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Pacific Kelp Forests Are Far Older than We Thought

Researchers scanned newly discovered kelp fossils using x-ray tomography at the ALS. The images provided morphological information about the ancient kelp and, along with isotopic analyses, provided insights into the evolutionary history of northeastern Pacific Ocean kelp forests, which flourished more than 32 million years ago. Read more »

Jillian Hiu, Mechanical Engineering Associate

Growing up in San Jose, Jillian Hiu heard about Berkeley Lab. Now, she’s part of the research mission here, working on components for the QERLIN beamline. Find out how she combines science and art, and how her pet surprised her. Read more »

New Insights Lead to Better Next-Gen Solar Cells

Perovskites show great promise to reduce the costs of solar power but are not yet durable enough to be commercially viable. Researchers used simultaneous characterization techniques to understand why a simplified fabrication process works so well, providing key insights to nudge perovskites closer to commercialization. Read more »

Monika Choudhary, Computing Postdoc

As a postdoc, Monika Choudhary applies computing models to real experimental data at the ALS, work that uses her extensive computer science knowledge and experience. Read more about the path that led her to the ALS and the people she’s met along the way. Read more »

Case Study of Aerosol Particles Influenced by Wildfire

Researchers studied atmospheric aerosols influenced by wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. They examined the connection between particle size, chemical composition, and phase state, in particles collected during the day and at night. The information is important for modeling the effects of wildfire smoke on atmospheric properties. Read more »

Save the Date: 2024 ALS User Meeting

Don’t miss the 2024 ALS User Meeting featuring invited speakers, hands-on workshops, tutorials, and a potential collaborative workshop with the ALS and Molecular Foundry. Exciting discussions await, so mark your calendars for August 12–14. Read more »

Quentin Williams, 2024 Users’ Executive Committee Chair

Living in the Santa Cruz mountains, Quentin Williams spends a lot of time tending to projects on the Earth’s surface, but his professional interests lie thousands of kilometers below. His geosciences research led him to become a long-time user of the ALS, where he is serving as the UEC chair for 2024. Learn more about his work and hear his advice for other ALS users. Read more »

2024 New Year’s Message from Dimitri Argyriou

ALS Director Dimitri Argyriou has not only settled into life in the Bay Area, he has thrown himself wholeheartedly into the ALS community, meeting and planning with staff, users, and beyond. At every occasion, he has been impressed and excited by their enthusiasm and dedication, which will be crucial for the success of the ALS of the future. Read more »

A Bio-Inspired Metal-Organic Framework for Capturing Wellhead Gases

Burning of natural gas at oil and gas wells, called flaring, is a major waste of fossil fuels and a contributor to climate change. In this work, researchers synthesized and characterized a metal-organic framework that uses biomimetic chemistry to convert wellhead gases into economically valuable feedstocks for petrochemical products. Read more »