Berkeley Lab’s National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM) provided the technology and a Visiting Scientist Fellowship that helped a Missouri State University researcher make a key discovery that should boost efforts to use carbon nanotubes as catalytic supports in direct ethanol fuel cells. Using the advanced characterization capabilities of NCEM’s TEAM 0.5 and Tecnai microscopes, materials scientist Lifeng Dong found that single-stranded DNA can be used to disperse bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes into individual tubes. The single strands of DNA can also serve as guideposts for synthesizing platinum nanoparticles onto these tubes. More>
Research: NERSC Helps Discovery of Potential Switch for NanoelectronicsResearchers have found that electrical resistance through a molecular junction can be turned on and off by simply pushing and pulling the junction. Experts believe that this molecular-scale control could be leveraged for future nanoscale electronic devices. The work was achieved with an allocation on NERSC's Cray XT4 system, Franklin. More>
The Center for Science and Engineering Education (CSEE) has been awarded $200K from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation to support K-12 programs in 2010. The award will fund teacher education programs and hands-on workshops for fifth graders and middle schoolers, as well as employee outreach to schools. This marks the fifth year that CSEE has obtained Bechtel funding, beginning with a $50,000 gift in 2006.
Sponsored Projects: New Forms, Instructions for NIH Grant Applications The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revised some of the forms and instructions for grant applications, which are required for all applications intended for due dates on or after Jan. 25. Major changes include restructured forms to align with review criteria and significantly shorter page limits. For more details, see the NIH Enhancing Peer Review website, which has a page dedicated to the upcoming application changes as well as a number of additional resources, including a short video overview of the changes, FAQs, a list of related policy notices, a training and communications resources page, and more.
In anticipation of the holiday break, the Lab’s shuttle bus service will alter final departure times today:
Building 65 — 6 p.m. for the Blue Route; 5:40 p.m. for Rockridge Route
Building 62/66 — 5:50 p.m. for the Orange Route
Potter St. — 5:25 p.m.
JBEI — 5:35 p.m.
Lab computers are frequently attacked over the holidays. The Lab’s Computer Protection Program (CPP) asks that everyone shutdown or unplug their computers from the network over the holiday to avoid cyber attacks. Those operating the few systems that need to remain online should ensure they are secure and have the most current patches.
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