Microbial systems fascinate Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist and Energy Biosciences Institute researcher Adam Arkin. They are evolved to survive in nearly every niche that supports life. They express many strategies to tolerate inclement conditions and metabolize substrates to enable growth and produce many natural products, including molecules useful for biofuels. And they can be very resistant to reengineering. So Arkin and his lab have spent years developing the computational and experimental approaches to dissect the operation of microbial pathways at a genome scale. Recently, they began to use these tools to design new behaviors in bugs. More>
A new generation of inexpensive programmable thermostats with the capacity to communicate may provide a simple and versatile tool for addressing California’s complex, billion-dollar summer peak energy demand problems. Environmental Energy Technologies Division guest and UC Berkeley engineering professor David Auslander — working with utility companies, engineers and policy wonks — has created a new set of design rules for the programmable communicating thermostat that could help pave the way for greater energy efficiency in homes. More>
Are you a postdoc looking for additional support and resources to help think through and plan for your career needs and interests after your Lab appointment ends? A two-hour onsite workshop will help you consider options and take action. Coordinated by Berkeley Lab Learning Institute, the workshop is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Perseverance Hall. There is no cost. Scientists and graduate students are welcome too. Go here for more information, and here to register (BLI0881).
During the North American Leaders Summit that took place in Mexico earlier this week, several energy and climate change deliverables were presented. These include plans for a carbon capture and storage partnership, gas-flaring reduction, energy efficiency, and a 21st century smart grid. The summit included leaders from the United States, Canada and Mexico. More>
The required EH&S classes for supervisors and work leads are being revised. Two new classes covering roles and responsibilities, and ways to effectively perform these tasks, will be ready after January. In the interim, most required classes (EHS0026, EHS0022, EHS0027, EHS0033, and EHS034) are temporarily suspended, and the JHA requirements triggering these courses have been temporarily removed. When the new classes are active, the training will again be required for supervisors and work leads. Contact Lara Jain (x5271) for more information.
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