Director to Be on NAS
Global Prosperity Panel

Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu has been selected as one of 20 distinguished academic and business leaders to conduct a Congressionally-requested study on "Prosperity in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and Technology." Under the National Academy of Sciences, the group will convene next weekend in Washington and begin work on a report that is expected to identify the top 10 actions, in priority order, that federal policy makers could take to enhance the science and technology enterprise so the United States can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure. Go here for more information on the committee and its membership.

Townes Symposium Features Lab Scientists

Townes

Lab Director Steve Chu and scientists Raphael Bousso, Saul Perlmutter, Marvin Cohen, Marjorie Shapiro, Adrian Lee, and Donald Glaser are among the featured participants of "Amazing Light: Visions for Discovery," a three-day symposium at UC Berkeley honoring the 90th birthday of Nobel Laureate Charles Townes. In addition to the symposium, the event includes a banquet, young scholars competition, and a laser challenge. Registration deadline for the symposium, banquet and laser challenge is Thursday, Sept. 1.

Machine May Advance
Sequencing for Patients

Richardson

A new kind of machine for decoding DNA may help bring costs so low that it would be feasible to decode an individual's DNA for medical reasons. The machine, developed by 454 Life Sciences of Branford, Conn., was used to resequence the genome of a small bacterium in four hours, its scientists report in an article published online yesterday by the journal Nature. The Joint Genome Institute has ordered one of 454's $500,000 sequencing machines but has not yet installed it. Paul Richardson, JGI head of technology development and Berkeley Lab Genomics Division scientist, said the new approach "looks very, very promising" and could reduce sequencing costs fourfold. Full story (registration required).

New Safety Classes For Managers, Supervisors

Employees who have managerial or supervisory responsibilities in a research division are now required to take a new class (EHS 0026) offered by the Lab's Environment, Health and Safety Division. The course, "EH&S for Managers, Supervisors, and Principal Investigators," includes an overview of the Lab's Integrated Safety Management process, defines roles and responsibilities, and offers tools and pointers to resources to help managers improve safety practices. Attendees can also bring up specific safety issues for discussion. Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to noon beginning Sept. 27. To schedule group training, contact Esther Lam.