Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate 2005 Annual Report
In 1952, we began laboratory operations in the barracks building of the Naval Air Station with approximately 50 employees. Today, the Chemistry and Materials Science (CMS) Directorate is a major organization at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with more than 500 employees who continue to contribute to our evolving national security mission. For more than half a century, the mission of the Laboratory revolved primarily around nuclear deterrence and associated defense technologies. Today, Livermore supports a broad-based national security mission, and our specialized capabilities increasingly support emerging missions in human health and energy security. In the future, CMS will play a significantly expanded role in science and technology at the intersection of national security, energy and environment, and health. Our world-class workforce will provide the science and technology base for radically innovative materials to our programs and sponsors. Our 2005 Annual Report describes how our successes and breakthroughs follow a path set forward by our strategic plan and four organizing research themes, each with key scientific accomplishments by our staff and collaborators. Organized into two major sections-research themes and dynamic teams, this report focuses on achievements arising from earlier investments that address future challenges. The research presented in this annual report gives substantive examples of how we are proceeding in each of these four theme areas and how they are aligned with our national security mission. Research Themes: (1) Materials Properties and Performance under Extreme Conditions--We are developing ultrahard nanocrystalline metals, exploring the properties of nanotubes when exposed to very high temperatures, and engineering stronger materials to meet future needs for materials that can withstand extreme conditions. (2) Chemistry under Extreme Conditions and Chemical Engineering to Support National-Security Programs--Our recent discovery of a new source of coherent light adds a new tool to an array of methods we use to more fully understand the properties of materials. Insights into the early stages of polymer crystallization may lead to new materials for our national-security mission and private industry. (3) Science Supporting National Objectives at the Intersection of Chemistry, Materials Science, and Biology--We are improving drug binding for cancer treatment through the use of new tools that are helping us characterize protein-antibody interactions. By probing proteins and nucleic acids, we may gain an understanding of Alzheimer's, Mad Cow, and other neurodegenerative diseases. (4) Applied Nuclear Science for Human Health and National Security--Our work with cyanobacteria is leading to a fuller understanding of how these microorganisms affect the global carbon cycle. We are also developing new ways to reduce nuclear threats with better radiation detectors. Dynamic Teams: The dynamic teams section illustrates the directorate's organizational structure that supports a team environment across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Our three divisions maintain a close relationship with Laboratory programs, working with directorate and program leaders to ensure an effective response to programmatic needs. CMS's divisions are responsible for line management and leadership, and together, provide us with the flexibility and agility to respond to change and meet program milestones. The three divisions are: Materials Science and Technology Division; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division; and Chemical Biology and Nuclear Science Division. By maintaining an organizational structure that offers an environment of collaborative problem-solving opportunities, we are able to nurture the discoveries and breakthroughs required for future successes. The dynamic teams section also presents the work of CMS's postdoctoral fellows, who bring to the Laboratory many of the most recent advances taking place in academic departments and provide a research stimulus to established research teams. Postdoctoral fellows are selected for their scientific expertise, capability, and enthusiasm for working in a highly productive environment that places a premium on scientific innovation.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 929171
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-TR-223729; TRN: US0803707
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Chemistry and Materials Science Strategic Plan
Chemistry and Materials Science Directorate Annual Report 2003
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37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
BIOLOGY
CARBON CYCLE
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
CHEMISTRY
CRYSTALLIZATION
CYANOBACTERIA
DISEASES
FLEXIBILITY
MICROORGANISMS
NANOTUBES
NATIONAL SECURITY
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIZING
PERSONNEL
POLYMERS
PROTEINS
RADIATION DETECTORS
SECURITY