U.S. Department of Energy Vol. 33, No. 1, 2000 16 8 26 COVER: The Virtual Human Project of building a complex computer The Virtual Human Project: An ORNL’s Infrared Processing Center: model of a functioning human Idea Whose Time Has Come? Industrial Interest Heats Up relies heavily on the intersection of many different disciplines. See the article beginning on p. 8 12 28 concerning ORNL’s role in The Spallation Neutron Source: How Much Stuff Is Made in Stellar conceiving and nurturing the A Challenging Year Explosions? ORNL’s Answer project. Cover drawing by Allison Baldwin (using thorax model by Eduardo 15 29 Difilippo, Mark Yambert, Neutrino Detector Laboratory Electronic License Could Reduce and Ross Toedte). To Be Proposed for ORNL Drunken Driving 16 Turbine Renewal: Shaping an Emerging Gas-Fired Power Source 21 Heat Pumps: More Energy Bang for the Buck? 8 22 22 Combined Solar Light and 1 Power for Illuminating Buildings Editorial: Science at the Interface 23 What’s in a Chromosome? Tune 2 in to the Genome Channel Science at the Interface: A Round- 24 table Discussion 24 Microbial Functional Genomics 7 and Waste Site Bioremediation Center for Structural and 25 Molecular 25 Human Biology Improvement Open to 12 Users Editorial: Science at the Interface he first article in this issue of the Oak Ridge National Editor and writer—Carolyn Krause Laboratory Review is titled “Science at the Interface: A Round- Assistant editor—Deborah Barnes T table Discussion.” The idea for this roundtable discussion came Technical editor—Carolyn Moser out of a meeting of the ORNL Review Editorial Board. We were look- Editorial Board—Lee Riedinger (chair), ing for interesting ideas for future articles for the Review. We conclud- Fred Bertrand, Eli Greenbaum, ed that gathering a group of senior scientists in a lively discussion Russ Knapp, Reinhold Mann, could accomplish this goal and also uncover some interesting oppor- Stan Milora, Thomas Zacharia tunities in science and future directions for ORNL. Designer—Jane Parrott We chose “science at the interface” as a theme for the discussion Illustrators—Rosemary Adams, Allison because Oak Ridge National Laboratory has long recognized the im- Baldwin, John Jordan, Gail Sweeden portance of working across traditional boundaries. The vision in the Photographer—Curtis Boles current ORNL Strategic Plan acknowledges the advantages of the ex- panding opportunities in “science at the boundaries.” Major ORNL initiatives such as nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and complex biological systems, as The Oak Ridge National Laboratory well as Laboratory Directed Research and Development projects in these areas, have purposefully en- Review is published three times a year gaged all scientific competencies. We believe that ORNL should continue this commitment to ensure and distributed to employees and others that it remains a center for scientific excellence in the new century. associated with or interested in ORNL. Another article in this issue concerns a project that would not be possible without multidisciplinary research and collaboration among various institutions. Its focus is the ORNL-conceived Virtual Human Project, whose goal is to develop a highly sophisticated computer model of the structure and functions Editorial office address: of the human body and all its organs. New information is expected to arise from the intersection of Building 4500-South, M.S. 6149, various disciplines, which occurs, for example, when computer scientists interact with biomedical engi- Oak Ridge, TN 37831-2008 neers, chemists chat with biologists, and physicists talk to physiologists. Telephone: (865) 574-7183; This issue also provides an update on the U.S. government’s largest civil construction project, the FAX: (865) 574-8518; Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), which will be built at ORNL by 2006. Its design and construction will Electronic mail: [email protected] be the product of multidisciplinary research and a partnership of six Department of Energy laboratories. ORNL Review Web address: In addition to providing neutrons for studies of the structure and atomic interactions of physical and www.ornl.gov/ORNLReview/ biological materials, the SNS also will be a source of neutrinos, which ORNL proposes to use for neutrino detection research of astrophysical interest. Other examples of ORNL’s multidisciplinary research and collaborations involving laboratory, The Review is printed in the United academic, and industrial partners are also reported in this issue. Here’s a sampling of the topics: Natural States of America and is also available gas turbine power plants that have higher efficiency and lower emissions partly as a result of ORNL’s from the National Technical materials research. More efficient energy technologies, such as a gas-fired heat pump air conditioner, a Information Service, U.S. Department heat pump water heater, and a method of using sunlight to both produce electricity and directly illumi- of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, nate building interiors. The opening of DOE’s Center for Structural and Molecular Biology (one of 17 Springfield, VA 22161 user facilities at ORNL), which combines the talents of ORNL experts in neutron science, mass spec- trometry, and computer science to study interactions of biological molecules such as proteins. The use of computers to discover genes in newly sequenced human chromosomes. Plans to develop an early Oak Ridge National Laboratory is version of a Superman suit to amplify human abilities, such as strength, speed, and endurance. The use managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the of ORNL’s radioactive ion-beam accelerator to get results that help astrophysicists accurately predict Department of Energy under contract the amounts of isotopes produced when stars explode. DE-AC05-00OR22725 Integrating science requires an environment that brings together scientific leaders who are out- standing in their disciplines, who have competence and appropriate perspectives in other fields, and who are committed to collaborating across disciplines. This environment must include special experimental ISSN 0048-1262 research facilities, advanced computational and information systems resources, educational programs that attract and develop the next generation of scientists, and partnerships that center the Laboratory within the global science enterprise. We have all this at ORNL and more, and you will see more evi- Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a dence of “science at the interface” from the Laboratory in the future. multiprogram, multipurpose laboratory that conducts research in energy production and end-use technologies; biological and environmental science and technology; advanced materials Bill R. Appleton synthesis, processing, and Founder of the ORNL Review Editorial Board characterization; and the physical sciences, including neutron-based science and technology. Number One, 2000 1 cience at the interface. Marilyn Brown, deputy director SDiscoveries of new phe- of the Energy Efficiency and Re- nomena and development of new newable Energy Program in the technologies at the intersections Science at Energy Division, impact of ad- of various disciplines, such as bio- vanced technologies on U.S. en- logy, physics, chemistry, engineer- ergy systems and greenhouse gas ing, and the measurement and emissions; Michelle Buchanan, computational sciences. It’s the the Interface: associate director of the Life Sci- ORNL vision. To Bill Appleton, ences Division (LSD), analytical ORNL’s former deputy director for chemistry and structural biology; science and technology, it’s a na- Sheldon Datz, Physics Division, tional craze. “Think of advances in atomic and collisional physics; medicine that involved contribu- A Roundtable Eli Greenbaum, Chemical Tech- tions from physics,” he said, while nology Division, chemistry and moderating a roundtable discus- nanotechnology; Linda Horton, sion on “Science at the Interface” deputy director of the Metals and on December 17, 1999, at ORNL. Ceramics Division, who oversees The discussion participants Discussion ORNL metal and ceramic sci- talked about the past accomplish- ences research funded by DOE’s ments and future of multidisci- Office of Basic Energy Sciences; plinary research and collabora- Exciting research opportunities exist at Mike Kuliasha, director of the tions involving ORNL, especially national laboratories because they offer major Computational Physics and En- when the Spallation Neutron gineering Division; Doug Source (SNS) begins operating research facilities, computing tools, and a Lowndes, Solid State Division here in the next decade. They ad- multidisciplinary mode of operation. To sur- (SSD), thin-film growth, nano- dressed issues such as extracting structured materials, and nano- meaningful information from vive, national labs should address interesting technology; Reinhold Mann, large amounts of data, the and important problems to attract and retain LSD director, collaborations changing nature of collabora- involving the life sciences and tions and experimentation (e.g., highly qualified researchers and enter into computational sciences; Herb science at a distance); attracting, Mook, SSD, neutron scattering; training, and retaining highly productive partnerships with outside groups. Tony Palumbo, Environmental qualified researchers; applying Sciences Division, bioremedia- ORNL strengths to shifting “Perhaps the greatest discovery of all this tion and genetic engineering; trends in science and technology; Frank Plasil, Physics Division,