Advanced Light Source
To Analyze 'Stardust'
By Glenda Chui

Sunday's spectacular landing of the Stardust capsule is just the start for a half-dozen Bay Area labs that are on the fast track to examine its exotic haul: a thimbleful of space dust. Scientists hope it will help reveal our deepest origins: how the sun and planets were born 4.6 billion years ago, and how the stars themselves helped to seed life on Earth. About 150 scientists around the world will do the first quick analysis and publish their results as a group. Some of the scientists are conducting their research on the 5.3.2 beamline at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source. Full story. Go here to read a Science@Berkeley Lab story on how the beamline was used to establish a baseline for expected compositions of extraterrestrial dust and comet fragments.

Claim of Lab Waste Dump Proven False After Dig

An excavation on a south Richmond beach failed to verify an informant's claim that barrels of radioactive materials were buried there 40 years ago. Rick Alcaraz, who claimed he was a UC Berkeley groundskeeper in the 1960s, said he remembered disposing of 55-gallon drums of radioactive material from Berkeley Lab at Meeker Beach. A radiation survey and extensive excavation of the site last week failed to verify Alcaraz's claims. The Lab has no records of such a disposal. Full story.

Soybean Sequence to Aid
Biodiesel Production

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy announced Monday they will share resources and coordinate the study of plant and microbial genomics, and the Department of Energy will tackle the sequencing of the soybean genome as the first project resulting from the agreement. The Joint Genome Institute will sequence the genome (decode the DNA) of the soybean, Glycine max, the world's most valuable legume crop.  Soybean is of particular interest to DOE because it is the principal source of biodiesel, a renewable, alternative fuel.  Full story. 

Microarrays Used to Find
Thousands of Pathogens
By Stacey Ryder

Andersen

Berkeley Lab earth scientist Gary Andersen, in the latest issue of The Affymetrix Microarray Bulletin, discusses the surprising organisms he is finding in normal environmental samples using new microarrays. Andersen uses the machines to detect dangerous pathogens in the air, soil, food and water. In nine hours, the group's array identifies up to 8,900 distinctive organisms in a single experiment, while their multiple pathogen ID array tests for more than 140 genetic regions that make bioterror agents particularly dangerous. Full story.

Energy Studies Focus
On Small Office Buildings

Purdue engineers, with the assistance of Berkeley Lab scientists, have developed a method for "precooling" small office buildings and reducing energy consumption during times of peak demand, promising not only to save money but also to help prevent power failures during hot summer days. Small office buildings represent the majority of commercial structures, so reducing the electricity demand for air conditioning in those buildings could help California prevent power-capacity problems like those that plagued the state in 2000 and 2001.The research was funded by the California Energy Commission, and Berkeley Lab researchers performed field demonstrations and evaluated the human-comfort aspects of different thermostat adjustment strategies. Full story.

Hone Leadership Skills
At Management Retreat

The UC Management Skills Assessment Program (MSAP) is now accepting applications for the 2006 session, to be held May 1-5 at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA. Exempt scientific, technical and administrative career staff with at least one year of UC service, and one to five years of experience supervising or managing people or projects, can apply. The program offers participants insights into their competencies, skills, and potential through small group work in simulated scenarios. The Lab may send 5 employees. The home division for each participant will cover an $850 registration fee as well as travel costs. Go here to apply. The deadline is Thursday, Feb. 9. Contact Sherri Harding (x7737) for more information.