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An agreement to build new biological research capabilities at Argonne's Advanced Photon Source has been signed by Argonne officials and the directors of two institutes of the National Institutes of Health.
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will build the specialized user facility. It will comprise three new beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source, which produces the nation's most brilliant X-rays for research. Research at the new beamlines will center on structural studies of biological molecules.
"X-ray protein crystallography is a perfect example of the synergy between the health and physical sciences," said J. Murray Gibson, associate laboratory director for the Advanced Photon Source. "We are delighted that the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences are collaborating to build an outstanding new protein crystallography facility at the Advanced Photon Source. They share our confidence that our outstanding X-ray photon source can make a major impact in combating disease."
Marvin Cassman, director of NIGMS, said that expert structural biologists have been working for two years to develop plans for three state-of-the-art beamlines for protein crystallographic data collection. Cassman praised the work of Charles Edmonds and John Norvell of NIGMS, John Sogn and Dinah Singer of NCI, Janet Smith of Purdue University and Bob Fischetti of Argonne for their efforts in developing the beamlines.
"The primary motive for the project is to benefit the scientific community by facilitating access to synchrotron beamlines for protein crystallography. This is particularly important as the structural genomics effort at NIGMS begins to pick up speed," Cassman said.
NCI is interested in how the synchrotron facilities will advance the study of cancer at the molecular level. "Given recent advances in our understanding of how protein signaling affects cancer, we are very hopeful that this exciting new technology will aid us in elucidating the structures of proteins and other molecules," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, NCI director.
X-ray crystallographers determine the three-dimensional shape of a molecule by blasting a beam of X-rays through a crystallized sample of the molecule and then analyzing the pattern of the scattered beam. X-rays are electromagnetic waves like light, except that their "wavelength" is much shorter and on the scale of an atom. Therefore, unlike light, X-rays are directly sensitive to the atomic structure of objects, and so can be used to identify structure. Synchrotrons are particularly powerful X-ray sources, more than one million times more brilliant than a medical X-ray machine. This brilliance is needed to solve complex atomic structures, such as biological molecules. Radiation generated by synchrotrons is also "tunable," meaning that scientists can select the wavelengths of X-rays that are optimal for their experiments.
The NIGMS/NCI beamlines will be designed to optimize certain properties of X-rays most useful for specific biological studies. NIGMS and NCI anticipate that these studies will reveal the structures of proteins and other molecules involved in human health and disease. Scientists can use information about these structures to help develop new medicines and diagnostic techniques. In addition to such structural studies, the new synchrotron beamlines can be used for work in cancer biology, immunology and virology, and basic studies in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology and biophysics.
The beamlines will be custom-designed and constructed by ACCEL GmbH, a company located in Bergish Gladbach, Germany. The three beamlines will be fully operational in about three years.
-- Catherine Foster
Results from Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) projects will be presented at a "mini-symposium" Thursday, March 28, from 2-4 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 203 Auditorium.
The mini-symposium is the second in a new series, giving Argonne technical staff an opportunity to hear about the creative science and engineering sponsored by LDRD from the principal investigators and their collaborators. The symposia may provide valuable insights for other programs and lead to new cross-divisional collaborations.
Additional symposia will be held approximately twice a month. Over time, all recently active LDRD projects will get a chance to be presented.
Nominations are being sought for the 2002 Outstanding Service Awards of the University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne.
The awards recognize employees in support positions whose exemplary service over an extended period has significantly contributed toward helping the laboratory fulfill its missions and attain its goals.
A full-time employee may be nominated for a consistent history of innovative ideas, suggestions or inventions; for sustained leadership, reliability and dependability; or for other particularly valuable on-going contributions to the work of the laboratory.
Awardees will be selected by a committee named by the university. Awards consist of a plaque and $3,000.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 5. Nominations take the form of a one-page statement -- about 250 words -- describing the nominee's achievements and specific reasons for nomination.
The nominating form, ANL-620, is available in the laboratory's forms locator system. Copies also may be obtained by calling Human Resources at ext. 2-2960. Send hard copies in an envelope marked "Confidential" to OSA Committee, Cynthia Sullivan, HR-201.
Argonne graphic designers, photographers, writers and editors have received 25 awards in the Society for Technical Communication (STC) 2001-2002 Chicago-area competition.
The STC is a 20,000-member professional association dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication.
George Joch (IPD) won two
distinguished awards -- the highest award in any individual category -- for his photos "In the
Well" and "Tumor-Detecting Gamma-Ray Lens."
Stanley Niehoff (formerly IPD) and
Daniel Sarro (IPD) carried off one distinguished award apiece, Niehoff for his photo of
"Clay/Polymer Nanocomposite Material" and Sarro for his "Enrico Fermi Centennial Exhibit," which is
on display in the Building 201 lobby. Sarro also won two excellence awards for his promotional
materials on the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source and a state fair exhibit.
Evelyn Brown (OPA), Mary Ann Forys
(IPD) and Judi Damm (contractor) received an excellence award for Frontiers 2002, Argonne's
annual research highlights publication.
Mary Fitzpatrick, Paul Boisvert (both
of IPD) and Cindi Andersen (contractor) won an excellence award for "Technology Snapshot for Toyota
Prius."
Renee Nault and Paul Boisvert (both of
IPD) and Cindi Andersen (contractor) won two excellence awards for "FutureTruck 2001 Competition
Program" and "QuickSite Pocket Folder, Letterhead and Brochures." Nault and Andersen also shared an
excellence award with Victor Comello (IPD) for "Just the Basics" fact sheets.
The STC also awarded 13 awards of merit to other IPD-assisted projects.
The postmark deadline for submitting requests for reimbursement under medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts is Monday, April 1. The usual March 31 deadline falls on a Sunday.
For more information, call Human Resources at ext. 2-2991 (Argonne-East) or ext. 3-7361 (Argonne-West).
Participants are needed for the annual Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee, sponsored by the DuPage County Chapter of Literacy Volunteers of America.
The bee will be held Saturday, April 20, at Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove. For more information or to sign up, contact Pat Canaday (OPA) at ext. 2-5562 or patcanaday@anl.gov by Monday, March 25.
The Energy Systems Division has undergone a partial reorganization as its responsibilities and work load have changed.
Jim Frank has been named director of the new Biodefense and Biotechnology Applications Group. This group comprises three sections:
The Chemical and Biological Technology
Section, led by Seth Snyder.
The Hydrogen and Greenhouse Gas
Engineering Section, under the leadership of Richard Doctor.
The Biodetector Applications, headed
by Darrell Chandler. Chandler comes to Argonne from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture will hold a public meeting to discuss proposed plans for gypsy moth treatment this spring on portions of Argonne-East and areas to the east of the laboratory.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at the Argonne Information Center.
The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of North America's most devastating forest pests. The species originally evolved in Europe and Asia. In either 1868 or 1869, the gypsy moth was accidentally introduced near Boston. The gypsy moth is known to feed on the foliage of hundreds of species of plants in North America, but its most common hosts are oaks and aspen.
Argonne News will provide more information if a decision is made to treat portions of the laboratory site.
Fannie May candy will be for sale at 15 percent off retail prices March 27-28 in Argonne-East's Building 213 Cafeteria. It will be available from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. both days.
The Lemont Area Historical Society will host a presentation on "Discoveries by Women" by Argonne retiree Caroline Herzenberg at its meeting on Tuesday, March 26.
The meeting will be held at the Old Stone Church Museum, 306 Lemont St., at 7 p.m.
Herzenberg has been involved for many years with women's studies and published a book, "Their Day in the Sun -- Women of the Manhattan Project" about the role of women in atomic energy research. She will bring copies for signing or sale.
More information about Herzenberg's book is online.
The Argonne Engineering Golf League is seeking golfers for the 2002 season. The league plays Wednesday afternoons at the Carriage Greens Golf Club in Darien.
The league begins April 10 and ends Aug. 31 with an 18-hole event, dinner, prizes and awards.
Interested golfers are welcome to attend an organizational meeting Tuesday, March 26, from noon - 1 p.m. in Building 401, Room A1100. Door prizes will be awarded.
Additional information is available on the golf league's Web site, or send e-mail to Marge Collins at mcollins@anl.gov.
Representatives of Fidelity Investments, TIAA/CREF and Prudential Financial will visit Argonne-East during the month of April to answer questions about retirement plans and retirement plan assets.
To schedule an appointment, call the number listed below.
Fidelity Investments: Tuesday, April
9, and Tuesday, April 23. (800) 642-7131.
TIAA-CREF: Monday, April 15,
and Tuesday, April 16. (800) 842-2005.
Prudential Financial: Wednesday, April
3, and Wednesday, April 17. (847) 619-3519.
Service Awards for March include:
40 Years
Bernard J. Kestel (MSD), Leroy Moore (PFS).
35 Years
Joanne I. Day (APS).
30 Years
Edward J. Mickulas (OSS), Yong W. Shin (RAE), Ronette M. Stec (OCF).
25 Years
John D. Ditmars (EA), Joseph Harmon (ET), William S. Mosevich (TD), Michele M. Nelson (IPD), Pamela J. Styka (XFD), Joyce A. Taylor (OCF).
20 Years
Judith A. McCabe (RPS), Robert G. Pahl, Jr. (ENT), Cynthia M. Putty (PFS), Elliott G. Rolle (FAC).
15 Years
Ralph R. Bechtold (ASD), Terrence E. Hylka (PFS), George R. Lawhorn (PFS), James E. McKiernan (PFS), Donald T. Reed (CMT).
10 Years
Gregory Barrett (EQO), Patricia Cameli (ASD), Deborah Clayton (OTT), Joseph Cooney (PFS), Gregory Dely (EQO), Thomas Gailus (PFS), Charles Gold (AOD), Lohman Hafenrichter (CMT), Juanita Hayes (PFS), Sharon M. Homer (PFS), Douglas Horan (ASD), Gaylen Kuehl (PFS), Mary Malik (EQO), William McGee (PFS), Michael Phelan (ASD), Ronald Richardson (PFS), Garrett Rinehart (IPNS), Charlyne Robinson (HR), Darie Smith (PFS), Martin Smith (AOD), Robert Tesar (PFS), Deborah M. Waters (OCF).
5 Years
Manoel Conde (HEP), Tim D. Horrocks (FAC), Robert M. Lill (AOD), Jessica L. McHenry (OPA), Rebecca A. Nelson (RPS), Constance J. Rekar (OCF), Constance A. Vanni (UPD), Gary Wiederrecht (CHM), Gregory M. Wojciechowski (LEG).