Cells</strong>, or the “Photosynthetic Factory Workers”. While the cells are usually busy using solar energy to capture carbon dioxide the high-resolution microscopy captured what happens when these cells are under mechanical stress, such as when they are bent by other cells, or squashed against an existing mineral structure. The team were able to watch in real-time as this physical pressure caused the cells membrane to rupture. This breach of the membrane releases, or leaks, a key chemical, the sequestered inorganic carbon (bicarbonate) that the cell was holding inside. This rapid, localized surge of carbon creates excellent conditions for the formation of a new crystal at the leakage site. This reframes the start of the process. It is not just a passive gradual change in the environment that causes crystal growth, instead it can be caused by an active, stress-induced cell failure that is a trigger for calcite crystal nucleation.</p><p>The second observation concerns the actions of the <strong>Heterocyst Cells</strong>, or the “Nitrogen-Fixing Specialists”. Using the powerful techniques that enabled the researchers to peer into the inner workings of the cells the team were able to confirm that when a heterocyst cell came into direct contact with an existing calcite crystal “seed”, the crystal experienced rapid and dramatic growth. Crucially, this accelerated growth did not happen when a vegetative cell touched the crystal.</p><p>The team proposes that this dramatic crystal growth is connected to the function of Heterocyst Cell. Nitrogen fixation is a chemical transformation that consumes protons (H<sup>+</sup>). By pulling these protons out of the surrounding water, the heterocyst locally, and rapidly, increases the pH (alkalinity) of the microenvironment, which is amplified at the point of contact. This sudden shift in pH provides ideal conditions to effectively “glue” dissolved ions onto the existing crystal, resulting in rapid growth.</p><p>These findings describe how these two specialized cells have complementary roles. One is the nucleation trigger when stressed, and the other is the growth accelerator when in contact.</p><p>This detailed observation and analysis of the processes happening at the single-cell level shifts our understanding around the processes involved in biomineralization. Instead of thinking of microbial rock formation as a slow and uniform chemical reaction driven by large-scale phenomena like photosynthesis, this work illustrates mechanisms that are controlled and function-specific processes that are dictated by the precise cellular roles and localized behavior of individual cells.</p><p>The understanding building from these findings has the potential to inform a wide-range of applications. By isolating the “stress leak” trigger in vegetative cells and the growth accelerator from the heterocysts, researchers could design systems that intentionally apply mechanical stress, triggering crystal formation and accelerating the growth of carbon dioxide sequestering materials. This could have application in oceanic buffering and technologies for bio-concrete and soil rectification.</p><p><span>The development and application of advanced microscopic techniques has provided the bio-engineering world a new set of variable that they can use in bacterial engineering. By moving from a vague knowledge of “microbes make rock”, to a precise understanding of how the “Filament Factory” uses specialized cells to build, and grow, calcite crystals, the field is a step closer to harnessing this powerful natural approach for using carbon dioxide in a cleaner, more efficient way.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>January 2026</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-01/2025_12_Cyanobacteria_Hero.jpg?itok=SjmuOVSp" width="1500" height="322" alt="images of cyanobacteria"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 17:26:55 +0000 Daniel Morton 1470 at /rasei RASEI Fellow Kyri Baker Interviewed on PBS /rasei/2025/12/16/rasei-fellow-kyri-baker-interviewed-pbs <span>RASEI Fellow Kyri Baker Interviewed on PBS</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-16T10:38:22-07:00" title="Tuesday, December 16, 2025 - 10:38">Tue, 12/16/2025 - 10:38</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2025_12_16_PBS_Baker.jpg?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=38Gwp6pd" width="1200" height="800" alt="Roadside sign in a blizzard"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/259"> Media Engagement </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/123" hreflang="en">Baker</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/371" hreflang="en">Climate Impacts</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/270" hreflang="en">Energy Impacts</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/268" hreflang="en">Energy Systems</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/277" hreflang="en">Grid Innovation</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/science-environment/xcel-energy-wind-power-shutoff`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:38:22 +0000 Daniel Morton 1517 at /rasei Right Here, Right Now 2025 Roundup /rasei/2025/12/11/right-here-right-now-2025-roundup <span>Right Here, Right Now 2025 Roundup</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-11T11:34:35-07:00" title="Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 11:34">Thu, 12/11/2025 - 11:34</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-12/2025_12_RHRNRoundup_Thumbnail.jpg?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=N4A2p_Xb" width="1200" height="800" alt="Image collage of 2025 RHRN events"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/361"> RHRN </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/270" hreflang="en">Energy Impacts</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/50" hreflang="en">Marder</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/278" hreflang="en">Social, Institutional and Behavioral Analysis</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>The second Right Here, Right Now Climate Summit was held in 2025. While the main event was hosted at Oxford University, in the UK, the plenary event was a 24 hour global event that explored climate change and human rights, that brought together leading voices in climate justice.</p><p>The hosts recorded events across the entires summit and have now made a broad range of materials available on-demand. Check out some of the resources below to learn more about the important discussions and ideas brought to the fore by this summit.&nbsp;</p><hr><h2>2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Plenary Session</h2><p>Catch up on the 24-hour global plenary exploring climate change and human rights, bringing together leading voices in climate justice from across the globe.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBaWLgmkNI" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Watch it now</span></a></p><hr><h2>Browse the sessions from the Global Plenary Session</h2><p>Find sessions on law, health, Indigenous perspectives, just transition, youth, climate finance, journalism, and much more. You can explore a detailed list of the sessions in the summit program.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/right-here-right-now#group-section-Global-plenary-programme-YPQom8FetB " rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Browse the recordings here</span></a></p><hr><h2>Download the Educational Materials Pack</h2><p>A Pack of educational materials on climate change, human rights, and climate justice is available for download at the summit website. For use by teachers, parents, and carers, and anyone interested in learning more about climate justice, especially secondary school educators.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-large" href="https://climate.web.ox.ac.uk/sitefiles/rhrn25-educationalresourcespack.pdf" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Download the packet here</span></a>&nbsp;</p><hr><h2>Catch up on the local Oxford Program</h2><p>View a selection of recordings and write-ups of local events from Oxford’s Right Here, Right Now local program of events, including a lecture from Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/right-here-right-now#group-section-Oxford-local-programme-on-demand-ldpeDAaev4 " rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Check out the local program here</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-12/2025_12_RHRNRoundup_Hero.jpg?itok=IEgtiNKP" width="1500" height="322" alt="RHRN banner"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:34:35 +0000 Daniel Morton 1467 at /rasei New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view /rasei/2025/12/11/new-window-insulation-blocks-heat-not-your-view <span>New window insulation blocks heat, but not your view</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-11T09:24:44-07:00" title="Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 09:24">Thu, 12/11/2025 - 09:24</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-12/2025_12_Smalyukh_Window.png?h=6377f7ce&amp;itok=oN24-sYg" width="1200" height="800" alt="Picture of someones face through the window material described in the highlight"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/170"> Publication Highlight </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/285" hreflang="en">Buildings</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/269" hreflang="en">Energy Applications</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/79" hreflang="en">Smalyukh</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead">Physicists at Ҵýƽ, led by RASEI Fellow Ivan Smalyukh, have designed a new material for insulating windows that could improve the energy efficiency of buildings worldwide—and it works a bit like a high-tech version of Bubble Wrap.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Find out more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="/today/2025/12/11/new-window-insulation-blocks-heat-not-your-view" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Ҵýƽ Today Feature</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.popsci.com/technology/bubble-wrap-insulate-windows/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Popular Science Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251213032611.htm" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Science Daily Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://gizmodo.com/high-tech-bubble-wrap-lets-you-literally-hold-fire-in-your-palm-2000699692" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Gizmodo Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.earth.com/news/bubble-wrap-window-coating-could-save-huge-amounts-of-energy-worldwide/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Earth.com Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/new-transparent-window-material-could-cut-building-energy-loss-by-50/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">The Brighter Side Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://colombiaone.com/2025/12/15/transparent-window-material-cuts-energy-loss/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Columbia One Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://cleantechnica.com/2026/01/07/mochi-blocks-90-of-heat-transfer-in-windows/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">CleanTechnica Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-found-a-way-to-block-heat-without-blocking-views/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">SciTechDaily Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://physicsworld.com/a/transparent-and-insulating-aerogel-could-boost-energy-efficiency-of-windows/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Physics World Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/insulating-window-material-prevents-heat-loss-while-allowing-more-light-through-than-glass/4022695.article" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Chemistry World Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2025/12/chasing-the-dream-of-transparent-insulation-researchers-hit-on-a-solution-high-tech-bubble-wrap/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Anthropocene Highlight</span></a></p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-large ucb-link-button-full" href="https://en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br/cientistas-criam-tecnologia-que-barra-o-calor-mas-deixa-a-janela-transparente-flpc96/" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Click Oil &amp; Gas Highlight</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div></div></div></div></div><p>The team’s material, called Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator, or MOCHI, comes in large slabs or thin sheets that can be applied to the inside of any window. So far, the team only makes the material in the lab, and it’s not available for consumers. But the researchers say MOCHI is long-lasting and is almost completely transparent.</p><p>Ҵýƽ Today have put together a feature article that has been picked up by a number of other news outlets. Check out the feature and the follow ups with the links to the right.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-12/2025_12_Smalyukh_Window_banner_Hero.png?itok=bn1pNQG1" width="1500" height="322" alt="Picture of researcher looking through the new material"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:24:44 +0000 Daniel Morton 1468 at /rasei From Cyborb Jellyfish to Weed Labels: 10 Ҵýƽ research stories you may have missed in 2025 /rasei/2025/12/10/cyborb-jellyfish-weed-labels-10-cu-boulder-research-stories-you-may-have-missed-2025 <span>From Cyborb Jellyfish to Weed Labels: 10 Ҵýƽ research stories you may have missed in 2025</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-10T10:59:04-07:00" title="Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 10:59">Wed, 12/10/2025 - 10:59</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-04/2025_04_AI_Highlight.jpg?h=3ca28e4e&amp;itok=y-JOd1JF" width="1200" height="800" alt="Kyri Baker and Bri Mathias Hodge standing in front of solar panels"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/123" hreflang="en">Baker</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/277" hreflang="en">Grid Innovation</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/118" hreflang="en">Hodge</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <script> window.location.href = `/today/2025/12/10/cyborg-jellyfish-weed-labels-10-research-stories-you-may-have-missed-2025`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:59:04 +0000 Daniel Morton 1471 at /rasei The Grid’s New Shock Absorber: ‘Droop-e’ Control tames frequency swings and keeps renewable energy flowing smoothly /rasei/2025/12/09/grids-new-shock-absorber-droop-e-control-tames-frequency-swings-and-keeps-renewable <span>The Grid’s New Shock Absorber: ‘Droop-e’ Control tames frequency swings and keeps renewable energy flowing smoothly</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-09T09:00:00-07:00" title="Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 09:00">Tue, 12/09/2025 - 09:00</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-12/Thumbnail.jpg?h=4362216e&amp;itok=fWELIWZI" width="1200" height="800" alt="Illustration of a power grid"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/170"> Publication Highlight </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/280" hreflang="en">Computational Modeling</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/268" hreflang="en">Energy Systems</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/277" hreflang="en">Grid Innovation</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/118" hreflang="en">Hodge</a> </div> <a href="/rasei/our-community">Daniel Morton</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-none ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Find out more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-blue ucb-link-button-full ucb-link-button-large" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2025.111160" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Check out the article</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><p class="lead"><em>Electricity is crucial to modern life. We rely on being able to plug devices in to the outlet in the wall, flipping a switch, and things working without a problem. But it is not that simple, the power grid, all of the infrastructure that delivers energy from the power plant to your home, is something of a balancing act.</em>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p>In order for a grid to operate safely, supply must equal demand. The flow of electricity through the grid in the United States flows at a frequency of 60 Hz, if the supply increases more than the demand, the frequency will increase, while if the demand increases, or the supply dips, the frequency decreases. The vast array of hardware that makes up the grid and in electrical devices, such as transformers, motors, or electronics, have been designed to operate at a specific frequency. If the grid is unbalanced, and the frequency changes too much, equipment can be damaged, efficiency is reduced, and it can lead to overheating, system failures, and blackouts. Keeping the grid online, and safe, is a balancing act that requires sophisticated controls systems to make sure that supply always equals demand.</p><p>Think of the electric grid like a high-speed train system. In order for the train system to operate effectively all the trains need to maintain consistent speeds and keep to schedule, so passengers are not left waiting on the platform, or miss their trains because they left too early. Traditional power plants are like massive freight trains, that are super heavy and take a long time to speed up or slow down. These massive freight trains provide a kind of inertia to the whole system. They are hard to disrupt, which results in a consistent speed. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, are more like fast, light commuter trains, that can change speed essentially instantly. They lack the inertia of the massive freight trains, but they can change fast. If it were up to just human conductors and train line controllers to regulate how the trains are running, having the freight trains and the commuter trains on the same lines would be near impossible, the difference in speed and inertia would make it really hard to reconcile. This is where advanced computer-driven control systems come into play. In the train analogy the smart predictive system would predictively control the brake and throttle of the commuter trains to ensure a simple constant speed. How would the grid be impacted if we developed a smart control system?</p><p>This new report details work led by <a href="/rasei/bri-mathias-hodges-rasei-engagement" data-entity-type="external" rel="nofollow">RASEI Fellow Bri-Mathias Hodge</a>, and discloses a new approach for smart control in the grid. The grid is already full of control systems, with the standard way power generators respond to frequency events being via linear droop control. This would be like a simplistic cruise control for one of the Commuter Trains in the above analogy. If the frequency drops a little, the system increases the power proportionately. The problem with this approach is that it often doesn’t use the inverters full capacity fast enough. The innovation described in this work is an update called Droop-e, a non-linear control based on an exponential function. Think of it like replacing the trains cruise control, which previously had a simple on/off switch, with a smart responsive gas pedal, that can speed up, or slow down, on a curve.</p><p>This change, from an on/off control to a responsive curve, has the potential to have significant impacts on the grid. By using the available power reserves more effectively, Droop-e reduces the number of severe power swings in the system, and results in a slower rate of change of frequency (ROCOF), which can buy grid operators valuable time to react to changes in frequency.</p><p>The benefits from the ‘shock-absorber’ properties that Droop-e offers could help prevent blackouts before they start, help stabilize the grid and improve integration of renewable energy sources, and create a smarter, more responsive grid, future-proofing systems by replacing the software, and not the hardware, a significant cost saving.</p><p><span>The simulations from this study confirm that this new control approach could improve the stability of grids that include a combination of traditional power plants and renewable energy generators. If a major power plant trips offline, this sophisticated control system activates un-tapped power reserves in batteries and renewables, acting as a hyper responsive shock absorber to protect the entire grid system. For grid operators, it means more time to react. For everyone with devices plugged into a power outlet, it means improved stability, and less equipment damage. It also provides a more effective mechanism to integrate different power sources, improving reliability, security, and affordability.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-12/Banner.jpg?itok=svDs1uwK" width="1500" height="322" alt="Illustration of a power grid"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Daniel Morton 1463 at /rasei RASEI Fellow Merritt Turetsky takes the TEDx Boulder Stage to discuss how Bogs are the real superheroes /rasei/2025/12/05/rasei-fellow-merritt-turetsky-takes-tedx-boulder-stage-discuss-how-bogs-are-real <span>RASEI Fellow Merritt Turetsky takes the TEDx Boulder Stage to discuss how Bogs are the real superheroes</span> <span><span>Daniel Morton</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-05T15:32:31-07:00" title="Friday, December 5, 2025 - 15:32">Fri, 12/05/2025 - 15:32</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/rasei/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-01/2025_11_24_TedXTuretsky_Thumbnail.png?h=c4e54fe5&amp;itok=ELLK6Jah" width="1200" height="800" alt="Merritt on the TEDx Stage"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/259"> Media Engagement </a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/177"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/288" hreflang="en">Carbon Capture</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/371" hreflang="en">Climate Impacts</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/270" hreflang="en">Energy Impacts</a> <a href="/rasei/taxonomy/term/255" hreflang="en">Turetsky</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>December 2025</div> <script> window.location.href = `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWt9IU9Au5E`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:32:31 +0000 Daniel Morton 1473 at /rasei