January 2019 – July 2022
Researchers have long studied a protein complex in green plants, algae, and cyanobacteria that plays a crucial role in photosynthesis. Their understanding of this three-billion-year-old biological system is now moving more quickly, thanks to to an integrated framework between LCLS, ESnet, and NERSC. https://cs.lbl.gov/news-media/news/2019/superfacility-framework-advances-photosynthesis-research/
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have designed a recyclable plastic that, like a Lego playset, can be disassembled into its constituent parts at the molecular level, and then reassembled into different shapes, textures, and colors repeatedly without loss of performance or quality. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/05/06/recycling-plastic-from-the-inside-out/
Scientists have invented a new synthetic antibody that could make screening for diseases easier and less expensive than current go-to methods. The method works by combining peptoids and tiny carbon atom cylinders, which selectively bind to a target protein. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/04/26/unique-synthetic-antibodies/
Shih, JBEI director of Plant Biosystems Design and UC Davis professor, was selected as a Sloan Research Fellow in Computational and Evolutionary Molecular Biology. The fellowship will help his efforts to reconstruct the evolution of photosynthesis. https://biology.ucdavis.edu/news/sloan-fellowship-will-help-new-faculty-patrick-shih-investigate-ancient-origins-photosynthesis
Erin Creel, a research affiliate at the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, was selected as the 2019 graduate student recipient of the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Civic Engagement. She was honored for teaching science to underserved populations and encouraging girls’ interest in STEM. https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/04/30/berkeley-celebrates-contributions-to-the-public-good-from-staff-students-and-faculty/
Perera will manage the Lab’s Export Control Compliance program and develop best practices to mitigate export control risks in Lab business processes and research. Previously, she was the Export Compliance Manager for Caterpillar, Inc. Her position was effective May 1. https://exportcontrol.lbl.gov/
An arsenic-containing compound produced by a soil bacterium shows promise as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Research by the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology’s Collaborative Crystallography program demonstrated arsinothricin’s effectiveness against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. https://biosciences.lbl.gov/2019/04/24/bcsb-helps-characterize-new-arsenic-based-antibiotic/
After 23 years of service, the Parallel Distributed Systems Facility (PDSF) computer cluster — a steady workhorse that supported groundbreaking physics research conducted by large collaborations — has been switched off. Some of PDSF’s collaboration users have transitioned to the Cori supercomputer. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/05/01/the-little-computer-cluster-that-could/
Geoffrey Chew, a theoretical physicist with longtime connections to Berkeley Lab’s Physics Division, passed away on April 11 at age 94. He worked with Edward Teller on the Manhattan Project and was a student of Enrico Fermi. He was the co-creator of the Chew-Low theory for meson nucleon scattering. https://commons.lbl.gov/display/physics/Remembering+Geoffrey+Chew
Berkeley Lab researchers set out to explore how deviations from Planck’s Law could impact energy-related technologies based on nano- and micro-structured geometries. Practical applications for this early-stage energy conversion include solar power, water desalination, and thermal storage. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/04/26/exploring-new-ways-to-control-thermal-radiation/