The rate-limiting step in catalysis involving oxygen uptake was identified through analysis of the reaction pathways and observations performed under operating conditions. The work lays the foundation for improving the efficiency of energy conversion and storage devices such as fuel cells, catalytic reactors, and batteries. Read more »
ALSNews Vol. 417
June 24, 2020
On-Off Switch for Regulating Tumor-Cell Growth
The mechanisms that affect the regulation of cell growth in certain tumor cells were revealed by a Genentech study of enzyme structures, conducted in part at the ALS. The work establishes a framework for the rational discovery of new therapeutics to improve upon currently existing treatments for certain cancers. Read more »
Unexpected Rise in Ferroelectricity as Material Thins
Researchers showed that hafnium oxide surprisingly exhibits enhanced ferroelectricity (reversible electric polarization) as it gets thinner. The work shifts the focus of ferroelectric studies from more complex, problematic compounds to a simpler class of materials and opens the door to novel ultrasmall, energy-efficient electronics. Read more »
How a Cancer Drug Targets Proteins for Degradation
Protein structures obtained by Novartis researchers helped reveal how a cancer drug promotes the degradation of proteins essential to cell proliferation. A detailed understanding of the drug’s mechanism of action is key to determining whether the protein-degradation system can be reprogrammed to degrade different targets. Read more »
Long Chains Stabilize Higher-Efficiency Solar Cells
Perovskite thin films have many attractive properties for use in photovoltaics, but their assembly into practical devices has led to trade-offs between efficiency and stability. The addition of surfactant-type molecules with hydrophobic chains helped produce perovskite solar cells that are both efficient and stable. Read more »
Will Hutcheson, Mechanical Engineering Group Leader
Will Hutcheson has been problem solving since childhood—a necessity growing up on a farm. Playing college football cemented his appreciation for cohesive teams, a mindset that has served him well at Berkeley Lab, the home of team science. Learn more about his vision for the ALS. Read more »
User Town Hall to Address Access and Beamtime
The ALS is planning a town hall for users in July to address the facility’s strategy moving forward for access and beamtime allocation. We’d like to provide you the information we have at this time, as well as hear from you. Details for the town hall will be announced soon in a separate email. In the meantime, please let us know your questions by submitting them to this anonymous form.
Congratulations and Thank You to Our Retirees
Congratulations to Warren Byrne, Mark Coleman, Steve Cooper, Allan DeMello, Linda Griffin, and Jane Tanamachi! Read more »
Register for the 2020 User Meeting
For the first time, the ALS User Meeting will be held virtually—all the science you come for, from the comfort of your own home! Register for free by 7:00 PM (PDT) on Monday, August 24, to receive all the Zoom details. Read more »
ALS in the News (June 2020)
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- This enigmatic protein sculpts DNA to repair harmful damage
- Off the scales: Fish armor both tough and flexible
- Showtime for photosynthesis
- New awards to enable experimental leaps in quantum materials
- Accelerator facilities support COVID-19-related research
- Antibody preventing COVID-19 found, on accelerated track to trials
- 10 lithium-ion battery researchers to watch
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