Soybean, one of the most important global sources of protein and oil, is now the first legume species with a published complete draft genome sequence. The sequence and its analysis appear in the Jan. 14 edition of Nature. The research team comprised 18 institutions, including the Joint Genome Institute. The research “opens the door to crop improvements that are sorely needed for energy production, sustainable human and animal food production, and a healthy environmental balance in agriculture worldwide.” More>
Berkeley Lab astrophysicist Carl Pennypacker — founder of Hands-On Universe (HOU), the award-winning international science education program — was awarded the Janssen Prize by the French Astronomical Society. Named after astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen, founder of the Paris Meudon Observatory and co-discoverer of helium, the Janssen Prize is the society's highest award and is given every other year to a non-French scientist. Pennypacker was recognized for his work with HOU, a program that enables students to explore the cosmos via the Internet, working with real scientists and professional telescopes. Go here for more about HOU.
Community Impact: Lab Makes SF Business Magazine’s Book of Lists Every year, the San Francisco Business Times publishes its annual Book of Lists, which provides local businesses “with a powerful tool for making connections and doing business in the Bay Area." It chronicles everything from largest law firms, biotech companies and electrical contractors in the Bay Area to highest paid executives and top transportation infrastructure projects. For 2010, Berkeley Lab made two of the lists. On the list of largest employers in the East Bay we rank 13, and in the Bay Area, 25. Last year, the Lab was 18 and 32, respectively.
Sponsored Projects: IT, EETD Seek Industry Partner for Efficient Data Center The Office of Sponsored Projects and Industry Partnerships announces a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) opportunity on "Measuring the Performance of a Next-Generation Modular Data Center" for industry partners. The Lab's Information Technology and Environmental Energy Technologies Divisions are seeking an industrial partner to design and fabricate a highly energy-efficient modular data center and to deploy a prototype at Berkeley Lab. Lab staff will install and operate computing clusters in the new facility, measure the facility's energy efficiency in a range of environmental and weather conditions, and publish performance metrics. Proposals are due Feb 1. More>
The Lab’s Earth Sciences Division hosts its next Distinguished Scientist Seminar tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. in the Building 50 Auditorium. Patricia Dove, with the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, will discuss “Investigating the Physical Basis of Biomineralization.”
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