Research Group of J. Cabana
@cabanachemistry.bsky.social
We conduct research in inorganic solid-state chemistry at University of Illinois Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. Currently geeking about electrochemistry. Group posts, curated by Jordi.
Pinned
You're looking at the future of #electrochemistry, the class of #NGenE2025. We conclude an intense week of discussions, networking and gelling of ideas. This group is ready to reach and conquer the frontiers. We can't wait to see what they do next! Huge thanks to ANL and UIC for the support.
Of course, this begs the question:
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Of course, this begs the question:
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
What is stopping NSF from implementing Tech Lab metrics to all standard grants? 🧪
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Important research productivity metrics:
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
- Funding/person
- Compliance effort
- Duration
- Length of proposal
Tech Labs vs standard NSF:
- $10-50M/10-50 vs $100-200k/1-2
- Other transaction vs full rules
- 5+ years vs. 3 years max
- 5-8 vs 15 pp
BIG DIFFERENCE!🧪
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
A step change in US federal research funding.🧪
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
NSF announces new initiative to launch and scale a new generation of transformative independent research organizations to advance breakthrough science
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) on Friday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to launch and scale a new generation…
www.nsf.gov
December 13, 2025 at 4:19 AM
A step change in US federal research funding.🧪
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Compared to “classic” large NSF programs (max./year):
STC: ~$6.0M.
ERC: ~$6.0M.
CCI: ~$4.0M.
MRSEC: ~$4.5M
These will be 2x-10x larger!
www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
December 9, 2025 at 10:51 AM
“By empowering researchers across all disciplines and institutions to accelerate science and engineering, AI could increase the productivity and impact of research, boost innovation, fuel economic growth, and improve people’s lives.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Accelerating science with AI
By successfully integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into research workflows, researchers could substantially increase scientific productivity. This week’s announcement from the White House of the...
www.science.org
November 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
“By empowering researchers across all disciplines and institutions to accelerate science and engineering, AI could increase the productivity and impact of research, boost innovation, fuel economic growth, and improve people’s lives.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Curious about Cu as the pixie dust of layered cathodes for Na-ion batteries? With collaborators at ANL, we have an answer on its changes upon Na removal. Check it out! #battchat
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Relationship between Sodium Content and Copper Activity for High Voltage Stability in O3-Type Layered Oxide Cathodes
Layered oxides with an O3 framework have attracted attention as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to their high discharge capacity. Yet they are hampered for commercialization by poor cyc...
pubs.acs.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Curious about Cu as the pixie dust of layered cathodes for Na-ion batteries? With collaborators at ANL, we have an answer on its changes upon Na removal. Check it out! #battchat
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Look at those images if you teach chemistry. #chemchat
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
November 23, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Look at those images if you teach chemistry. #chemchat
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
There are a couple of other mistakes, but big picture, it writes exams almost like a human (yeah, handwriting is too neat for an average student)
🧪
“LLMs are good at providing explanations. The problem is that pedagogically, explanations are over-rated.”
substack.nomoremarking.com/p/llm-tutors...
substack.nomoremarking.com/p/llm-tutors...
Can LLMs be personal tutors?
Four big challenges
substack.nomoremarking.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:50 PM
“LLMs are good at providing explanations. The problem is that pedagogically, explanations are over-rated.”
substack.nomoremarking.com/p/llm-tutors...
substack.nomoremarking.com/p/llm-tutors...
“The result is striking: people who are most opposed to the consensus score lower on objective knowledge but express higher subjective confidence.” 🧪
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
Confidently Wrong - Marginal REVOLUTION
If you’re going to challenge a scientific consensus, you better know the material. Most of us, most of the time, don’t—so deferring to expert consensus is usually the rational strategy. Pushing agains...
marginalrevolution.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:39 PM
“The result is striking: people who are most opposed to the consensus score lower on objective knowledge but express higher subjective confidence.” 🧪
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
Enough said! 🧪
November 20, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Enough said! 🧪
“What has become clear is that LLMs designed for education must work against their default training. They must be deliberately constrained to not answer questions they could easily answer, to not solve problems they could readily solve”
carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-algori...
carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-algori...
The Algorithmic Turn: The Emerging Evidence On AI Tutoring
Are We Approaching A Turing Test for Teaching?
carlhendrick.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“What has become clear is that LLMs designed for education must work against their default training. They must be deliberately constrained to not answer questions they could easily answer, to not solve problems they could readily solve”
carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-algori...
carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-algori...
A new type of research institution! 🧪
As usual, it will boil down to how much money for how many people for how long.
Meanwhile Arena Bioworks shuttered after just 2 years… and $500M!
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/billio…
So we shall see!www.corememory.com/p/exclusive-...re
As usual, it will boil down to how much money for how many people for how long.
Meanwhile Arena Bioworks shuttered after just 2 years… and $500M!
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/billio…
So we shall see!www.corememory.com/p/exclusive-...re
Exclusive: Altman And Masa Back a 27-Year-Old's Plan to Build a New Bell Labs Ultra
Episteme and Louis Andre would like to fix science
www.corememory.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:43 PM
A new type of research institution! 🧪
As usual, it will boil down to how much money for how many people for how long.
Meanwhile Arena Bioworks shuttered after just 2 years… and $500M!
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/billio…
So we shall see!www.corememory.com/p/exclusive-...re
As usual, it will boil down to how much money for how many people for how long.
Meanwhile Arena Bioworks shuttered after just 2 years… and $500M!
fiercebiotech.com/biotech/billio…
So we shall see!www.corememory.com/p/exclusive-...re
“If it becomes possible to drastically compress months of PhD student labour, universities will need to decide whether to shorten doctoral programmes or expand their scope to tackle more ambitious, potentially interdisciplinary problems.” 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
PhD training needs a reboot in an AI world
As machines get better at data analysis and writing tasks, doctoral training must evolve to make the most of artificial-intelligence outputs.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:21 PM
“If it becomes possible to drastically compress months of PhD student labour, universities will need to decide whether to shorten doctoral programmes or expand their scope to tackle more ambitious, potentially interdisciplinary problems.” 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
This should be a moment of pride for everyone involved 🧪
November 5, 2025 at 12:33 AM
This should be a moment of pride for everyone involved 🧪
“Domestic large-scale battery systems’ capacity, which amounted to less than 4 GWh in 2024, is now at over 10 GWh, and is expected to increase to over 60 GWh in 2029.”
#battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-ene...
#battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-ene...
How energy storage is defying the clean energy slowdown
Report: The U.S. is expected to add 204 GW of battery storage by 2035 — despite the overall post-OBBB slowdown in clean energy.
www.latitudemedia.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:24 PM
“Domestic large-scale battery systems’ capacity, which amounted to less than 4 GWh in 2024, is now at over 10 GWh, and is expected to increase to over 60 GWh in 2029.”
#battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-ene...
#battchat
www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-ene...
“CAISO has overseen a massive build-out of new energy and storage resources, including more than 26,000 megawatts of new capacity overall, which has also helped make the grid more stable, Mainzer said. The state hasn’t seen rolling blackouts since 2020.”
#battchat
www.latimes.com/environment/...
#battchat
www.latimes.com/environment/...
California invests big in battery energy storage — and leaves rolling blackouts behind
Batteries that pair with clean solar and wind energy or just bolster electrical grids in general have completely taken off and are making a big difference on the California grid.
www.latimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
“CAISO has overseen a massive build-out of new energy and storage resources, including more than 26,000 megawatts of new capacity overall, which has also helped make the grid more stable, Mainzer said. The state hasn’t seen rolling blackouts since 2020.”
#battchat
www.latimes.com/environment/...
#battchat
www.latimes.com/environment/...
“Regardless of the choice of the convergence criterion, the results indicate that a representative volume of the composite electrode contains 100 to 1,000 NMC particles.”
Important insight! #battchat
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Important insight! #battchat
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
doi.org
October 24, 2025 at 1:25 PM
“Regardless of the choice of the convergence criterion, the results indicate that a representative volume of the composite electrode contains 100 to 1,000 NMC particles.”
Important insight! #battchat
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Important insight! #battchat
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
There are nearly 23 gigawatts of thermal plants offline for maintenance as Texas continues to have way above average heat.
To pick up the slack, batteries are deploying for longer periods; they discharged over 3,000 megawatts for 2+ hours Tuesday evening. 1/2
To pick up the slack, batteries are deploying for longer periods; they discharged over 3,000 megawatts for 2+ hours Tuesday evening. 1/2
October 23, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Probably not the most quoted portion of this podcast, but good point about the future of higher education in the era of AI, and the inevitable hype 🧪
www.dwarkesh.com/p/andrej-kar...
www.dwarkesh.com/p/andrej-kar...
October 23, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Probably not the most quoted portion of this podcast, but good point about the future of higher education in the era of AI, and the inevitable hype 🧪
www.dwarkesh.com/p/andrej-kar...
www.dwarkesh.com/p/andrej-kar...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
1. To opinions! Solar is the cheapest source of bulk electricity in many countries, and the quickest to deploy, and now you couldn't stop it being built if you wanted to. The limits to PV build in most places are grid access, permitting, and sometimes installation labour.
October 20, 2025 at 7:44 AM
1. To opinions! Solar is the cheapest source of bulk electricity in many countries, and the quickest to deploy, and now you couldn't stop it being built if you wanted to. The limits to PV build in most places are grid access, permitting, and sometimes installation labour.
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
(1/x) Excited to report VIPS (Volumetric imaging of biological specimens via photochemical sectioning) @science.org! VIPS uses light-based sample sectioning to eliminate the inherent imaging depth limit of high-resolution optical microscopes @supgokul.bsky.social: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Mesoscale volumetric fluorescence imaging at nanoscale resolution by photochemical sectioning
Optical nanoscopy of intact biological specimens has been transformed by recent advancements in hydrogel-based tissue clearing and expansion, enabling the imaging of cellular and subcellular structure...
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 11:06 AM
(1/x) Excited to report VIPS (Volumetric imaging of biological specimens via photochemical sectioning) @science.org! VIPS uses light-based sample sectioning to eliminate the inherent imaging depth limit of high-resolution optical microscopes @supgokul.bsky.social: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Research Group of J. Cabana
The Gao lab at #UIC reports a breakthrough in volumetric fluorescence imaging, featured on the cover of Science Magazine!
Their new technique, VIPS (Volumetric Imaging via Photochemical Sectioning), enables reconstruction of 3D images of whole tissues with unprecedented detail.
Their new technique, VIPS (Volumetric Imaging via Photochemical Sectioning), enables reconstruction of 3D images of whole tissues with unprecedented detail.
October 16, 2025 at 10:27 PM
The Gao lab at #UIC reports a breakthrough in volumetric fluorescence imaging, featured on the cover of Science Magazine!
Their new technique, VIPS (Volumetric Imaging via Photochemical Sectioning), enables reconstruction of 3D images of whole tissues with unprecedented detail.
Their new technique, VIPS (Volumetric Imaging via Photochemical Sectioning), enables reconstruction of 3D images of whole tissues with unprecedented detail.
“I can tell you exactly why science struggles to reproduce its own findings: we built incentives that reward novelty and punish verification.” 🧪
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Replication Crisis Is a Market Failure (And We Designed It That Way)
The replication crisis isn’t a mystery.
substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:04 AM
“I can tell you exactly why science struggles to reproduce its own findings: we built incentives that reward novelty and punish verification.” 🧪
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
There are two new battery energy storage records in Texas: largest instantaneous amount of storage (8.63 gigawatts) and largest percent of load met by storage (13.2%).
Battery energy storage is up 100% year-over-year. 1/2
Battery energy storage is up 100% year-over-year. 1/2
October 11, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Michel was integral to the energy storage department at BerkeleyLab when our group started there. He was a thoughtful and caring leader, and a strong advocate of early career scientists. He will be missed. Rest in peace
It's with profound sadness to announce the passing of Michel Fouré--a great mentor and friend. Here's a photo of us in 2015, when we were exploring lab-to-market transitions for our microporous polymer membranes, leading to the creation of
Sepion Technologies
Sepion Technologies
October 8, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Michel was integral to the energy storage department at BerkeleyLab when our group started there. He was a thoughtful and caring leader, and a strong advocate of early career scientists. He will be missed. Rest in peace