ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor offers flexible testing, advanced instrumentation and on-site facilities to accelerate nuclear fuel development. Its capabilities provide critical data needed to qualify new fuels and support advanced reactor deployment.
ORNL researchers have developed a hybrid manufacturing method that combines 3D printing and electroforming to create leak-free HIP cans for advanced nuclear reactor components. The approach could simplify production of complex metal parts, reduce costs and reliance on overseas manufacturing, and strengthen U.S. supply chains for nuclear energy and defense applications.
ORNL and Idaho National Laboratory are collaborating to advance wire arc 3D printing of large pressure vessels and strengthen the domestic nuclear manufacturing supply chain. The labs will combine advanced manufacturing, AI and data science to accelerate the production and qualification of critical nuclear components.
M. Parans Paranthaman was named R&D World’s 2026 Researcher of the Year for turning materials science discoveries into impactful technologies.
The Department of Energy has committed funding to establish UNITY-3, a fusion breeding blanket test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in partnership with Kyoto Fusioneering. The facility will test breeding blanket technologies under fusion-like conditions and support research on tritium fuel production, high-energy neutron science and AI-accelerated digital twins.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers developed a high-throughput microbial QTL mapping platform that combines synthetic biology, AI, automation and gene editing to identify the genetic basis of complex bacterial traits up to 10 times faster than previous methods. The platform enables more precise engineering of microbes for applications including specialty chemicals manufacturing, bioenergy and critical minerals recovery, and is available for licensing.
ORNL has licensed a suite of cryogenic pellet fueling technologies to Type One Energy, advancing a critical capability for high-performance fusion plasma operations. The agreement, signed at the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) in Knoxville, Tennessee, outlines the use of four ORNL inventions supporting the design and operation of cryogenic pellet fueling systems.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Laboratory of the Rockies have launched the ACCENT Center, a national hub to accelerate the development of advanced cement and concrete materials and strengthen the U.S. supply chain. The center combines testing, AI-driven modeling, data resources, and pilot-scale production to speed innovation and support infrastructure, housing, and industrial competitiveness.
ORNL and Rutherford Energy Ventures have launched FULCRA, a public-private partnership to develop shared fusion testbed infrastructure and a new model for advancing fusion technologies. The initiative will create a blueprint for shared-use facilities that help validate critical fusion components and accelerate fusion energy commercialization.
Internationally recognized radiopharmaceutical scientist Carolyn Anderson has been named the UT-ORNL Governor's Chair for Nuclear Medicine: Radiopharmaceutical Therapies, joining the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to advance targeted cancer therapies. Her appointment strengthens Tennessee's growing leadership in nuclear medicine through collaborative research, isotope science, and the development of next-generation cancer treatments.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists will lead nine and contribute to an additional 30 projects of the Genesis Mission, which aims to transform science in the U.S.
ORNL uses advanced modeling, simulation and high-performance computing to help utilities, reactor developers and regulators evaluate reactor performance, safety and licensing before construction begins. These capabilities support power uprates for today's nuclear fleet and help advance next-generation reactor designs toward deployment.