January 2019 – July 2022
Even the Lab’s founder E.O. Lawrence understands the need to wear a face cover (although he had some help putting it on). The bust of Lawrence is in the fourth-floor hallway of Building 50 outside the Physical Sciences offices in case you want to take a selfie with him.
Accompanying someone through the final phase of life can be a demanding yet powerful and healing experience. This seminar will address navigating the delicate terrain of caring without losing oneself, solo and collaborative caregiving, and staying centered while caregiving. Register ahead of time. https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=MG1kZmlsNHQ4dWljbDRvbmlzbjk4Y3NkNGMgbGJsLmdvdl80czRycmcxMmw2ZXFnNm5jbWMya3QwdmNnZ0Bn&tmsrc=lbl.gov_4s4rrg12l6eqg6ncmc2kt0vcgg%40group.calendar.google.com
If you or a dependent are diagnosed with COVID-19 or you are experiencing financial hardship due to the virus or disease, you may now request loans and withdrawals from your 403b or 457b accounts. https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2020/05/uc-regents-approve-loans-and-withdrawals-from-uc-retirement-savings-program-plans-for-those-impacted-by-covid-19.html
Scientists at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry have joined forces with a research team at Stanford to aim a gene-targeting, antiviral agent called PAC-MAN against COVID-19. The cellular delivery system, developed at Berkeley Lab, could be missing link in battle against SARS-CoV-2. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/06/04/gene-targeting-covid-19/
Berkeley Lab data scientist Daniela Ushizima is exploring whether image recognition algorithms and a data analysis pipeline can help accurately distinguish COVID-19 abnormalities in CT scans and chest X-rays from other overlapping respiratory illnesses. https://cs.lbl.gov/news-media/news/2020/can-ct-scans-be-used-to-quickly-and-accurately-diagnose-covid-19/
To support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has issued a rule and guidance allowing employees to make changes to their health plan coverage and more time to complete certain transactions. Read more details. https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2020/06/important-changes-to-uc-benefits-programs-for-relief-during-the-pandemic.html
Even as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) lies dormant on a mountaintop in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has made progress, reaching the final approval milestone prior to startup. The Lab is the lead institution in the project, with Michael Levi as its director. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/06/01/now-complete-telescope-instrument-is-poised-to-begin-its-search-for-answers-about-dark-energy
The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in China has continued to pump data to remote supercomputers for analyses during the pandemic. Berkeley Lab’s Kam-Biu Luk leads U.S. participation in the international physics collaboration, which has already contributed new findings about neutrinos. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/05/29/daya-bay-reactor-experiment-continues-to-generate-data/
Are you working onsite next week? Visit the Lab’s COVID-19 information site for a summary of what is required of employees. https://covid.lbl.gov/
ATAP and BSE researchers are working together to develop a platform and experiments to study the structure and components of viruses like the one causing COVID-19, and to learn how viruses interact with their surrounding environment. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/05/28/laser-biosciences-researchers-combine-efforts-to-study-viruses-in-droplets/