Number 23 February 2001

Good PROSPECT ORNL group’s software unravels protein structure puzzle Life Sciences Division group has placed plus and minus charges and other factors, such Ahigh in an international competition to as how its amino acids react to water. The predict, through computer modeling, one of folding problem then becomes a mathematical the most complex puzzles nature presents to problem: We solve for the folded state with a scientists—how a protein will fold itself into a minimal energy because the protein will convoluted yet meaningful tangle. naturally fold in a way that minimizes the Predicting those protein structures is the key potential energy.” to understanding gene function and putting to The Life Sciences group has work the vast body of knowledge attained developed a computer program called from the mapping of the human genome. PROSPECT. The PROtein Life Sciences’ Computational Protein Structure Prediction and Structure group—Dong Xu, Oakley Crawford, Evaluation Computer Toolkit Phil LoCascio and Ying Xu—placed sixth out enables them to predict in three of 123 teams that entered the Fourth Critical dimensions what shape a protein Assessment of Techniques for Protein sequence—the strand of protein Structure Prediction Experiment, called represented by the line of CASP. The competition tests researchers’ letters—will assume. Proteins fold A ability to predict how a strand of complex into complex shapes, creating predicted protein, which is represented by a long “active areas” or sites that enable the protein sequence of letters representing amino acids, folded proteins to interact with other structure the will fold itself into a shape that often re- proteins. Those interactions accomplish a Life Sciences group sembles an expensive bow on a birthday complex biological function, much in the way modeled for CASP. present. that the gears in a watch mesh together into a Group leader Ying Xu says those shapes functioning machine. aren’t as random as they seem. Physical forces “A gene is translated into a protein se- diffraction crystallography. But that’s a determine that shape, and how the proteins are quence, and then the structure of that tedious, expensive process. shaped determines their functions and sequence is determined. From the shape of “You can crystallize a protein and take properties. those protein structures you can derive their X-ray pictures of it and eventually solve the “Protein amino acids have potential biological function,” Ying explains. structure, but it could take months to years to energy—the atoms have charges,” he explains. Researchers can already determine protein do one protein and it’s expensive—it can cost “A protein folds a certain way because of the structures experimentally through X-ray (See PROTEIN, page 4) Parking: Plans allow for slots ast fall’s announcement of the Facilities Revitalization Project L elicited two questions that remain foremost in the minds of many Lab staff members. “Will I get one of those new offices?” and “Where in blazes am I going to park?” Lab planners can shed some light on question two. New R&D buildings will occupy most of what is now the east parking lot, the Lab’s largest. Construction will also require major traffic pattern changes. ORNL officials recognized those facts from the outset and enlisted the firm of Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon to do a traffic study that began last fall. “The first concern we heard from anybody and everybody was parking,” says the Facilities Revitalization Project’s Keith Dempsey.“We started looking early at where we could make up for lost spaces. Several initial approaches were studied: modify existing lots, create new ones, localize parking near buildings and, of course, devise an appropriate traffic pattern If you put the October Reporter’s drawing of the new Lab on your to get employees conveniently to a parking location. The overall intent was refrigerator, replace it with this one. It’s the latest version of the east to provide a combination of large parking and smaller satellite areas, all of side, with the 4500 complex at top center. The forum building, which which meet both the city of Oak Ridge zoning requirements for parking was sited near the main entrance, is now closer to the swan pond. The and are a very short walking distance to employee work areas.” new plan preserves space for parking. (See PARKING, page 6) Quality of Work Life survey: Increase pension multiplier RNL staff members almost overwhelm- highly among employees ages 20 to 30. must be weighed with financial support the O ingly want an increase in the pension “People also tended to vote their pocket- state has already made to ORNL in the form multiplier, according to a just-completed books, with items relating to pensions, tuition, of tax relief for the Spallation Neutron Source Quality of Work Life survey. They would also frequent flyer miles and financial planning and commitments in the tens of millions of like to see more periodic communications ranking highly,” says Steve. dollars toward new facilities, all coming at a from the Lab director. Employees were very clear in their desire time when the state is struggling to raise Two-thirds of ORNL staff members, for better communication from management. revenue. Likewise, the limited resources presented with a chance to express their views Besides the desire for more messages from the available to UT-Battelle, combined with the on what they would most like to see improve Lab director, a call for more “all-hands” $1.6 million obligation for the American at the Lab, took advantage of it. Ombudsman meetings just missed the top 10, placing at Museum of Science and Energy, makes the Steve Stow says the 2149 responses are number 12. Increased contact with division fixed-fee contractor much less able to offer “extraordinary,” giving the Leadership Team managers placed at number 23. Enhanced matching contributions, at least until the a clear idea of employee preferences. AMSE financial issues are resolved. “And we “It shows a need,” said Lab Director Bill Employees clearly desire better are working overtime on the AMSE,” says Madia at the January 18 Senior Staff Meeting. Billy (see Lab Notes, page 3). Bill unveiled the top 10 preferences during communication from management. UT-Battelle is currently putting together a the meeting. Increasing the pension multiplier scholarship program for students whose was the top choice of 896 respondents, while communication on technical achievements parents are ORNL employees. 544 said they wanted to hear more from the ranked 16th, and a statement of values from Respondents’ most frequently written-in Lab director himself. UT-Battelle management ranked 25th. comment was to give more vacation time to Completing the top 10, with the number of Some staff desires are already being new hires (the policy currently provides two respondents who preferred them overall, are considered or acted upon. Madia and Human weeks vacation for the first five years, which Resources and Diversity Programs Director many view as a recruiting disincentive) while 3. On-site fitness center: 497 Darryl Boykins said at the Senior Staff other write-ins were related to part-time 4. Tuition reduction at UT and other “core” Meeting that some sort of pension benefit employment issues. universities: 478 enhancement was being actively considered Lab employees can look at the results of the 5. UT-Battelle matching contributions: 353 and could be enacted as soon as this summer. QWL survey at the internal Web site at www- 6. Improved physical facilities: 338 Vacated space is being considered for an on- internal.ornl.gov/cind/lifesurvey/ 7. Personal use of frequent flyer benefits: site fitness center until a new facility can be priorities.htm.—B.C. 296 built in the future, and jogging and walking 8. Financial planning assistance: 293 trails (14th) are being considered for the New 9. Phased retirement program: 289 Campus Initiative. Improved physical 10. Floating holidays: 283 facilities have been a goal of the UT-Battelle Briefs Leadership Team since they arrived on the job Steve noted some trends in his initial last April. A new report, “NIOSH Assessment of analysis of the data. Some of them are logical. Several high-ranking staff priorities—such Information Needed for the Evaluation of “Interest in the pension multiplier increases as floating holidays and frequent-flyer policy Health Effects Due to Occupational Expo- with age,” he says. “On the other hand, changes—can be achieved with minimal or sures for DOE Site Remediation Workers,” interest in tuition assistance decreases with even no cost, Steve points out. summarizes the findings of two National age, as people emerge from their academic Other wishes are more problematical. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health years, as well as interest in a child care Tuition reductions, says Communications and projects conducted to determine if records facility, which ranked at number 30, but very Community Outreach Director Billy Stair, currently collected by DOE sites allow accurate identification of current remediation workers and their exposure, work history and medical information. The report presents NIOSH concerns and recommendations for consideration by DOE in identifying appro- priate corrective measures. Copies of the is published for the employees and report are available at the DOE reading room, retirees of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 230 Warehouse Road, Suite 300, Oak Ridge. which is managed and operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by The mileage allowance for personal vehicle UT-Battelle. use during approved business travel, includ- ing local travel, has increased to 34.5 cents Bill Cabage, editor Curtis Boles per mile, which matches the current 2001 Phone 574-4399 standard IRS mileage rates. E-mail [email protected] The I&C Division’s Anthony Seay works in the Computer W-2 statements for the year 2000 were Deborah Barnes, associate editor and Network Support group, mailed to ORNL employees in January. Phone 576-0470 which makes his smile very Employees who were on the payroll before E-mail [email protected] welcome if you have computer April 2000 should have received two fax: 574-1001 troubles. He lives in Powell. mailings; one statement from Lockheed On the Web: www.ornl.gov/reporter Martin Energy Research and one from UT- Battelle. Any employees who have questions or did not receive their statements should DOE Inspector General Hotline: 1-800-541-1625 contact Payroll Services at 574-9103. 2 February 2001 in 1977, ORNL was able information technology bill attached to it, to respond in force. Of which threatened its passage. the 100 technologies Wamp, who was eventually able to get the they feature, 10 of them amendment excised from the measure, are ORNL technologies. expressed his own gratitude to folks like Two of those made a AMSE Program Manager Kaye Johnson, short list: R&D to UT-Battelle leaders and Rep. Bart Gordon, improve refrigeration who helped shepherd the bill through the devices, from the Energy House Science Committee. Division’s Buildings Technology Center, and Lab-on-a-Chip technology, led by Researcher refuses to wash hands the Chemical and Analytical Sciences Computational Physics and Engineering Division’s Mike Ramsey. They received Division researcher Jerry Dobson is also Energy@23 awards (23 years of DOE), director of exploration for the American Home is where the X-rays are selected by a citizen panel that judged them Geographical Society, which recently invited “Disappointed but understood.” That’s how on their benefit to the American public, a noteworthy and famous group to sign the Basic Energy Sciences Deputy Director Pat contribution to U.S. competitiveness in the AGS’s symbolic Fliers’ and Explorers’ Globe. Dehmer described her feelings, which pretty global marketplace and potential for signifi- Jerry emceed the ceremony in well reflected most reactions to David cant growth. in December. Moncton’s decision to relinquish leadership of The other eight ORNL technologies that Honorees included Don Walsh and Jacques the Spallation Neutron Source project in favor made the Energy 100 are Piccard (deepest ocean dive, 1960); Neil of the Advanced Photon Source X-ray facility ¥ Ordered Intermetallic Alloys—Nickel and Armstrong (first man on the Moon, 1969); at Argonne. Iron Aluminides Bertrand Piccard (represented by his son) and David was called on to lead the SNS out of ¥ Energy-Efficient Large Commercial Brian Jones (first circumnavigation of Earth troubled waters two years ago, mainly on the Absorption Chiller by balloon, 1999); Bill Ryan (discovered strength of the reputation he gained for getting ¥ National Energy Audit (NEAT) 5,000,000-year-old Mediterranean Sea the APS efficiently completed. At an all- ¥ CFC/HCFC Alternatives for the Building inundation and 7,500-year-old Black Sea hands meeting of SNS staff shortly after the Sector inundation); and Walter Pitman (co-discov- announcement, he said the lure of watching ¥ Parallel Virtual Machine ered Black Sea inundation). the APS bloom as a research facility was too ¥ RABiTS (Rolling-Assisted-Biaxially- The AGS’s globe has already been signed strong to ignore. Textured-Substrates) by the likes of Charles Lindberg, Amelia David cited the “desire to stay close to the ¥ Durable, Energy-Efficient Lighting for Earhart, Sir Edmund Hillary, Admiral Robert evolving science” at the APS as a factor that Public Housing Peary, Matthew Hensen, Richard Byrd, Roald led him to choose Illinois over Tennessee. ¥ Electronic Notebook V1.10 Amundsen, Wiley Post and John Glenn. (See The APS, he said, is “on the verge of some it at www.geoplace.com/gw/1999/1199/ extraordinary scientific productivity.” It is, 1199gng.asp). after all, his baby. AMSE hails its act of Congress Jerry introduced moonwalker Armstrong to He has commuted between labs and his Rep. Zach Wamp took a break from a diver Walsh, which means he “had the rare family resides in Chicago. He has a son at transitioning nation’s capital on January 10 to privilege of introducing the man who went the Northwestern University. greet a crowd of well-wishers at the American deepest to the man who went the highest, an David told the staffers he had “no concerns Museum of Science and Energy. They wanted event that can only have happened once whatsoever” over the project’s prospects for to thank him for his work toward passage of before (when Armstrong met Piccard) and completion.” ORNL Director Bill Madia, HR 4577, which allows AMSE to keep can’t happen again unless someone lands on Dehmer and BES’s Iran Thomas all praised contributions and other proceeds. Previously, Mars and returns while Walsh and Piccard are David for building support for the SNS such funds had to be returned to the U.S. still alive.” throughout the science community and the Treasury. government. The bill, passed late last month and signed Reported by Bill Cabage The search for his replacement is on a fast into law by President track. The ORNL director has put together a Clinton on Decem- panel from some of the six participating labs ber 21, is expected to to help him find a new executive project help ensure the long- director, either from within the lab system or term financial someone from the U.S. or international stability of the research community. precariously funded “We are looking for a person with a proven museum. track record for building large, complex “You’d think such facilities on time and on budget,” Bill says, a bill would be easy adding that he has already collected “a to pass, but it was surprising number of highly qualified names.” difficult,” said the congressman. Somewhere in the Lab technologies pepper the 100 list legislative process the When DOE set out to make a list of on-the-surface technologies that have improved the lives of “straightforward and Lynn Freeny consumers since Energy became a department simple” bill got a Zach Wamp chats with of of two school groups that came to the AMSE to $400 million thank him for his efforts in Washington on behalf of the museum. Oak Ridge National Laboratory 3 Protein Continued from page 1 around $200,000 per protein,” says Ying. SP/3, to model protein structures. But it’s still PROSPECT is far from 100 percent accu- It also takes very high-tech equipment, such time consuming. rate, “yet,” as Ying says. But the recent, fourth as the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne. “To solve these structures directly takes a CASP competition indicates that the software “The human body has approximately long time,” Ying says. “It’s not practical to program in some instances comes very close to 100,000 proteins, and you want to understand solve every protein, even with a predicting the known shape of some protein them,” Ying says. “The next large effort after supercomputer.” sequences—good enough to place sixth out of the Human Genome Project is the structural But it’s here that nature offers research- 123 “useful” CASP4 entries. The Life genomics project, in which researchers ers a break. About 10,000 protein Sciences group placed highest among will work to solve those 100,000 structures to date have been solved, DOE entries. structures and determine their and from those Protein structure modeling will functions. But X-ray diffrac- solutions enable scientists to take the informa- tion would take a long time scientists have tion from the Human Genome and cost enormous amount of estimated that Project and determine the function money.” there are only about of genes from the proteins that they Thus comes computer modeling and 1,000 or so unique encode. PROSPECT, which uses algorithms to structural folds in nature. The modeling research is calculate the many variables a protein This knowledge allows Ying especially interesting to the bio- sequence presents. The Protein Structure and his colleagues to use a science community, particularly to group has used PROSPECT with one of special approach called pharmaceutical industry researchers. ORNL’s new supercomputers, the IBM protein threading to fold DOE also is interested. One of the proteins. Life Sciences group’s proposed projects “We place a protein sequence with PROSPECT is to map the genomes The two images are protein structures. The one onto a known structure and see if it’s a good of microorganisms that can ingest pollutants. on the left is the product of experimental match,” Ying says. “By using protein thread- Knowing exactly what it is about their genetic analysis of a protein sequence. The one on the ing and matching with a known template, it makeup that allows them to do that could be right, which bears striking similarities, is a takes only a few hours instead of months to very valuable to the agency’s environmental computer modeled image of the same protein solve one protein structure. And a few dollars, restoration mission. sequence. comparatively speaking.”

Obesity-related gene in mouse discovered at ORNL

ome mice born at ORNL during the past body’s energy balance. If female mice Thanks to the availability of improved S holiday season have grown dangerously possessing this mutated gene are mated with technologies, ORNL researchers have defined fat, even though they have been on a low-fat males having different genetic backgrounds, the small region on mouse chromosome 7 that diet since birth. Although they do not appear the offspring may not become obese, suggest- contains the p gene and its neighbors. Using overweight, these mice have a mutated gene ing they have genes that code for proteins that recombinant DNA techniques, they identified that plays a strong role in causing obesity in suppress fat accumulation. and characterized genes from this small region the form of internal fat deposits that are Humans and mice are genetically similar in the normal mouse. In mutant mice they hazardous to their health. and produce similar proteins. In humans, have identified behavioral oddities, internal The gene was discovered by Madhu Dhar, chromosome 15 is similar to chromosome 7 in defects and disorders such as epilepsy and postdoctoral fellow from the University of the mouse. Tennessee working in the laboratory of The ORNL group has been Dabney Johnson, head of the Mammalian focusing on chromosome 7 in and Genomics section in ORNL’s the mouse for some time. In Life Sciences Division. the 1950s ORNL geneticists “We have found that the normal mouse has Bill and Liane Russell a gene on chromosome 7 that probably plays a irradiated mice and observed role in the transport of fat from the blood into that some of their offspring fat cells, where fat is stored as a source of who survived had a pinkish energy to keep the body healthy,” Johnson coat and pink eyes instead of says. “If a mutant form of this gene is normal gray-brown fur inherited from the mother in certain genetic pigmentation and dark eyes. It backgrounds, the offspring grow 35 to 50 was later determined that the percent fatter by middle age than does a radiation knocked out DNA normal mouse, even though they are eating from a coat-color gene, called food low in fat.” the pink-eye marker (p), on Unlike some known mouse obesity genes mouse chromosome 7. that can act all alone to cause excessive body Neighboring genes also were fat, the ORNL researchers have shown that the deleted or altered in some Curtis Boles chromosome 7 gene must act in concert with irradiated mice, and the Madhu Dhar, a postdoc fellow from the University of Tennessee, other genes involved in maintaining the defects were passed on. places a mouse into the MicroCAT system developed at ORNL.

4 February 2001 New management systems: In the meantime, PROSPECT, which was developed with funding from clearing up workplace confusion DOE’s Office of Biological and BY FAY FREDERICK Environmental Research, has become a RNL staff members have heard that the Lab is moving to the Standards-Based licensed software product. The software OManagement System, or SBMS. Management systems—and SBMS—are new terms. You prediction system runs on 184 nodes are no doubt eager to learn what these new terms mean and how they will affect your work. Here (each node has four processors) on the are some of the questions we’ve been hearing: Lab’s IBM SP/3, which can thread up “Will it change the way we operate as a Laboratory?” to 100 proteins a day against 2000 “Will it improve our policies, procedures and guidelines?” protein templates. ORNL’s expertise at “Will it better define my roles and responsibilities?” modeling combined with its computa- “Will it reduce costs?” tional power positions the Lab to play a “Will it make my job easier? major role in the next step for the Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes! human genome project: structural You could say that operating our Laboratory by management systems is a second stage of our genomics. initial re-engineering efforts. Converting to management systems will enable us to follow through And if you’re one of those who with those improvements as well as others. Management systems are designed to support the worries that computers are becoming so research we do as a Laboratory and provide a product our R&D customer wants and needs. advanced that they will soon dominate That’s what re-engineering is all about. and control our lives, take comfort in Management systems will change the way we operate as a Laboratory. They are similar to the fact that the first-place winner of what we currently call functional policy areas, but are fully integrated with emphasis on the work CASP4, Alex Murzin of Cambridge process rather than organizational alignment. When developed and approved, the complete set of University, did his calculations in his management systems will define how we do business at ORNL. head, without supercomputers. Converting to management systems will clarify and streamline our policies and procedures, More information about PROSPECT making it much easier for staff to perform their work. We often wade through long and confus- can be found at http:// ing policies, procedures and guidelines usually developed as a response to audits or auditors, not compbio.ornl.gov/structure/prospect/. for the staff who use them. But before we can even wade through these documents, we must find —B.C. them. This is no easy task. They are located in multiple areas on the Web, in hard-copy manuals, in division specific documents, etc. With SBMS, all documents are located on a single Web site and written in simple, clear and concise language, which saves valuable time and reduces We often wade through frustration for the user. SBMS procedures developed and used at other labs are about one-fourth the size of our current long and confusing procedures and provide step-by-step instructions for the user. policies, procedures and Management systems will improve the way we manage our R&D business and make us very competitive in today’s market. guidelines usually obesity caused by the absence or Other labs have achieved remarkable results and cost savings alteration of certain neighboring genes developed as a response using this approach. on chromosome 7. From this informa- What is SBMS? The Standards-Based Management System to audits or auditors, not tion on genetic material gone awry, provides the infrastructure needed for us to document and they can determine the function of the deploy all other management systems. It is also the tool we use for the staff who use them. normal genes in this chromosome to manage and document our contract requirements and region. management expectations and convert those requirements into Johnson says that, like humans, mice easy-to-use documents for the staff. Documents for SBMS are designed with extensive stake- deposit fat in their bodies in different holder involvement, thus making them extremely accurate and very usable on the job. patterns that are genetically controlled. We will also need to collect and streamline our policies for use in SBMS. We currently have This distribution of fat deposits in mice policies in ORNL directives, division procedures, office guides and in many other areas. During with the obesity gene has been the initial phase of SBMS development, we have collected about four notebooks full of policies observed in three dimensions by Mike and policy statements, many of which I did not know existed—and I have worked with require- Paulus and Shaun Gleason in ORNL’s ments for 10 years! It is difficult to comply with requirements that you don’t know exist. Instrumentation and Controls Division. SBMS will also clearly define staff roles and responsibilities, which currently are extremely They have imaged internal fat deposits difficult to gather from the scattering of policies, procedures and job descriptions. During SBMS in mice using the MicroCAT miniature development, Human Resources and your division management will assess a complete set of X-ray computerized tomography staff roles and responsibilities and will further define the authority and accountability of staff in system they developed. Using special carrying out their roles and responsibilities. software, they have determined the The new acronym for defined roles, responsibilities, authorities and accountabilities is size and weight of those fat deposits. (R2A2s). R2A2s, along with other planned improvements through SBMS, will greatly improve Dhar’s research was funded by the our understanding of what is needed to continue to perform as a world-class R&D laboratory. National Institutes of Health, and the If you haven’t had an opportunity to attend one of the SBMS orientation training sessions, I findings were published in a paper in a encourage you to do so. We will be offering additional sessions in the near future and will recent issue of Physiological advertise them on ORNL Today and through your division training officer. If you would like Genomics. —Carolyn Krause additional information regarding management systems or SBMS, call Fay Frederick at 576-1460 or Teresa Childs at 576-5388.

The Office of Training Services’ Fay Frederick is leading the training campaign for manage- ment systems.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory 5 Lab researchers’ detection system Parking may help stop tree-killing beetle Continued from page 1 Although the parking study looked at traffic n invasion of tree-destroying Asian identify the presence of telltale characteristics. and parking during and after construction, the A longhorned beetles could be slowed or “We’ll then incorporate these algorithms immediate concern is for 2001 to 2004, perhaps stopped with a larvae detection into a prototype instrument that can detect the during the construction of the new facilities system being developed by ORNL bugs and determine if the infestation is by the on the east parking lot. researchers. Asian longhorned beetle,” Smith said. “Our studies are looking at how we should Larvae from the beetles, which are native to Initial results gained with acoustic sensors route traffic around the construction,” says China and Korea, are inadvertently imported and a laptop computer loaded with the Keith. “We’ll look at new entrances consis- into the nestled inside the wood algorithms are encouraging. tent with the open campus theme and, more of shipping crates containing a host of “Our algorithms have been successful in importantly, find additional parking.” products. Within days of their arrival, beetles detecting larvae in sample logs and in trees in New parking—estimates are that the Lab are out boring into trees, where they lay eggs. natural settings,” Smith said, “but we still will realize a net gain of about 300 spaces— The larvae start eating the tree’s cambium, the need to analyze data from various larvae may include the area where the 6026 trailers layer that generates new cells, disrupting its stages, different woods and different insects to are now, an expanded “flagpole lot” in front nutrient-transport- see if our of Building 4500-North that will be accessible ing vessels. algorithms can via Fifth Street from the north parking lot, and Eventually, the discriminate possibly a new lot on the recently filled trees die. It’s a these effects.” retainment basins on the southwest end of the problem that has a Researchers campus, with possibly better access across the lot of people have discovered creek from the current south parking lot. In concerned. that because addition, a revised traffic pattern, which “These beetles, young larvae would effectively create a south perimeter which grow to feed at the wood- road, is being considered that would provide more than an inch bark interface, access from Bethel Valley Road to the new or in length, can where the expanded lots. cause billions of material is softer, In the works are other plans that will affect dollars in damage the vibrations are traffic in and near the campus. They include to forests and to smaller in traffic-calming measures such as islands or the maple syrup, amplitude. Older circles, improved signage and landscaping lumber and A close-up of the hardwood-munching Asian larvae feed on the along Bethel Valley Road at ORNL. These tourism indus- longhorned beetle interior wood and improvements are intended to help slow down tries,” said Cyrus produce larger traffic on Bethel Valley Road, discourage Smith of the Instrumentation and Controls amplitude vibrations, which are easier to commercial through-traffic and give drivers Division. detect. This is significant and should help in the notion that they have just arrived at (These beetles are different from the detecting larvae at ports of entry because “someplace special.” southern pine beetles that have ravaged stands crating material is made from interior wood The impression, Keith says, will be that of pine trees on the Oak Ridge Reservation. that contains more mature larvae. “you’re entering a campus instead of driving The ORR’s nemesis is a native species that Once the operation and accuracy of the by a plant.” takes advantage of favorable conditions to prototype instrument have been documented “No doubt there will be some inconve- infest pine forests.) in the field, the technology will be transferred niences while construction is under way, but The Asian longhorned beetles’ favorite U.S. to an industrial partner for commercialization we are going to do everything we can to targets are maples, horsechestnuts, black and miniaturization.—Ron Walli minimize disruption,” says Keith.—B.C. locusts, elms, birches, willows and poplars. Already, they have infested thousands of trees in New York and Chicago. The only effective means to eliminate the beetle is to cut infected REDC, HFIR get spacecraft fuel role trees and destroy them by chipping or n one of his last acts as head of DOE, the facility. burning. I former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson “Over next several years we’ll put in Visual inspection of crates and trees is signed a record of decision that gives ORNL a production capacity to make the targets, then difficult and ineffective, so Smith and major role in supporting deep-space explora- later to do the chemical processing to recover colleagues at ORNL are developing a hand- tion for NASA. The Lab will perform the Pu-238 oxide, which will be shipped to held instrument that identifies the vibrations chemical processing to recover plutonium-238 Los Alamos, where they make the fuel made by the larvae as they feed on the wood. from irradiated targets, which will then be pellets,” Bob says. Their goal is to develop an instrument that can used to power interplanetary spacecraft such The record of decision signed January 19 distinguish the Asian longhorned beetle larvae as Galileo and Cassini. ends a long decision process that also from other insects and identify the larvae at It means, for ORNL, a long-term program considered restarting the Fast Flux Test different stages of maturity. that is expected to be funded at up to Reactor at Hanford, which will now be To develop the instrument, Smith, Glenn $12 million a year for the forseeable future, permanently deactivated. Allgood and Dale Treece, also of the I&C says Bob Wham of the Radiochemical ORNL’s role in the NASA deep-space Division, are gathering vibration data from Engineering Development Center. REDC, missions goes back several years. The Lab these beetles and other insects as they feed. which will process targets irradiated at Idaho has been involved in the manufacture of the Researchers are analyzing the information and National Engineering and Environmental reactor thermal generators that contain the Pu developing algorithms—mathematical Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor and at oxide fuel, and the iridium alloy that safely solutions to solve complex problems—to help ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor, could encapsulates the fuel was developed in the realize up to $40 million in improvements to Metals and Ceramics Division.—B.C.

6 February 2001 Noted ORNL physicist P.R. Bell dies Service ersa Raymond “P.R.” Bell, a renowned Physics Division. He was 69. Anniversaries He helped design control systems for the Pphysicist and a nuclear medicine pioneer, January Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator and died January 10 in Oak Ridge. He was 87. 44 years: Howard A. McLain, Energy the American Museum of Science and Energy P.R. started a career at ORNL that began in 35 years: Richard (Dick) G. Haire, Chemical and electronics for an electron accelerator at 1946 and continued until he retired in 1978, & Analytical Sciences Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute in New except for a stint at NASA’s Lunar Receiving 30 years: M.L. Bentley, Procurement; Ellis J. York. One of his earlier systems was used for Laboratory in Houston, where he was in Jackson, Business Operations; Jim R. radiation monitoring throughout ORNL. charge of analyzing samples brought back Lawson, Spallation Neutron Source; Kent A. from the Apollo moon missions. Williams, Engineering Technology He won the Langstreth Medal for his 25 years: Boyd M. Beets, Instrumentation & pioneering work in nuclear medicine and, Tax help available from VITA Controls; Julia L. Bishop, Metals & Ceramics; according to Director Emeritus Alvin ITA—the Internal Revenue Service’s Mitch L. Conner, Office of Radiation Weinberg, was one of the first to suggest that VVolunteer Income Tax Assistance Protection; Wayne Huckaby and Teddie E. carbon dioxide was being produced by the program, is available from January 29 through Welch, Jr., Plant and Equipment; Wayne E. melting of methane hydrates. April 16 at the Oak Ridge Mall. Kohlrieser, Instrumentation and Controls- P.R.’s work in improving scintillation IRS-trained volunteers will be available to Technical Support Section; D.J. Naus, instruments for detecting radiation levels and provide free tax assistance from 3 to 8 p.m. Engineering Technology; John R. Slaten, energies—a great boon to the field of every Monday through Friday and on Satur- Office of Radiation Protection dosimetry—was also applied to medical uses. days from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. No 20 years: Delena L. Akers Fusion Energy; The medical scanners physicians and patients appointment is necessary. Free e-filing is Brenda L. Baber, Casper W. Brummett, and depend on so much today have their begin- available. Hugo K. Hughes Jr., Plant and Equipment; nings with P.R. Bell’s improved scintillation Those seeking help in preparing their Charles A. Baldwin, Clifford C. Davisson, spectrometers. income tax returns should bring their tax Michael Howell, and Gwendolyn M. Sims, package and their W-2 forms, their 1099 Metals & Ceramics; C. L. Coomer and James H. Todd statements and other tax records, including last Frederick P. Griffin, Engineering Technology; Friends and relatives note the death, on year’s return, with them. Frank V. Damiano, Contracts; Patricia M. November 20, of James H. Todd of Lenoir Retirees John Murray and Mike Lundin are Garnet, Laboratory Logistical Services; City. Jim worked at ORNL from 1959 to the Oak Ridge coordinators of this free public Robert D. Lively, Instrumentation and 1991, most of the time in the then Neutron service program. ControlsÐTechnical Support; Jane M. McConnell, Finance and Accounting; Debbie J. Moore, Life Sciences; B.T. Rhyne, Compu- tational Physics and Engineering; Ralph W. Retirements Sharpe, Computing, Information and Net- To arrange for a portrait, call Deborah Barnes, 576-0470 working; Betty V. Shelton, Laboratory Waste Services Organization; Twana F. Taylor, Janice Moody has retired from the Office of Quality Services; Gregory C. Computing, Information and Young, Chemical Technology Networking Division after 32 years of service, most recently doing PC February support. She lives in Ten Mile. 43 years: Frank M. Rau, Instrumentation and Dennis Cope has retired from the ControlsÐTechnical Support Facilty and Operations directorate after 35 years: Jerry W. Hale and Cheuk-Yin 31 years of service. He lives in Wong, Physics; Doris K. Moore, Plant & Farragut. Equipment; Donald R. Stallions, Laboratory Clara Tackett has retired after 20 Moody Cope Tackett Protection years of service from the Energy 30 years: David M. Bunch, Steve B. Lane Division’s Buildings Technology and Roger D. White, Plant & Equipment; Center. She lives in Harriman. Judith M. Edwards, Health Services; Gerald O.W. Hermann, Computational D. Watson, Human Resources & Diversity Physics and Engineering Division, has Programs Directorate retired after 49 years of service. O.W. 25 years: Donald B. Batchelor, Fusion started his career in Paducah in mass Energy; Donald C. Floyd, John T. Keeble and spectrometry and nuclear safety, and Steven L. Townsend, Plant & Equipment; began programming in 1964. James O. Kiggans Jr. and Susan G. Winslow, Jim Hewitt, a researcher in the Metals & Ceramics; Lana K. Melton, Hermann Hewitt Courville Chemical Technology Division, has Computational Physics & Engineering; retired with 25 years of service. He lives in Ronnie Wagoner, Business & Information Clinton. Services Directorate; George Courville, Energy Division’s Paula F. Wright, Research Reactors associate director, has retired after 20 years of 20 years: David M. Carrington, Contracts & service. He lives in Oak Ridge. He and wife Procurement; Michael E. Leach, Laboratory Marge intend to travel and play a lot of golf. Protection; J. F. Manneschmidt, Computa- Pamela Thomas, SAP technical leader for tional Physics & Engineering; Roosevelt human resources out of CIND, has retired Merriweather, Chemical & Analytical with 28 years of service. She lives in Lenior Sciences; Joachim H. Schneibel, Metals & City. Thomas Ceramics

Oak Ridge National Laboratory 7 ORNL Solid State Division, has received the Thomas Young Medal and people Prize from the Institute of Physics for his electron microscopy work. Corporate fellow and welding technology The award is presented in . expert Stan David has earned a 2001 Fellow Energy Division’s Debbie Bain Award from the Minerals, Metals and Materi- has been awarded a citation from als Society. Stan, who leads the Materials Dr. Ashish Sen, director of the Joining and Nondestructive Testing group in Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Metals and Ceramics Division, focuses on “in recognition of her service to the solidification behavior of welds, welding of BTS in supporting the Journal of intermetallic alloys, phase stability, process Transportation and Statistics,” the modeling and residual stresses. Department of Transportation’s The Plant and Equipment team that won an Awards Night Will Minter, manager of the Small Busi- only scholarly periodical. “of the year” award donated their prize to the Ronald ness Program Office in the Business and Phil Jardine was an invited McDonald House. Team members who helped Lab Director Information Services Directorate, was named presenter at the Soil Science Bill Madia (center) present the $2,000 check to RMH’s Sue “Chamber Volunteer of the Year 2000” at the Society of America symposium Beverly are (front row, left) J.D. Gibson, Bruce Walker, Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual Soil Carbon Sequestration Re- Gary Wright, Jim Ayers, (back row) Gene Kitchens, Rambo business meeting, held January 18. Represent- search: Foundation for National Sexton, Larry Brummette, Mike Richmond and Jack ing ORNL, Will led the revitalization of the Policy. His presentation, “Hydro- Crawford. Annual Business Opportunity Conference. logic and Geochemical Processes The Chemical Technology Division’s Bill Controlling the Transport and Sequestration Army policy on health issues related to Steele has been reappointed to the editorial of Natural Organic Matter in Soil,” drew a chemical warfare agents. The team includes board of the ACS Journal of Chemical & standing-room-only crowd. Annetta Watson, Dennis Opresko, Robert Engineering Data for a three-year term. Bill The Environmental Sciences Division’s Young, Robert Ross and Po-Yung Lu. Po- has also accepted a three-year appointment to Meng-Dawn Cheng and members of his Yung also was acknowledged for his the Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics’ team including Da-Ren Chen (Univ. of contributions toward developing an “outstand- editorial board. Finally, he has joined the Minnesota), Che-Jen Lin (Lamar Univ.), ing working relationship” between ORNL and canvassing committee of the ACS E.V. Madhavi Martin, Gordon Miller (Life the Army center, which is increasingly Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineer- Sciences Division) and Thomas Wainman recognized as an “exemplary model of superb ing Chemistry, sponsored by ExxonMobile (ORAU) were awarded the Project of the Year intergovernmental cooperation.” Research and Engineering Company and award from SERDP (the Strategic Environ- ExxonMobile Chemical Company, for a three- mental Research and Development Program). year appointment. They shared the award with a Sandia Miss the January issue? Stephen E. Nagler of the Solid State researcher. No you didn’t—there wasn’t one. Division was recently elected to fellowship in The Life Sciences Division’s Toxicology ORNL Reporter took advantage of the the American Physical Society by the Division and Risk Analysis section received a citation holiday lull to combine the January and of Condensed Matter Physics. He was cited from the U.S. Army Center for Health February issues, thus fortifying “for neutron scattering studies of excitations in Promotion and Preventive Medicine recently ourselves and our budget. We’ve low-dimensional quantum magnets.” in recognition of the their “tremendous resumed the regular monthly schedule. Steve Pennycook, corporate fellow in the contributions” towards improved science and

Number 23, February 2001 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Modeling proteins, page 1 P.O. Box 2008 Permit #37 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6146 Powell, TN Parking plans, page 1

Survey results, page 2

Lab Notes: Moncton departs, explorers, consumer tech, page 3

Obesity-related gene, page 4

Management systems, page 5

Detecting tree killer, page 6 Inside