Category: Science News

A new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOAO from the Department of Energy is expected to be issued during winter 2019/2020. The Energy Sciences Area is hosting a town hall to discuss the scope available so far for the new hub on Friday, Oct. 25, from 9 to 10 a.m., in the Building 50 auditorium. https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=MzZnYjJsNmpobGlhY3Y2cTEwbTc1bHNtcG8gbGJsLmdvdl80czRycmcxMmw2ZXFnNm5jbWMya3QwdmNnZ0Bn&tmsrc=lbl.gov_4s4rrg12l6eqg6ncmc2kt0vcgg%40group.calendar.google.com

Da Yang of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area was among 22 early-career scientists selected to receive Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering. For his research, Yang uses a combination of satellite observations, computer models, and theory to study the Earth’s weather and climate. https://www.packard.org/insights/news/packard-fellowships-in-science-and-engineering-announces-2019-class-of-fellows/

Researchers at Berkeley Lab are using high-performance computing systems to better predict how structures will respond to an earthquake along one of the Bay Area’s most dangerous faults. David McCallen of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area answers questions about this approach. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/18/better-predicting-earthquake-damage-to-infrastructure-with-faster-computing/

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Lab have created the most accurate 3D model yet of an intrinsically disordered protein, revealing the ensemble of its atomic-level structures. Some of the computing for this research was conducted at NERSC. https://www.ornl.gov/news/supercomputing-neutrons-unite-unravel-structures-intrinsically-disordered-protein

Making urban buildings more energy efficient could help mitigate global climate change. To achieve efficient buildings at a city-wide scale, accurate occupancy estimations are crucial. A new tool has been developed that, like apps that monitor traffic, could monitor building occupancy. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/10/can-cellphones-help-cities-be-more-energy-efficient/

A new genetic engineering tool called CRAGE — developed by a team of scientists led by the Joint Genome Institute — could help open the floodgates of microbial metabolite research. Metabolites are the basis for many important agricultural, industrial, and medical products. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/14/microbial-secondary-metabolites/

Using a forward genetics approach, Biosciences researchers revealed that the enzyme hexokinase, which is involved in sugar metabolism in organisms ranging from bacteria to plants to humans, is necessary for the regulation of photosynthesis and metabolism in the green alga Chromochloris zofngiensis. https://biosciences.lbl.gov/2019/10/01/a-molecular-switch-for-photosynthesis-and-lipid-accumulation/

Lab researchers were the first to unambiguously observe and document the unique optical phenomena that occur in certain types of synthetic materials called moiré superlattices. The findings shed light on manipulating materials into light emitters with controllable quantum properties. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/10/10/simple-materials-go-quantum/

Every Friday in a feature series in Elements, meet one of the 12 early career Lab scientists who competed in the 2019 SLAM pitch contest. This week, watch and read Meg Dillon’s pitch on “Letting Sleeping Bugs Lie.” https://slam.lbl.gov/2019-slam/2019-finalists/megan-dillon