More Than Energy at the Energy Labs

Editor's Note

October / November 06 By: Bob Cochnar Volume 4 Number 5

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When the Department of Energy's laboratories are considered, the first thought might reasonably be that the labs are concerned with, well, energy. And, of course, they are—€”from nuclear to biofuels and a lot in between.

So it may come as some surprise, as illuminated in this issue, that most of the labs are deep into the life sciences, which have a peripheral connection, at best, with energy.

Consider:
—€ Scientists at Pacific Northwest are concerned with data-intensive computing to look at genes and proteins expressed by microorganisms and human cells to predict behavior (Page 15).
—€ At Lawrence Livermore, they're figuring out how toxins, nutrients and other substances interact with human physiology without risking the health of the subjects (Page 17).
—€ Several labs, a university and private enterprise are working collaboratively to detect and either block or prevent epileptic seizures (Page 19).
—€ A researcher at Sandia is working on technology to look at biomarkers in saliva to detect diseases (Page 23).
—€ Scientists at Los Alamos are studying green fluorescent protein (GFP) that could help eliminate Alzheimer's Disease and tuberculosis (Page 25).
—€ At Argonne, they're engaged in a structural biology program that provides guidances to reduce the cost of identifying unique structures of medical and biotechnological significance (Page 30).

While none of the laboratories considers research in the life sciences as its most important product, when extraordinary collections of brilliant minds get together, informed serendipity often takes place. The inventions and scientific breakthroughs that are created in numerous instances can be taken, eventually, into the commercial marketplace. That helps stimulate the economy and creates new jobs.

Labs under the jurisdiction of the National Nuclear Security Administration (and see our interview with Linton Brooks, the administrator, beginning on the opposite page) are principally concerned with national security, but at the same time have considerable scientific knowledge to contribute to the nation.

Tom Hunter, Sandia's president and director, expressed this view recently in an interview with Sandia Lab News. He said:
"In five years a lot of what is expressed is our hope. My strongest personal hope is that Sandia will be viewed as unique in the way it presents a new perspective on science, the application of science to technology to the nation's most pressing problems. If one wants to experience what it means to come and work with an institution that represents the forefront of science and technology applied to national security and apply it in a new and different way, Sandia would be recognized as a place where that is happening—€¦"

We're pleased to present a thoughtful article by Irving Wladowsky-Berger, IBM's vice president of technical strategy and innovation (Page 9). In it, he observes that the internet has made collaborative innovation easy. "Scientists and engineers now collaborate across continents and oceans in real time," he says, "sharing knowledge, data and insights and cutting innovation cycles dramatically—€¦the internet has scaled the walls of the research lab and has enlarged the internet community to embrace hundreds of millions of people around the globe—€¦people who see things from different points of view. And all of them captivated by the opportunity to collaborate on the myriad challenges of the information-based society."