Showing 9 results for Researcher: Tomas A. Rush
August 10, 2026
5 MIN READ
Researchers at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have made a scientific advance by using a natural substance from fungi, called chitin, to create hydrogels that are both significantly stronger and tougher. This new material could lead to safer medical devices, longer-lasting coatings and other innovations that improve everyday technology and health care.
March 23, 2026
4 MIN READ
A new biosensor developed at ORNL detects the emerging presence of fungus on plants at the molecular level, paving the way for next-generation crop protection and the development of stress-tolerant plants.
March 16, 2026
4 MIN READ
Scientists at ORNL were part of a multi-institutional team that explored how modern scientific approaches such as genomics and biochemical profiling can be combined to understand and improve disease resistance in the iconic American chestnut tree.
September 15, 2025
4 MIN READ
By combining AI with molecular dynamics simulations, researchers at ORNL have developed a new tool to more accurately predict how plants and helpful microbes communicate and form partnerships at the most fundamental level. The new AI-powered workflow helps scientists identify which plant genes control the best microbial partnerships.
April 29, 2025
5 MIN READ
ORNL scientists are using synthetic communities to simplify underground ecosystems to better understand the interactions between plants and microbes, informing the development of better bioenergy crops for domestic energy production.
January 17, 2024
7 MIN READ
New computational framework speeds discovery of fungal metabolites, key to plant health and used in drug therapies and for other uses.
August 22, 2023
7 MIN READ
Nearly 100 interns were introduced to Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s biological and environmental research over the summer of 2023 as mentors and students were eager to share knowledge and skills to address the nation’s energy and environmental challenges.
July 9, 2021
6 MIN READ
Scientists at ORNL and the University of Wisconsin–Madison have discovered that genetically distinct populations within the same species of fungi can produce unique mixes of secondary metabolites, which are organic compounds with applications in
December 1, 2020
1 MIN READ
Oak Ridge National Laboratory and collaborators have discovered that signaling molecules known to trigger symbiosis between plants and soil bacteria are also used by almost all fungi as chemical signals to communicate with each other.