SSRL User’s Organization
Executive Committee
Activities 10/05-9/06
Joy Cooke Andrews
SSRLUO-EC Chair
September 2006
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Main Function of SSRL EC
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Coordination with users
– Diverse Group
» Academic, industrial, research, students
» Many fields: e.g. Materials, Biological, Environmental
– With User Research: Optimize experimental setup, facilities, safety training
» E.g. fill schedule, SSRL-specific safety training
– Optimize proposal selection with Peer Review Panel
– Interact with Director on goals, vision
» Brighter light, new beam lines, facilities, etc.
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User’s Meetings
» Presentations, Student posters, Awards
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Advocacy
Developing database:
» information on research fields, home institution, e-mail, zip codes etc.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
User Facilities Illuminate Ancient Secrets
Last year two experiments detailing how synchrotrons helped to reveal ancient secrets
received significant media coverage: Beethoven’s lead poisoning and deciphering
Archimedes’ text.
A photograph of one page of the Archimedes
Palimpsest. Visible and UV light cannot see
Archimedes' text under the gold painting done
by a 20th Century forger.
X-ray fluorescence imaging reveals the hidden
text.
(Images provided by Will
Noel, The Walters Art
Museum, Baltimore)
Intensity of Pb x-ray fluorescence from a standard hair (SN-1) with 6 ppm of lead
compared to that of a hair from Beethoven (LVB) as determined at APS.
A distant relative of Beethoven sent bone
fragments to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center
who worked with APS scientists to confirm
massive amounts of lead as the cause of the
composer’s chronic illness.
Page 6
Funded by an anonymous collector, scientists
from the Walters Art Museum, Stanford University
and SSRL used x-ray fluorescence to decipher
the Archimedes Palimpsest, covered over by a
20th Century forgery, the only source for at least
two previously unknown treatises by the Greek
scholar.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
New Organic Conductor for Electronic Devices
Scientists have developed a new organic polymer that
can be laid down using simple printing techniques
rather than the expensive and elaborate methods used to
process silicon, 6 times faster than previous organic
polymers. Now just as fast as silicon plus much cheaper,
this inexpensive organic conductor could be used in
areas where silicon struggles to compete, eventually
slashing the cost of transistors, PDA’s, flat panel
screens and bringing electronic paper into common
use.
Research team includes Merck Chemicals (UK), Palo Alto
Research Center (California), Stanford University, and SSRL
McCulloch et al., Nature Materials, March 2006.
Science (311), March 2006.
Page 9
Crystal Power. New semiconducting plastics form large
crystals that help whisk electrical charges at higher speeds
than ever before.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Structural Insights into Human Innate Immunity
Scientists are analyzing sensors in human cells that
detect viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.
This will be important for pharmaceutical companies
when designing viral and bacterial immunizations
that can quickly counter specific threats due to
bioterrorism and/or diseases such as avian
flu.
Overall structure of human TLR-3.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health
Choe et. al., Science 309 581-5 (2005)
Structure showing the locations of the positive
patches and leucine-rich repeats (LRR)
implicated in binding.
Page 12
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Next User’s Meeting October 12-13 2006
 Special Session October 13
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– Open Forum with Jo Stohr
– Advocacy Session
– Oktoberfest Beer
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
2 New Funds
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Melvin P. Klein Scientific Development Award
– Honors MP Klein (1921-2000)
– Up to $1000 for student to disseminate scientific
results based on work at SSRL
– Fund currently growing, through SSRL
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Dale E. Sayers Fellowship
– Through North Carolina State U
– For mentoring of students
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Advocacy: Formation of SNUG
SNUG Delegation to DC April 06
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
SNUG goals
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Global physical science message
– vs lobbying for a specific group or even just for DOE facilities
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Users of the facilities are in the best position to appeal to Congress
– Particularly at our local representatives’ offices
– Present the potential applications of the basic research done at the facilities
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We can help our DOE advocates in Washington by
– Responding to their letters of support
– Providing them with materials to help present the case for physical science
– Helping to educate industrial representatives so that they too can present the case for
physical science research and its applications
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Specific long term tasks
Broaden the user database
– Survey intended for each facility to identify local user’s organizations, their leaders
and activities
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Become aware of the budgetary seasons,
– e.g. when the budget is with OMB, on the Hill
– Time our meetings to best target these time periods.
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Yearly, develop a written notebook that identifies current research from the
facilities and its potential applications (particularly to goals that interest the
administration such as national defense, etc.)
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Further long-term priorities
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Eventually develop teams from each light source to visit
Washington DC, e.g.
– One in December to visit with appropriations and authorizing committees
– All in February/March. The Feb/Mar meeting should cover all local reps
from users that we recruit
– A third as needed. Messages, again, should be global physical science.
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Additional appearances for the above teams: Press conferences,
briefings for industrial lobbyists (December), congressional
hearings (spring)
Workshops at annual user’s meetings to train users in advocacy,
especially visiting local representatives and having reps visit local
research facilities.
Letter writing to local papers, speaking at local (eg Kiwanis) clubs
to explain what we do and why it is important.
Develop a user central to support this, e.g. the American Physical
Society.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
SNUG and its activities
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SNUG meetings 08/05, 10/05: Unified physical science message
Letter to Bodman 09/05 from SNUG EC chairs
– Synchrotron, neutron facilities are a cornerstone of national science infrastructure
– Acknowledges DOE support of these facilities, and Bodman’s remarks in support of
science
– Encourages strong F’07 budget for physical science
– Offer to help – to meet with Bodman to convey our enthusiasm, and to determine how
we can best help
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Letter writing campaign from SNUG facilities to Joshua Bolton, OMB
– SSRL and sister synchrotron and neutron facilities are among “the true success stories of
the Office of Science” (per Orbach letter)
– Operational stresses threaten to compromise mission, esp. as related to six key areas:
homeland security, national defense, energy security, economic growth, biomedicine,
training of future science and engineering workforce
– Request meeting budgetary request for Office of Science that will allow facilities to
thrive
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User’s Survey
User Letter writing (to follow up on budget increases of 14%)
– To representatives, thank you for support, encouraging continued support
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Visit to Washington DC April 2006, (October 2006?)
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Washington DC visit Spring 06
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April 9-11 2006
Reps from 4 light sources, 3 neutron sources
Briefing document:
– Budget information and implications
– Physical science highlights
– (esp with applications in homeland security, national
defense, energy security, economic growth, biomedicine,
training of science and engineering workforce)
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Target: industrial collaborations
Budget is good, ensure physical science message gets
out to ensure that we keep it
Briefing document can be brought by users to local
representatives’ offices
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
DOE Synchrotron and Neutron Facilities
Advanced
Photon Source
Intense Pulsed
Neutron Source
Advanced Light
Source
National Synchrotron
Light Source
(NSLS2 upgrade approved)
Spallation
Neutron Source
(under construction)
High-Flux
Isotope Reactor
Stanford Synchrotron
Radiation Laboratory
Linac Coherent
Light Source
(under construction)
Los Alamos Neutron
Science Center
The Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) represents:
• 4 High-Flux Neutron Sources
• 5 Photon Light Sources
• Including two under construction
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Who We Are
The Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) represents over 9,000 faculty, student,
industrial and government scientists. Their research is critical to every sector of the economy:
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Materials Chemistry and Nanotechnology
Electronic Materials and Devices
Energy Production, Storage and Conversion
National Security
New Medicines and Disease Treatments
Environmental Sciences
Human and Molecular Biology
Approximately 600 scientists from over 160 companies representing technology, manufacturing,
energy, chemical, and bio-pharmaceutical industries use the synchrotron and neutron facilities.
E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co Exxon Research & Engineering Co.
Applied Materials
Advanced Micro Devices
SFA, Inc.
Spectragen, Inc.
Ford Motor
ExxonMobil Research
Shering-Plough Research Institute
Berlex Biosciences
Gladstone Laboratory
Corning, Inc
Rigaku Corporation
Aerospace Corp.
Dow Chemical Company
Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Ctr.
Wyeth Research
STI Optronics, Inc
BASF
Althexis
Hinds Instruments, Inc.
Lucent Technologies
Novartis Inst. for Functional Genomics
Cytokinetics Inc.
Northrop Grumman ATDC
Orthologics
Bruker Optics Inc
Air Products Chemical Inc.
IBM Research Division
Whitehead Inst. for Functional Genomics
EUV Technology
Scientific Manu. Techno. Inc
Alpha Braze, Inc.
Panametrics, Inc
Rohn & Hass Co.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
McPherson Industries Division of S.I.C.
The EXFAS Co.
Edge Analytical, Inc.
Anticancer, Inc.
Photons Unlimited
St. Jude Children's Res. Hosp.
Pfizer Global R&D
Containerless Research, Inc.
Indoff/K&M
Digital Semiconductor
Aventis Gencell
Varian Vacuum Products
Molecular Structure Corp.
SmithKline Beecham
Structural GenomiX, Inc.
Komag Co.
National Semiconductor
Chevron
BioSpace Int'l. Inc
Texas Instruments
Bruker AXS Inc.
Agouron Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Photon Imaging Inc. Ovonic Synthetic Materials Co.
Conductus Inc.
Millennium Chemicals Inc
Physical Sciences, Inc.
UOP
Chevron Research & Tech
Canmet
New Century Pharmaceuticals
Crystal Logic Inc.
Dow Corning Corp.
Boeing Co.
Merck & Co., Inc.
3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals
AMGEN
Area Detector Systems Corp.
Exelixis
Memc Electronic Materials Balazs
Abbott Laboratories
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharm.
Chiron Corp.
Axson Technologies, Inc
Genomics Institute
Aventis Pharma
Xencor, Inc.
PPG Industries, Inc
International Fuel Cells
Tularik Inc.
Corvas International
GETOM Corp.
Bell Laboratories
Innovene
Eli Lilly & Co.
BP-Amoco Corporation
Aracor
Genencor International
Lumileds Lighting
NEC Research Institute
INOES Technologies
Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc.
Cummins Engine Company
Genetics Institute
Hughes Space & Comm.
Pyro Fusion
Osram Sylvania, Inc.
GE Global Research
Glaxo research Institure
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Burnham Institute
Walschon Fire Protection
Xradia
Princeton Gamma-Tech
Palo Alto Research Corp.
Biogen Inc.
Kinetix Pharmaceuticals
Intel Corporation
William Hassenzahl Consulting
Veeco-Ion Tech
Wyerth-Ayerst Research
Infineon Technologies
Bechtel Nevada
Lockheed Research Lab.
Hoffmann-LaRoche
Dupont-Merck Pharmaceuticals
Pratt & Whitney
Advanced Fuel Research
Evergreen Solar
Monsanto/Searle
Creatv MicroTech, Inc.
IBM Corp.
The Molecular Biology Consortium
Spectra-Tech Inc
Akzo Nobel Chemicals
Schott Solar
Emerald BioStructures, Inc
Montell Polyolefins USA
Motorola
Daimler Chrysler AG
MVA, Inc.
General Electric
BP Solar
Adelphi Technology, Inc.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Genentech
Radiation Monitoring Devices
Landauer Inc.
Pall Corp
MER Corporation
Proctor & Gamble
MediChem Research, Inc.
Hewlett Packard
BASF Bio-Research Corporation
Neocera Inc.
Bicron NE
Micell Technologies
Roche Biosciences
Parker Hughes Institute
Eastman Kodak Co. Kraft Foods Technology Center
SAIC Corp.
Eveready Battery Co.
Micron Technologies
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
WHY Are These Machines So Valuable?
Synchrotron Facilities:
– Produce ultra-high intensity light from infra-red to visible light to ultraviolet to
X-rays.
– Enable us to see how nature and human-made devices work at the atomic and
nanoscale, and directly observe biological and chemical processes.
Neutron Facilities:
– Penetrate deep into materials to give precise information about positions and
motions of atoms in the interior of a sample, allowing a more detailed
understanding of structure and properties.
Only the federal government can design, build and operate facilities large and
sophisticated enough to be of continuing use to thousands of individual
industry and government researchers.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Competition for Synchrotron and Neutron Sources
• Synchrotrons and neutron light sources were inventions of
fundamental physics developed at U.S. laboratories.
• While the U.S. invented these machines, in recent years other
nations of the world have hastened to build their own.
Considering only beam ports
on 3rd generation synchrotrons
worldwide, by 2009 the U.S. will
be outnumbered by the rest of
the world 7:1
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Examples of Work Critical to Industry
– Hydrogen Technology
– Clean Fuels
– Solar Cells
– Nuclear Waste
– Environmental Clean-Up
– Studies of Viruses, Bacteria and New Techniques in Immunology
– Alzheimer’s Disease
– Earthquake Prediction
– Advanced Computing
– Data Storage
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Steps Toward Hydrogen Vehicles
Synchrotron research has shown that carbon nanotubes,
50,000 times more narrow than a human hair, are a
promising material for storing hydrogen safely,
efficiently and compactly.
The DOE Freedom CAR program has set the goal of a material
that can hold 6% of the total weight in hydrogen by the year 2010.
Theoretical calculations indicate they may exceed these goals
substantially.
Nikitin et. al., Phys Rev Lett. 95, 225507 (2005)
Funded by DOE, NSF and Global Climate and Energy Project
(alliance of scientific researchers and leading companies in the
private sector, including ExxonMobil, General Electric and
Schlumberger)
Scientists at NSLS are studying nanoparticles made of the
compound ceria that could improve the ability of catalytic
converters to lead to more efficient ways to generate
hydrogen fuel because it is clean and renewable.
Funded by DOE and NSF
Liu, et al. J. Phys. Chem. B. 108, 2931 (2004)
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Crystal Structures of Real Materials
The data from synchrotrons - 200-500,000
better than from laboratory sources –
enables the precise delineation of complex
crystal structures of which most materials are
comprised.
This new understanding improves the
performance of many industrial materials,
ranging from common expectorants in
decongestants on the drugstore shelf to
components in efficient refrigerators with
no moving parts.
Funded by BP/Innovene
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Understanding Viral Transmission:
Bacterial Syringes
Nature has devised biological syringes (right) that function exactly as they look
to mainline toxins or virulent proteins into a host cell. The workings of these
syringes is of enormous interest to public health, pharmaceutical
designers and other scientists, who can now use this information to
thwart these mechanisms.
Researchers have uncovered the needle complex found in bacteria such as
Salmonella and E.coli and used by the bacteria to deploy diseases ranging
from food poisoning, bubonic plaque, and whooping cough.
Funded by the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute and the
National Institutes of Health
Ribbon and surface representation of the modeled 24-subunit ring which
makes up the base of the needle
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Preventing Plaque Formation
in Alzheimer’s Disease
In Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the brain contains a buildup of
a misfolded protein, called “plaque,” that is believed to kill
brain cells. It is thought that normal metal ions in the brain
play a role in plaque formation. At the NSLS and APS,
scientists showed that cooper and zinc ions accumulate in
AD, implicating that metal ions play a role in plaque
formation.
These findings provide a better understanding on how
AD plaques form and can be used for developing
preventative drugs.
Funded by the National Institutes of Health
Eli Lilly is in the process of starting a collaboration to extend
this work
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
More Powerful Computing for the Information Age
Improved computational power comes from shrinking transistors to squeeze more of them into a
microprocessor. Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography is the likely next generation technology to make
those continued improvements possible. The pioneering work done with synchrotron radiation has driven
this technology forward toward commercialization.
EUV lithography exposure tool using
synchrotron radiation
Printed image showing
39 nm features
Supported by consortium including:
Sandia, LLNL, LBNL, Intel, Advanced
Micro Devices, Micron Technology,
Infineon Technologies, and IBM
Current technology will allow manufacturers to print circuits as small as 0.1 micron in width
(or 1/1,000th the width of a human hair). EUV lithography technology will extend this down to
30 nm or less (.03 microns), making processors 8 times more powerful than they
are today.
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
The Nation Needs to Keep
Basic Research Moving Forward!
Congress in the past few years has worked within fiscal limits
to restore science, math and education funding. It has taken
several important initiatives this year.
The President has joined the effort in a major way for FY 2007:
“We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest
advantage in the world has always been our educated, hardworking, ambitious people –
and we're going to keep that edge. Tonight I announce an American Competitiveness
Initiative, to encourage innovation throughout our economy, and to give our
nation's children a firm grounding in math and science.”
“I propose to double the federal commitment to the most critical basic research
programs in the physical sciences over the next 10 years. This funding will support
the work of America's most creative minds as they explore promising areas such as
nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources.”
President George W. Bush
State of the Union Address
January 31, 2006
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
FY 2007 Funding Needed to “Right the Ship”
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The U.S. needs to optimize knowledge-based resources, particularly in
science and technology
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Scientific progress and competitive position of U.S. depends on how
wisely we invest in research capability
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User research has broad applications of national interest, including:
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energy efficiency and supply
toxic waste cleanup
bioterrorism and disease detection
electronics, telecommunications and manufacturing
After several decades of constrained spending, support for the
American Competitiveness Initiative is essential in FY 2007 to
reinvigorate the U.S. science base, including efficient maintenance and
use of the large U.S. investment in synchrotron facilities and neutron
facilities
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006
Coordination with SLAC
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SSRL EC members also participated in “Listen to
Washington” event at SLAC
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Further coordination with SLAC, Fermilab, etc.
– Visit local congressmen, senators
– Common User database to find users in various
districts
– Common literature:
– unified Office of Science Message
» followed by one-page summaries from labs
– Possible joint visits to Washington DC
– Other Ideas?
Synchrotron and Neutron Users’ Group (SNUG) DC Visit, April 2006