[Morning Edition] The recent run-up in gasoline prices was a not-too-subtle reminder that there's a limited amount of oil on Earth. Someday soon, we're going to need a new source of fuel. Part of the answer could be fuels made from cellulose. Researchers at the new Energy Biosciences Institute — lead by Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist Chris Somerville — are working on a recipe for this biofuel. Somerville and his colleagues hope to exploit that chemical energy by converting cellulose into fuel. More>
In The News: Using Nanoparticles to Help Clean Up Recovery, Disposal of Nuclear Fuel[The Engineer] In a one-year project funded by the Department of Energy, a group of researchers — including Linfeng Rao of Berkeley Lab’s Chemical Sciences Division — plan to show that when magnetic nanoparticles are joined with binding chemicals called chelators, they can be used to extract radioactive nuclides, such as uranium and plutonium, from spent nuclear fuel. The researchers hope to recover usable nuclear fuel, make it safer to dispose of nuclear waste, and accomplish these tasks in an environmentally friendly way. More>
People: EETD Intern's Research Published in DOE Undergraduate JournalKristin Kowolik (left), a DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Intern at Berkeley Lab working with EETD’s Ashok Gadgil, will have her research paper published in the DOE’s Journal of Undergraduate Research. Her paper is titled "Electrochemical Remediation of Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater: Results of Prototype Field Tests in Bangladesh." Kowolik’s selection also includes an invitation to present her research at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in February.
UC Retirement: Letter From President Yudolf on Security of Pension FundDear Colleagues: I write to bring you up to date on the UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) and pension benefits for both active UC employees not yet drawing benefit payments and past employees or surviving spouses currently receiving benefits from UCRP. Although the current economic situation is disconcerting to both active employees and benefit recipients alike, I want to assure you that your UCRP benefits are secure and to remind you that UCRP investments are well diversified. More>
The Center for Advanced Signal and Imaging Sciences (CASIS) and the Engineering Directorate at Livermore Lab will conduct a two-day "Signal and Imaging Sciences” workshop Nov. 20-21. Keynote speaker Jose Principe, from the University of Florida, will discuss “Information Theoretic Signal Processing.” Lab employees are invited to attend. More>
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