They came for a science lesson. They left with more.

The new Werner H. Kirsten student interns filed into the auditorium in Building 549 to expand their knowledge of fundamental laboratory practices, as part of the Science Skills Boot Camp. A panel of presenters instructed the attendees on skills such as reading scientific papers effectively, practicing proper research ethics, and conducting professional presentations.

Scientific Program Manager Ulrike Klenke, Ph.D., NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education, started the June event by welcoming her audience and encouraging the interns to break away from their familiar groups of classmates and to socialize with others from different schools and counties.

As part of NCI’s Research IT Strategic Planning efforts, a workshop was held on the NIH main campus in June. The main purpose of the workshop was to discuss ways to better integrate IT and informatics throughout NCI, and develop specific, high-level goals and related objectives that will drive the direction of IT and informatics support over the next five years.

The initiative to integrate NCI’s IT and informatics is a collaboration between the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT), Office of Scientific Operations, Data Management Services, and the IT Operations Group.

Class of 2014–2015 Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) student intern Rebecca “Natasha” Freed earned a fourth-place award in biochemistry at the 2015 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the largest high school science research competition in the world, according to the Society for Science & the Public’s website.

Freed described the event as “transformative experience,” where she was able to present her research to “experts, including Nobel laureates, as well as members of the general community and, of course, to [other students].”

Editor's note: Platinum Highlight articles are noteworthy publications selected periodically by Dr. Craig Reynolds, associate director, National Cancer Institute, from among the most recently published Platinum Publications.

When Alison Rattray and colleagues in the Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory (GRCBL) examined a mutant yeast cell they had isolated in a screen, they noticed something strange.

The DNA exhibited a “very specific, but weird, rearrangement,” she explained. The arrangement turned out to be a DNA palindrome, “opening the door to studying these elusive DNA motifs,” she said.

Attendees of the Environment, Health, and Safety Program’s (EHS’) Open House had a chance to learn self-defense techniques, as well as visit with vendors demonstrating the latest trends in laboratory safety.

“Working with sharps in labs is inherently dangerous, so EHS proactively focused on featuring equipment that would promote safer techniques,” said Siobhan Tierney, program manager, EHS.

A team of NCI and Leidos Biomedical Research employees at NCI at Frederick received the Energy and Fleet Management Award, one of the 2014 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Green Champions Awards, for comparing the costs and energy usage of two -80°C freezer technologies.

This was the first scientific study to be jointly conducted by Leidos Biomedical Research’s Applied and Developmental Research Directorate (ADRD) and Facilities Maintenance and Engineering Directorate (FME).  

The Scientific Library staff is pleased to announce the return of the annual Student Science Jeopardy Tournament July 22, in the auditorium of Building 549.

The contest will begin at 10 a.m. and will run continuously until its conclusion at approximately 12:45 p.m. A video of the tournament will be broadcast live at the Advanced Technology Research Facility.

Platinum Publications are selected from articles by NCI at Frederick scientists published in 42 prestigious science journals. This list represents articles published during the time period shown above, as generated from PubMed.

Articles designated as Platinum Highlights are noteworthy articles selected by Dr. Craig Reynolds, associate director, National Cancer Institute, from among the most recently published Platinum Publications.

Your challenge is to correctly identify the item and its location from the picture at left.

Clue: It’s somewhere at the NCI campus at Frederick or Fort Detrick.

All entries must be received by Wednesday, July 1, 2015, and the winner will be drawn from all correct answers received by that date.

Kids can win a McDonald’s gift certificate, and parents can win a framed photograph of the Poster Puzzler, and have your photo featured on the Poster website!

It looks like we stumped you. We did not receive any correct guesses for the current Poster Puzzler, which is an image of the top of the Building 434 picnic table, with a view looking towards Building 472. This picnic table and others across campus were supplied by the NCI at Frederick Campus Improvement Committee.

Building 434, located on Wood Street, is home to the staff of Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media (SPGM), the Central Repository, and the NCI Experimental Therapeutics Program support group, Applied and Developmental Research Directorate.