Therese M. Leone Named Berkeley Lab’s Chief Laboratory Counsel
May 21st, 2021Therese M. Leone has been named Chief Laboratory Counsel (CLC) for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, effective July 1. She will be responsible for evaluating and assessing legal and other risks in context of mission objectives, mentoring and leading a team of dedicated legal
We’ve Got the Dirt on Soil Protists
May 19th, 2021Among the large cast of microbiome players, bacteria have long been hogging the spotlight. But the single-celled organisms known as protists are finally getting the starring role they deserve. A group of scientists who study the interactions between plants and microbes have released a new study detailing the dynamic relationships between soil-dwelling protists and developing plants, demonstrating that soil protists respond to plant signals much like bacteria do.
How X-Rays Could Make Reliable, Rapid COVID-19 Tests a Reality
May 18th, 2021Vaccines are turning the tide in the pandemic, but the risk of infection is still present. Instant at-home tests would help us return to normal, but current options aren’t very accurate. A new discovery could help get reliable tests on the market.
‘Cool Walls’ Get a Boost from U.S. Green Building Council
May 18th, 2021Sunlight-reflecting “cool walls” have been shown to reduce energy costs by lowering heat gain in buildings. But they do more – reflective walls can also cool cities, fighting the urban heat island effect. The concept has new support from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which has issued a pilot credit for the installation of cool exterior walls in new homes, schools, and commercial buildings to mitigate urban heat islands.
Successful Start of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Follows Record-Setting Trial Run
May 17th, 2021A five-year quest to map the universe and unravel the mysteries of “dark energy” is beginning officially today, May 17, at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona.
Detector Technology Developed at Berkeley Lab Yields Unprecedented 3D Images, Heralding Far Larger Application to Study Neutrinos
May 13th, 2021An experiment to capture unprecedented 3D images of the trajectories of charged particles has been demonstrated using cosmic rays as they strike and travel through a cryostat filled with a ton of liquid argon. The results confirm the capabilities of a novel detector technology for particle physics.
Celebrating IceCube’s First Decade of Discovery
May 13th, 2021Berkeley Lab’s contributions span the planning, construction, and data analysis central to the collaboration’s groundbreaking discoveries.