Today at Berkeley Lab: September 27, 2007

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007

Today

1 p.m.
EHS 614
Satellite Accumulation Areas Management
Bldg. 70A-3377

1:30 p.m.
Chemistry Department
Ruthenium, Rhodium and Iridium Complexes of BINAP: Generation of New Catalysts and Their Catalytic Performance for Asymmetric Hydrogenations
Kazushi Mashima, Osaka University
775A Tan Hall (campus)

Tomorrow

8 a.m.
EHS 432
Radiation Protection Lab Safety
Bldg. 70A-3377

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

1 p.m.
Chemistry Department
Stochastic Pulse Sequences for Structural Studies by Solid State NMR
Robert Tycko, NIH and Ivan Dmochowski, U. of Pennsylvania
D62 Hildebrand Hall (campus)

2 p.m.
Nano Institute
What is the Smallest Volume Into Which Light Can Be Focused, Efficiently?
Eli Yablonovitch, UC Berkeley
390 Hearst Mining Bldg. (campus)

2 p.m.
Nano Institute
Building With, Manipulating, and Interrogating Biomolecules at the Surface at Nanoscale Dimensions
Ashutosh Chilkoti, Duke U.
390 Hearst Mining Bldg. (campus)

4 p.m.
Chemistry Department
Xenon's Paradoxes, Xenoparticles, and Zebrafish Tales
Ivan Dmochowski, U. of Pennsylvania
120 Latimer Hall (campus)

Breakfast: Lorraine Omelet with Bacon, Swiss and Onions
Tomorrow's Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash with Two Eggs and Toast
Pizza: Barbecued Chicken with Roasted Corn and Smoked Gouda
Grill: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with French Fries
Cultural Cuisine: Chinese Chicken Salad
Deli: Caprese Prestini
Carvery: Tri Tip with Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables

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

A Tree in Your Tank:
Eucalyptus as Fuel

At last there's "a better use for eucalyptus besides kindling for wildfires." So says Joint Genome Institute spokesman David Gilbert. It turns out the tree, one of the most commonly planted in the world, is doubly promising as a new alternative fuel source: eucalyptus stems and branches are easy to break down into biofuels such as ethanol, and its roots naturally sequester carbon below ground. The Walnut Creek lab is about to sequence the eucalyptus genome — the goal is to help scientists better understand how the tree removes carbon from the atmosphere, and how it might be bred for the bioenergy market. Full story.

Molecule Could Cure
Our Addiction to Oil

On a blackboard, it looks so simple: Take a plant and extract the cellulose. Add some enzymes and convert the cellulose molecules into sugars. Ferment the sugar into alcohol, then distill it into fuel. It's clear the U.S. needs to replace gasoline with alternative fuels, and fast. So a wave of public and private funding, bringing newfound optimism, is pouring into research labs, including Berkeley’s Energy Biosciences Institute. Full story.

Memorial on Campus
For Deaths in 2007

The campus will hold its annual memorial event on Tuesday to recognize the more than 70 faculty/academics, staff, students, emeriti faculty, and staff retirees who died this past year. The event will take place from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. at the flagpole west of California Hall. Among those being recognized are Berkeley Lab scientists Michael Ronan and Robert Mortimer. Full story.

Reminder: Library
Open House Today

Berkeley Lab employees are invited to visit the newly renovated library during an open house today, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Building 50-4034. Experts will be on hand to demonstrate the new Integrated Library System, Reports Submission System, dual format-PDF microfiche reader and circulation bar code features. Refreshments will be available.

Share Your Thoughts
On Business Training

The Lab’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer encourages staff to complete a survey on training, which will help administrators design improved education programs. The survey ends tomorrow at 5 p.m. The password to answer this 5-minute, anonymous survey is “training.” Go here to take the survey. Questions about the survey can be directed to Angela White (x7873).

New Online Tool Searches Patents Back to 1940s

The Department of Energy announced the launch of a website, DOepatents, which allows search and retrieval of information from a collection of more than 20,000 patent records. The database represents a growing collection of patents resulting from R&D supported by DOE. DOepatents consists of bibliographic records, with full text where available via either a PDF file or an HTML link to the record at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Full story.

WEATHER

Clear.
High: 72° (22° C)

Extended Forecast

EMERGENCY INFO

Emergency: Call x7911
Cell Phones: Call 911
Non-emergency Incident Reporting: Call x6999

SECON level 3

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