January 2019 – July 2022
To explore what happens to minerals under the extreme conditions in Earth’s mantle, researchers from the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and UC Berkeley developed an x-ray technique that bridges the gap between methods that reveal bulk properties and those that focus on individual crystals. https://als.lbl.gov/mineral-microstructures-shed-light-on-planet-scale-dynamics/
A team led by researchers at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) has discovered that a previously discovered virus mechanism – the diversity generating retroelement (DGR) – is more prevalent than initially thought. The discovery could lead to molecular tools for research and industry applications. https://jgi.doe.gov/a-natural-mechanism-can-turbocharge-viral-evolution/
Cybersecurity for the power grid has typically been added after the fact, rather than designed from the outset. Enter the Cybersecurity via Inverter-Grid Automatic Reconfiguration (CIGAR) project, a Lab effort designed to provide security protection for emerging power systems. https://cs.lbl.gov/news-media/news/2021/cigar-smokes-out-attacks-on-solar-electrical-power-equipment/
Synthetic biology enables the design and synthesis of DNA sequences with diverse fuel, chemical production, and cellular engineering applications. Joint Genome Institute researchers have developed software tools to significantly reduce the cost and turnaround time of DNA synthesis. https://ipo.lbl.gov/build-optimization-software-tools-boost-for-dna-sequence-design/
Working with the local Richmond community and the Oakland-based nonprofit Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy, Lab scientists are studying air pollution sources and patterns using low-cost sensors. The goal: give the community a better picture of local pollution sources. https://photostories.lbl.gov/empowering-a-neighborhood-to-breathe-easy
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, an area of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was discovered to be a key target for virus-neutralizing antibodies. Scientists using the Advanced Light Source (ALS) have found a second key “site of vulnerability” in that protein, which could help in future vaccine design. https://als.lbl.gov/researchers-set-sights-on-another-covid-19-target/
Just weeks after its official unveiling, the Perlmutter supercomputer at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) debuted at number 5 on the Top500 List, which benchmarks the most powerful commercially available computer systems in the world. https://cs.lbl.gov/news-media/news/2021/perlmutter-debuts-in-the-top-5-of-the-top500/
Authors of papers, presentations, and other external-facing communications are now responsible for reviewing their materials for potential inventions, and for submitting records of invention for these potential inventions, to the Intellectual Property Office. https://ipo.lbl.gov/change-in-publication-review-policy/
A research team led by scientists at the Lab and UC Berkeley has developed a nanoparticle composite that grows into 3D crystals. The new material – which they call a 3D PGNP (polymer-grafted nanoparticle) crystal – could lead to new technologies that are 3D-grown rather than 3D-printed. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2021/06/29/crystal-impurity-sheer-perfection/
Key findings from the 2020 China Energy Outlook report, produced by the Lab’s China Energy Group, were recently highlighted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The report outlines a path for continuous improvement of energy efficiency and emissions through 2050 in China. https://china.lbl.gov/news/article/china-energy-report-featured