Building 10 debris

Demolition Makes Way
For New ALS Building

To make way for the new ALS user support facility, Building 10 was torn down last week. The building was originally used as a support building for the 184-inch Cyclotron, and more recently for the Advanced Light Source (ALS). It was also demolished because its 1940s-era construction is considered seismically very poor. Demolition will finish in early July. The Lab hopes to break ground on the new user support building in January, pending receipt of FY 2008 funding. The three-story, 32,000-square-foot building will house user-support operations at the ALS, and will include office and lab space for some 80 researchers. Contact Sheree Swanson, program manager for the demolition and user support building construction, with questions. Go here to view a photo of what Building 10 used to look like.

In Nature, Proteins
Sweep Nanoparticles

Zinc-sulfide aggregates

Here’s a pollution-control tip from nature: Deep inside a flooded mine in Wisconsin, scientists from several institutions including Berkeley Lab have discovered a world in which bacteria emit proteins that sweep up metal nanoparticles into immobile clumps. Their finding may lead to innovative ways to remediate subsurface metal toxins. Full story.

Strong Evidence Mars
Once Had an Ocean

UC Berkeley scientists working with NASA have found definitive evidence that large oceans once existed on mars. The discovery raises the stakes of an upcoming mission to the red planet. Berkeley Lab earth scientist Michael Manga is part of a team who made the discovery. "Life seems to need liquid water, and if you have a big ocean full of liquid water there's abundant opportunities for life to form," he said. Go here to watch a video of this story.

Another Chance to View
Lab Research on QUEST

A repeat of an episode of the KQED science program QUEST featuring Lab research will be repeated tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. The episode includes Associate Lab Director and Materials Sciences Division Director Paul Alivisatos discussing nanotechnology advances. The program airs locally on Channel 9, or 709 for high definition.