There will be no radiological control technicians or health physics support during the shutdown, so the use of radioactive materials (unsealed and sealed sources) or radiation-generating devices (accelerators and X-ray machines) is prohibited. Any work that must be performed in accordance with a radiological authorization of a Radiological Work Permit may not be performed. All personnel who are responsible for management/supervision of a radiological authorization are responsible for ensuring that personnel authorized to perform work on their authorization are aware of this policy. For more information call 495-2278 or 926-2051.
Go to OurSafety for more on the Lab's safety efforts.
Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Today at Berkeley Lab will return to publication on Monday, Jan. 5.
In The News: Saving the World, One Molecule at a Time[Newsweek] Ever since Alexander Fleming noticed a clump of blue-green mold destroying a neighboring culture of bacteria in a nearly discarded petri dish, scientists have searched the most unlikely of places for cures to human disease. But rather than merely searching for cure-all compounds, a new subset of scientists known as synthetic biologists are trying to turn single-celled organisms like bacteria and yeast into tiny chemical factories that can build these compounds from scratch. And Jay Keasling, director of Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division, is leading the pack. More>
Research: Humanities, High Performance Computers Connect at NERSCHigh performance computing and the humanities are finally connecting — with a little matchmaking help from the Department of Energy and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Both organizations have teamed up to create the Humanities High Performance Computing Program, a one-of-a-kind initiative that gives humanities researchers access to some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. As part of this special collaboration, NERSC will dedicate a total of one million compute hours on its supercomputers and technical training to humanities experts. More>
Time Magazine this week has profiled each of the cabinet nominees that President-Elect Barak Obama has named, including Lab Director Steve Chu. Chu’s installment includes interesting tidbits about his life, such as: he taught himself to play tennis by reading an instructional book, and his was one of only three Chinese families in the Long Island town where he grew up. More>
As of Jan. 2, the Laboratory's Project Management Organization (PMO), part of the Operations Division, will report to Anita Gursahani, Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Starting in June 2005, the PMO had been reporting to Jim Krupnick in his role as Director of Institutional Assurance. The realignment will allow Gursahani to provide leadership and day-to-day management of the staff, while Krupnick retains an institutional focus on Laboratory projects.
From a new employee orientation to an elder care workshop and an investment strategy clinic, the HR Benefits department hosts a number of events to help staff manage their work and life. To help employees track upcoming events, the department is producing a calendar, and the January edition is now available.
Due to the pending holiday break, the Peet’s Coffee Bar will close at 3 p.m. today. Also, the shuttle service will alter its schedules today and Friday, Jan. 2 (see below). Regular bus service will resume on Monday, Jan. 5.
Tuesday, Dec. 23: Final Departures From the Hill
Building 65: 6:05 p.m. for the Blue Route; 5:40 p.m. for Rockridge Route
Building 62/66: 5:57 p.m. for the Orange Route
Potter St: 5:25 p.m.
JBEI: 5:35 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 2: Limited Service
Blue Route: Every 10 minutes from BART to Bldg. 65, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Onsite Shuttle: Departing Bldg. 65 every 10 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. with stops at Bldgs. 90, 50/70, 46, 52, 26, 69, 77, 62/66, 74 (light signal), 48, 54, and 90.
No Orange, Green, Rockridge, Potter/JBEI or LabPorter shuttles.