Suzanne Baker oversees MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emissions tomography) data collection and quality assurance in the Life Sciences Division's Center For Functional Imaging. PET scans produce an image of the functional processes in the body, such as identifying cancerous tumors with radioactively tagged glucose. In this role, Baker has discovered in-house repairs have become more of a necessity. More>
Think of it as an emergency room exam for cells. In the span of a few minutes, scientists at Berkeley Lab can produce three-dimensional CAT scans of entire cells, revealing their internal structure down to the smallest organelle. The new imaging technology could speed up a wide range of research that requires scientists to track changes in a cell’s internal structure, from analyzing how a pharmaceutical prevents a microbe from causing yeast infections to learning the best way to squeeze biofuel from algae. More> (includes video)
The Department of Energy has announced a second round of funding opportunities with $100 million in Recovery Act funding to be made available for transformational energy research projects through ARPA-E. National labs may act as a lead, as long as they are part of a consortium. Concept papers are due Friday, Jan. 15. Awards may range from $500 thousand to $10 million, with a performance period of 24 to 36 months. Areas of focus include: electrofuels, Innovative Materials & Processes for Advanced Carbon Capture Technologies (IMPACCT), and Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation (BEEST). Berkeley Lab researchers are encouraged to seek out the funding opportunities for ARPA-E. More>
Thomas Budinger, with Berkeley Lab’s Life Sciences Division, has been appointed to the National Academies Panel on Physics. The group assesses the scientific and technical work performed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Budinger also serves as home secretary for the National Academy of Engineering and on the board of the National Research Council.
Employee Development: Career Development Workshops Staff who want to take their career to the next level are invited to attend a workshop on Thursday, sponsored by the Berkeley Lab Institute. Taught by a career-counseling specialist, this two-hour session provides a framework for considering career options, developing action plans, and accessing resources. Separate sessions are offered for postdocs and research assistants (BLI118) and non-scientific employees (BLI119). Registration is required.
The Department of Energy has launched "Open Energy Information," a new open-source web platform that will make DOE resources and open-energy data widely available to the public. The data and tools housed on the free, editable and evolving wiki-platform will be used by government officials, the private sector, project developers, the international community, and others to help deploy clean energy technologies across the country and around the world. More>
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