Berkeley Lab and ALS Status
The ALS is committed to supporting the science of our users, and we’re looking forward to welcoming back more on-site users this fall while continuing to support some remote experiments. The implementation of Berkeley Lab’s COVID policies will mean changes in our user onboarding processes and onsite work protocols to help ensure everyone’s health and safety.
Berkeley Lab’s COVID safety protocols for users and staff align with the latest Cal/OSHA, DOE, and University of California guidance. LBNL and the ALS require all users who enter or expect to enter any Lab site to provide proof of vaccination or have an approved exception in place. Distancing rules for fully vaccinated people have been lifted and face coverings are required indoors for everyone. Please be aware that there may be modifications as conditions and circumstances change, so always consult with the ALS beamline staff and the ALS User Office prior to arranging any travel.
The most up-to-date details on the Lab’s status can be found here.
COVID Protocols
Berkeley Lab’s COVID-19 prevention controls are divided into two “protocols” based on vaccination status.
Protocol A: Applies to users who are fully vaccinated (see below) for COVID-19 and who will not be required to maintain physical distance from others, whether indoors or outdoors. Face coverings are required indoors.
Protocol B: Applies to users who have an approved medical, disability, or religious exception or pregnancy deferment in place. Additional COVID protocols will remain in place, including physical distancing and the wearing of face coverings, and completing a weekly COVID-19 test offered free at the lab. Work within 6 feet of others will require the use of LBNL-issued respirators and additional training.
Prior to a user’s beamtime, ALS beamline staff will determine experiment feasibility including which protocol must be followed to conduct a particular experiment, but we expect that most user work conducted directly at ALS endstations will require being within 6 feet of others for extended periods. Full vaccination of all on-site users, evidenced by an official vaccine record, is therefore strongly preferred.
To be counted as fully vaccinated, you need to have had a vaccine recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO), with the final dose administered at least 2 weeks prior to access to the ALS. More information on the Lab’s guidelines is available here. Users traveling from outside the Bay Area may also need to get COVID-19 tests prior to and during their stay at LBNL.
All of the above is subject to change based on continued evolving conditions. Should you have any questions, please contact us at alsuser@lbl.gov.
On-Site and Mail-in Sample Access
- If you plan to come on site in the fall, please follow instructions in the User Guide. Additional time will be needed to review the vaccine information that users will be asked to provide during the registration process and to establish work protocols for each user experiment. Please be advised that the vaccine verification and badging process will take up to 4–8 weeks.
- Please review the Shipping and Receiving guide to ship samples to the ALS for remote/mail-in access.
Have additional questions about ALS access, COVID protocols, or travel? Read our frequently asked questions (FAQs) document.
COVID-19 Research Capabilities at the ALS
A number of the ALS-ENABLE crystallography beamlines, soft x-ray tomography (2.1), and the BioSAXS beamline (12.3.1), are available for remote collection and service operations in support of COVID-19 research. Please apply through the RAPIDD proposal process.
Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences light sources want to ensure they are doing everything possible to enable research into the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the search for effective vaccines or other treatments. The DOE supports research into structural biology in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health and other partners. This portal collects relevant structural biology resources in a single location, listing their basic characteristics and a point of contact for each.
