Chu Speaks on Helios
At Berkeley Rep Series

Lab Director Steve Chu will discuss "The Energy Problem: What the Helios Project Can Do About It" on Monday, April 23, at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, the first in a three-part series on the Lab's multi-disciplinary approach to developing alternative fuel sources. Associate Lab Director Paul Alivisatos will speak on "Nanoscience at Work: Creating Energy From Sunlight" on May 14, and Jay Keasling, Physical Biosciences Division director, will talk about "Renewable Energy From Synthetic Biology." All talks start at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Global Warming Meeting Includes Earth Scientist

Fung

Berkeley Lab earth scientist Inez Fung is among the featured speakers at an upcoming symposium on global warming and the "greening" of the state's energy resources. The event takes place on Wednesday, April 11, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Other speakers include UC Berkeley energy experts Daniel Kammen and Severin Borenstein. Go here to purchase tickets.

Breast Oncology Retreat Scheduled for May 11

Gray

Joe Gray, Associate Lab Director and leader of the UC San Francisco Breast Oncology program, invites the Lab community to attend a daylong retreat on breast cancer research on Friday, May 11, in San Francisco. Retreat topics will include breast density, molecular diagnostics, the Early Detection Research Program, the Integrative Cancer Biology Program, and the Bay Area Breast Cancer SPORE. Go here for registration information.

Research Could Determine Earth's Energy Production

Tolich

Neutrino detectors at the 4,850-foot level of the Homestake Mine could help scientists understand the total energy produced in the earth's interior as well as the history of the earth. Berkeley Lab nuclear scientists Nikolai Tolich, Yuen-Dat Chan, Patrick Decowski, Brian Fujikawa, Kevin Lesko, and Alan Poon, along with earth scientist Joseph Wang, and former Lab scientists Charles Currat and Reyco Henning, have sent in proposals to construct a 1-kiloton (1,000 tons) neutrino detector that will study electron antineutrinos, which come from the uranium and thorium decay within the Earth's core. Full story.

Call for Proposals
For UC Discovery Grant

The UC Discovery Grant provides funds for research partnerships that involve the University of California, industry, and the State of California. Research can be in any of the following fields: biotechnology, communications and networking, digital media, electronic manufacturing and new materials, or information technology for life sciences. Proposals for the spring session will be accepted April 12 through May 17. Go here for more information.

Celebrate Earth Day
In a Personal Way

While the Lab will not host an Earth Day Fair this year, employees can still have an impact by making a number of simple everyday choices that can help protect the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency has created various websites with information on reducing greenhouse emission, purchasing energy efficient products, and saving water. Go here for more information on Earth Day (April 22).