Despite efforts to diversify the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, new research from the University of Georgia suggests that women remain underrepresented in STEM fields in federal jobs.

Sweetgum trees thrive under diverse conditions, grow as fast as pine trees and provide the type of fiber needed for specialty papers-and they've long been desired by paper and bioenergy producers. But there's a hitch: Harvesting mature sweetgums can often be too costly or even ill-advised because they typically grow the best on the edges of swamps and in river bottoms, which are often inaccessible during the wet winter months.

A robot invented by researchers in the University of Georgia College of Engineering could change the way power lines are inspected, providing a safer and most cost-effective alternative. Currently, line crews have to suit up in protective clothing, employ elaborate safety procedures and sometimes completely shut off the power before inspecting a power line. It can be difficult, time-consuming and often dangerous work.

Researchers at the University of Georgia and at Ben-Gurion University in Israel have demonstrated for the first time that nanoscale electronic components can be made from single DNA molecules. Their study, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, represents a promising advance in the search for a replacement for the silicon chip.

Researchers at the University of Georgia have created a nanostructure that could provide a path toward using solar energy more efficiently in the production of fuel gases. Writing in the journal Catalysis Today, the scientists say nanostructures fabricated from a core of iron oxide and coated with a shell of titanium dioxide absorb more solar energy than single-layer nanostructures.

Materials that emit visible light after being exposed to sunlight are commonplace and can be found in everything from emergency signage to glow-in-the-dark stickers. But until now, scientists have had little success creating materials that emit light in the near-infrared range, a portion of the spectrum that only can be seen with the aid of night vision devices.