Dan Rokhsar, head of the Joint Genome Institute’s Plant Genomics Program, researcher in the Lab's Genomics Division, and UC Berkeley professor, will share the evolutionary insights that his group and collaborators have gleaned from sequencing plant genomes at a free lecture for general audiences in Berkeley. The talk — "Uncovering the Ancient Roots of Modern Plant DNA" — takes place at The Bone Room on Thursday, May 27, at 7 p.m. and is part of a weekly series that features academic lectures and courses. The Bone Room, a natural history store located at 1573 Solano Ave., sells bones, mounted insects, fossils, and other animal “odds and ends.” More>
[ABC-Channel 7] Once the Gulf Coast oil spill is contained, the next problem will be how to clean it up. Berkeley Lab's Ecology Department is led by Terry Hazen, who says after picking up as much oil as possible, "exercise extreme caution about whatever else you do." Hazen has more than 30 years experience studying the effects of oil spills. He says the oil will be damaging enough; toxic dispersants will just make it worse. He points to the 1978 Amoco Cadiz Spill off the coast of Normandy as an example. He says areas where dispersants were used still have not fully recovered, while areas where there was no human intervention are now fine. More>
The May edition of the Molecular Foundry newsletter, The Foundry Works, is now available. It includes articles on the recent visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a nanocrystal-making robot named WANDA, the newly unveiled Vulcan computer cluster, and enhanced polymer purification and analysis capabilities for users. Also featured are several research highlights, including the first-ever imaged cell walls of Arabidopsis thaliana (pictured).
The Lab’s Health Care Facilitator will host its annual Wellness & Meet the EAA Clubs Fair on Thursday, June 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., outside the cafeteria. The fair will feature information booths staffed by UC-sponsored benefit and financial providers, the Lab's Health Services and Environment, Health and Safety Ergonomics Team, and UC Berkeley's CARE Services and the Retirement Center. Staff can also participate in the “UC Walks Day at the Lab” event. Sign-up at the Health Care Facilitator’s table no later than 1 p.m. and go on a 30-minute walk around the Hill. Show your employee ID badge to get a free t-shirt (while supplies last).
Energy Biosciences Institute: Latest Research Highlighted in Bulletin Federal incentive programs for biomass crop development,
potential pests of biofuel feedstocks, and the environmental advantages of the giant grass Miscanthus are among the features in the first edition of the EBI Bulletin, the Energy Biosciences Institute's redesigned quarterly
newsletter. The publication also includes seminars on on the importance of water in delivering biofuels' promise, designing architecture to improve nature's pathways, and the biofuel battleground of Brazil's Cerrado. More>
Outreach: Chabot Space, Science Center Seeks Volunteers Are you fascinated with the mysteries of the universe? Do you want to spend more time around people who appreciate science? Join the Chabot Space and Science Center's volunteer community and help us inspire and educate our visitors about our planet Earth and the universe. Several kinds of volunteering opportunities are available, depending on your expertise and available time. An orientation is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More>
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