Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Stability

Nuclear Stability

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together in the...

Nuclear Fission

Nuclear Fission

Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different...

Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power

Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...

Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming

Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is the process of switching gene expression of one cell type to that of another cell type, usually from a differentiated cell state to an undifferentiated cell state. Differentiation occurs during processes such as development and morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and malignancy. Cells can also be artificially induced to reprogram their gene expression by techniques such as nuclear transfer, induced pluripotency, and cell fusion. Such techniques have many applications in...

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

ELECTRONIC OPTICS: Organic Lasers Promise New Lease on Light.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Same author

MATERIALS SCIENCE: New Tigers in the Fuel Cell Tank.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Same author

BODY CHEMISTRY: Forensic Science on a Shoestring.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Same author

CHEMISTRY NOBEL: Getting a Charge Out of Plastics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Same author

NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY: Element 107 Leaves the Table Unturned.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Same author

CHEMICAL PHYSICS: Magnetic Wires Promise Giant Step for Memory.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2007

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography

Published on: February 21, 2017

NUCLEAR SCIENCE: DOE Drops Plan to Restart Reactor.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|September 6, 2007

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will not restart the controversial Fast Flux Test Facility at Hanford. This decision is welcomed by biomedical researchers who feared it would divert essential funding from other research programs.

More Related Videos

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Published on: December 14, 2017

Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays

Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays

Published on: February 12, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography

Published on: February 21, 2017

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Published on: December 14, 2017

Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays

Optimization of Radiochemical Reactions using Droplet Arrays

Published on: February 12, 2021

Area of Science:

Nuclear Engineering
Biomedical Research Funding
Environmental Policy

Background:

The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is a controversial nuclear reactor.
Concerns existed regarding the potential diversion of scarce resources from other U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research programs if the FFTF were restarted.

Purpose of the Study:

To report on the DOE's decision regarding the restart of the FFTF.
To document the reaction of the biomedical research community to this decision.

Main Methods:

The study is based on the announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Information regarding the concerns of biomedical researchers was gathered.

Main Results:

The U.S. Department of Energy has officially abandoned plans to restart the FFTF.
Biomedical researchers have expressed approval of this decision.

Conclusions:

The cessation of the FFTF restart is seen as a positive development for the broader DOE research portfolio.
This decision ensures that resources are not reallocated from critical biomedical research initiatives to the FFTF.