Today at Berkeley Lab: November 2, 2006

Thursday, November 2, 2006



		20 More Days Left In Open Enrollment

Today

7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
EHS
Iron Age Shoemobile
Bldg. 63 Parking Lot

11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Benefits Office
Open Enrollment Vendor Fair
Perseverance Hall

1 p.m.
EHS 339
Asbestos Awareness
Bldg. 70A-3377

CANCELLED:
5:30 p.m.
Yoga Club
Class with Inna Belogolovsky
Bldg. 70-191

Tomorrow

11 a.m.
Advanced Light Source
Comparative Studies of Bulk and Nanosize Particles of Ferrites Using Mossbauer Spectroscopy
N.M. Butt, Pakistan Science Foundation
Bldg. 6-2202

Noon
Yoga Club
Class with Naomi Hartwig
Bldg. 70-191

Noon
OCFO/Sponsored Projects Office
Are you ready for Grants.Gov?
Bldg. 54-130

2 p.m.
UC Berkeley
Genetic Control of the Synthesis and Assembly of Materials for Electronics and Energy
Angela Belcher, MIT
390 Hearst Mining Bldg.

Morning Editions: Banana Pancakes with 2 Eggs and Bacon
Tomorrow's Breakfast: Biscuits and Gravy with 2 Eggs
Market Carvery: Stuffed Bell Peppers with Side Salad and Garlic Bread
The Fresh Grille: Grilled Turkey and Cheddar with Fries and Fruit
Menutainment: Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice

B'fast:	6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Lunch:	11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Full menu

Switches May Restore
Sight to Blind Retinas





Isacoff



Kramer



Trauner

A research center newly created by UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab aims to put light-sensitive switches in the body's cells that can be flipped on and off as easily as a remote control operates a TV. Optical switches like these could trigger a chemical reaction, initiate a muscle contraction, activate a drug or stimulate a nerve cell - all at the flash of a light. One goal is to equip cells of the retina with photoswitches, essentially making blind nerve cells see, restoring light sensitivity in people with degenerative blindness such as macular degeneration. Center researchers include Richard Kramer, Dirk Trauner, and Ehud Isacoff, all with the Lab's Physical Biosciences Division. Full story.

November is Lung Awareness Month

Berkeley Lab's Health Care Facilitator office wants to remind employees that November is “Lung Cancer Awareness Month.” Among the biggest threats to lung health is smoking, which damages nearly every organ in the human body and accounts for some 30 percent of all cancer deaths. Yet one in four Americans still light up. Tobacco addiction has both a psychological and physical component. For most people, the best way to quit is a combination of medicine, changing personal habits, and receiving emotional support. The Great American Smokeout takes place on Thursday, November 16. To learn more, go here.

Open Enrollment
Vendor Fair Today

The Lab's Benefits Office is hosting an Open Enrollment Vendor Fair today in the cafeteria, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There, employees can speak to representatives of UC's various health and welfare providers and gain information that may help determine if changes need to be made to their plans during Open Enrollment, which continues through Nov. 21.

Lab Outdoors Club
Plans Hike Sunday

Those interested in taking a hike in the hills above and around Berkeley Lab are invited to join members of the Outdoors Club on Sunday, at 10 a.m., at Strawberry Gate. A picnic lunch follows at the Botanical Gardens (bring Lab ID for free entrance). Contact Dinah Levy to sign up.

Carbon Sequestration
Projects Funded

The Department of Energy will fund $450 million over the next 10 years to support seven tests in the United States, designed to advance carbon sequestration technologies. Among the organizations selected for testing is the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, of which Berkeley Lab is a member. Full story.

Fermilab Contract
Has Been Awarded

A new $1.575 billion, five-year contract for management and operation of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory has been awarded to the Fermi Research Alliance, LLC (FRA), owned jointly by the University of Chicago and Universities Research Association (URA). As a new independent entity, FRA was supported in its proposal by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Full story.

Unauthorized Absences and Job Abandonment

Effective immediately, the Laboratory has updated its policy on Unauthorized Absences and Job Abandonment (RPM §2.05(L)) and §2.12(I)). The changes provide clear definitions and procedures for addressing these issues for employees and supervisors. This policy applies to nonrepresented employees only. Represented employees should contact their union representative or consult their collective bargaining agreement.

WEATHER

60% chance of rain.
High: 63° (17° C)

Extended Forecast

SECURITY CONDITION

SECON level 3

More Information

INFO