January 2019 – July 2022
Harold Ticho (right, pictured with Alfred Ladage), who worked with Luis Alvarez and other Lab scientists, passed away in November. His team used the bubble chamber to discover particle xi zero. Read more about this important discovery in the 1959 employee newsletter, “The Magnet.” https://drive.google.com/file/d/1weKopmHs8UtzUMtv_eSoB6WgqvBUmQ53/view?usp=sharing
COVID-19 dominated the news this year, so it’s no surprise that research to combat the virus was among the Lab’s top 10 science stories in 2020, which also included urgent (wildfire smoke monitors), astounding (Nobel Prize), and intriguing (crush-resistant beetles) news. See the full list. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/12/22/berkeley-labs-top-10-science-stories-of-2020/
Molecular Foundry and Dow Inc. researchers demonstrated a new way of stretching freestanding thin films of plastic and measured extreme stretchiness in polystyrene films. They were able to stretch thin films of polystyrene up to three times their original lengths without the materials breaking. https://foundry.lbl.gov/2020/12/18/bouncing-ideas-between-berkeley-and-dow-to-create-stretchy-plastics/
Berkeley Lab scientists have been recognized for highly cited publications by Clarivate Analytics. A highly cited paper would be in the top 1% for citations per field within a publication year. Type “Lawrence Berkeley Lab” in the form to see who the researchers are. https://recognition.webofscience.com/awards/highly-cited/2020/?campaignname=Highly_Cited_Researchers_Parent_SAR_Global_2020&campaignid=7014N000001r&utm_campaign=Highly_Cited_Researchers_Parent_SAR_Global_2020&utm_source=earned_coverage&utm_medium=press
Revathi Jambunathan (Computational Research Division) is developing a computational electrodynamic solver for modeling plasma-based accelerators, astro-plasma processes, and microelectronic devices. Watch Jambunathan’s SLAM presentation to learn more. This concludes the 2020 SLAM Friday series. https://youtu.be/wlhzIwd2Ipw
ALS researchers developed an innovative way to improve the measurement of x-ray mirror surfaces. Agencies such as NASA and DOE are highly interested in the work, which would maximize the benefits of state-of-the-art space telescopes and advanced synchrotron projects such as the ALS Upgrade (ALS-U). https://als.lbl.gov/super-resolution-measurement-of-x-ray-mirrors/
The Lab has developed a multidisciplinary 10-year strategic plan for research of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease. The plan is designed to leverage our new capabilities and our core strengths, as well as to support our long-term mission research. Watch this replay of a brown bag on the plan. https://youtu.be/H16D5P2jgjQ
GEMINI, the new cutting-edge microfocus macromolecular crystallography beamline operated by the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology at the Advanced Light Source, achieved first light in late September and produced the first diffraction pattern in early December. https://biosciences.lbl.gov/2014/10/24/berkeley-center-for-structural-biology-to-receive-5m-from-hhmi-to-build-a-new-microfocus-crystallography-beamline/
Researchers from Berkeley Lab and Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed new methods for the large-scale production, purification, and use of the radioisotope cerium-134, which could serve as a PET imaging radioisotope for a highly targeted cancer treatment known as alpha-particle therapy. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/12/14/atomic-heavyweights-target-cancer/
The Lab has developed a multidisciplinary, 10-year strategic plan for research of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease. The plan is designed to leverage our new capabilities and core strengths, as well as support the Lab’s long-term research mission. Read the plan and attend this webinar. https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=MjlsYTdnZmV2bmVvZGRia2tlYjhwOTZ2Y24gbGJsLmdvdl80czRycmcxMmw2ZXFnNm5jbWMya3QwdmNnZ0Bn&tmsrc=lbl.gov_4s4rrg12l6eqg6ncmc2kt0vcgg%40group.calendar.google.com