Operations and Maintenance May Newsletter

Occurring without notice, unscheduled utility outages (mainly electrical) are abrupt and create a nuisance. During an unscheduled electrical power outage, the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) department will monitor stand-by generators for proper operation. During the outage, the critical equipment identified for connection to the generator should be operating.

Echoes from the Past: A New Institution for Cancer Research Is Born

On October 18, 1971, President Richard Nixon emerged from the U.S. Army Post Headquarters at Fort Detrick into the sunlight of one of Frederick’s signature autumn mornings. Nearby, a crowd of dignitaries, Army officers, and journalists from local and national news outlets had gathered to hear his remarks about the former biowarfare research facility. He greeted them, paused to make a good-natured joke about the Baltimore Orioles, then delivered an announcement that altered the course of biomedical research in the United States.

What’s the Buzz About? Fly Research Leads to Unexpected Epilepsy Discovery

Govind Kunduri, Ph.D., watched as a bright light illuminated a transparent tube full of mutant fruit flies. Then, as he prepared to collect data, something unexpected occurred: the flies began having seizures. The flies’ surprising behavior seemed epileptic, but Kunduri, a postdoctoral fellow in the Cancer and Developmental Biology Laboratory (CDBL), part of the Center for Cancer Research at NCI at Frederick, hadn’t intended to study epilepsy.

Operations and Maintenance April Newsletter

Summertime is coming, and with it, warmer temperatures—so get out there and enjoy it. The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) department has talented individuals dedicated to maintaining your air conditioning equipment for maximum efficiency. Our staff are always ready to address issues, even in the dog days of summer. Please be assured that we are working diligently to keep you comfortable.

Howard Young Receives Mentoring Award from Women Scientists Advisors

Howard Young, Ph.D., has received many awards during his tenure at NCI at Frederick—but the latest could be among the most meaningful. At the recent NCI Principal Investigators Retreat, Young was given the 2019 Mentoring Award by the Women Scientists Advisors (WSA), a group that supports and promotes career development for women in science.

Two Investigators—One Aspiring and One Retiring—Share Discovery, Legacy, and Connection

Dennis Klinman, M.D., Ph.D., says science is like the surface of a sphere—there are thousands of possible connections between different points. It is fitting, therefore, that on the eve of his retirement, the senior investigator has helped a young scientist connect with her passion.

WHK Interns Help Elementary School Students Learn to Love Science

It’s half an hour to showtime in the spacious, sun-filled atrium. Glance upward and you can’t miss the painted five-foot-tall black paw print and the inscription “Panther Pride” along the open staircase’s tallest yellow wall. Clustered around the lobby, 20 presenters are steeling their nerves as best they can: pacing, fidgeting, rehearsing. Pressure to perform aside, it’s a decidedly casual event, evidenced by several shoelaces that need tying.

In This CCR Lab, Mentorship Yields Tremendous Results

When Joshua Yu became a semifinalist in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search, he continued a tradition he didn’t even know existed. A Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) intern, Yu is the latest in a long line of students hailing from Nadya Tarasova, Ph.D.’s lab to make the semifinals in the Regeneron competition, which bills itself as the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.

Inside the Scientific Arsenal: The High-Speed Racetrack That Can Make Proteins Explode

Ben Orsburn, Ph.D., stood in the middle of a 180-square-foot laboratory, speaking over the white noise that flooded the room. The source of the din—large, desk-sized objects called mass spectrometers—filled nearby rows of lab benches. Orsburn pointed to one along the periphery of the room, a white-and-black box with the words “Orbitrap Fusion” emblazoned on the front in small blue text.

The Intellectual Property and Strategic Agreements Office Moves FNL Technologies Forward

Technology transfer at national laboratories presents challenges, and the Frederick National Laboratory is no exception. But that hasn’t stopped Claudia Haywood, Tom Sova, and Candice Garner-Groves from notching a series of accomplishments that span their tenure at FNL.