Worms' Movements
Due to Oxygen Levels
By Stephanie Lam

Marletta

All aerobic organisms require oxygen to survive. Berkeley Lab physical bioscientist Michael Marletta has found that within a common backyard worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, lies an oxygen-detecting enzyme that may shed light onto how organisms sense levels of gas in their surroundings. Marletta and his colleague, UCSF professor Cori Bargmann, were able to explain a well-documented but previously unexplained phenomenon in worms known as bordering and clumping, in which worms, when placed in a Petri dish, immediately gather on the edges. This was previously hypothesized as social behavior. However, the researchers discovered the behavior was due to the differing levels of oxygen in the Petri dish. Full story.

Kurtzer Q&A Featured
In 'Linux Times' Site

Greg Kurtzer, who manages Information and Technology Services' Scientific Cluster Support effort, recently participated in a Q&A session with the Linux Times webzine. During the interview, Kurtzer — who is the head of the non-profit cAos Foundation, a community of open source developers, contributors and users working together to provide "Community Assembled Operating Systems" — discusses the principals and motives behind the creation of the foundation. Full story.

ITSD to Block Spam
Starting Tomorrow

Starting tomorrow, the Information Technology and Services Division will begin blocking spam e-mail and will no longer send messages tagged as "Suspected Spam" to e-mail inboxes. However, as before, some spam may not be identified and slip through. Blocking spam will reduce the time and costs associated with cleaning it up. Currently, the Lab receives some 3 million e-mails per month and nearly 20 percent of them are spam. Only a few e-mails per million are misidentified as spam. Questions or concerns should be directed to the Help Desk (x4357).

Abraham, top, and Dynes

Both University of California President Robert Dynes and outgoing Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham have praised President Bush's choice for Abraham's successor in separate statements. Dynes said nominee Samuel Bodman's background in both business and research fields "will serve him well as Secretary and prove valuable to our country and the Department of Energy." Similarly, Abraham said Bodman's "broad experience in the private sector and as Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Treasury will serve the Department and him well in this key position." Go here to read Dynes' comments, and here to read Abraham's.

Pilot Parking Program
At Rockridge BART

Drivers on Highway 24 may see road signs flashing real-time data on the availability of parking spaces at Oakland's Rockridge BART station. The signs are part of a new "Smart Parking" management field trial recently launched by BART. As part of the system's deployment, two electronic road signs will be placed to the side of Highway 24's westbound lanes before and after the Caldecott Tunnel. The Lab shuttle service has a bus route to and from the Rockridge BART station. Go here to learn more about the pilot program, and here to view the Rockridge shuttle bus schedule.

The Runaround Results
Are Now On the Web

The 2004 Berkeley Lab Runaround results are now posted online, thanks to the efforts of event organizer Steve Derenzo, with the Life Sciences Division. The male winner of this fall's race was Dula Parkinson (his third win in a row) with a time of 9:15. Jamie Bascomb was the top female runner (12:04), and she also won in 1999. The website also contains historical statistics on the race. For example, Gerry Harnett holds the course record at 8:46 (posted in 1981). The fastest woman was Sarah Tabutt, who ran 10:24 in 1985. Go here to view the Runaround website.