Bad Traffic Day Friday;
Use Public Transportation

Duo Pushes Energy
Savings in Tech World

Koomey

Saving the world is not necessarily the aim of Andrew Fanara and Jon Koomey, but saving energy certainly is. The two men have spearheaded an effort to slow the growth in energy consumption by the large computers on which the U.S. economy has become so heavily reliant. These computers, called servers, are packed like sardines in large "data centers" that store everything from Google search results to consumer credit-card reports to top-secret government records. Already, these servers gobble up enough electricity to power the entire state of Mississippi. Koomey is with Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Full story.

Life Sciences Gets Grants For Model Organism Studies

Celniker
Karpen

Life Sciences Division researchers Susan Celniker and Gary Karpen are principal investigators on two grants announced yesterday by the National Institutes of Health's National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), among the first in the modENCODE program, a four-year, $57 million effort. Roger Hoskins, Abby Dernburg, and Suzanne Lewis, also of Life Sciences, are co-PIs of related projects in the same program. Part of NHGRI's Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE), modENCODE will study functional elements in the genomes of the model organisms D. melanogaster (fruit fly) and Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode). Full story.

Cautious Riding, Driving
During 'Bike' Week

This week is California Bike Commute Week with Thursday designated as Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area. Along with the Lab’s regular bicycle commuters, drivers should expect more cyclists on all roads that day, including the Lab. Both drivers and cyclists have a legal right to the road, so each should be aware of his surroundings. To make riding safe and enjoyable, cyclists should know their route, dress safely (including helmets), and make sure equipment is working properly. For a refresher on the Lab’s bicycle safety policy, go here. Safety Powerpoint slides for drivers and cyclists can also be viewed.

Retirees: Don't Forget
To Go on Record

Before retiring from the Lab, employees should check with Beret Ranelletti or John Stoner in the Archives and Records Office (ARO) to ensure their records are properly archived. All records created at Berkeley Lab (regardless of media) are the property of the U.S. government or the University of California. They cannot be moved offsite and must be left with your supervisor, project team, and the ARO. Records are defined as documentary material created or received in the course of Lab business that pertain to policies, procedures, activities and decisions. Records include memos, reports, photographs, computer files, notebooks, e-mail and more. For details, see RPM §1.17 and the ARO website.

Share Thoughts on Food
Service Through Survey

In an effort to provide the best possible meals for Berkeley Lab, employees are encouraged to fill out a brief, five-minute survey on the food services provided on the Hill. The feedback will help ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction are achieved. Go here to take the anonymous survey.

Retirement Workshop
Has New Location

The Fidelity Investments workshop, taking place tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m., will be held in Building 2-100B, not the Building 66 Auditorium, as announced in yesterday's edition of Today at Berkeley Lab.