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By Amy M. Kile
Argonne biologists studying capillary formation, or angiogenesis, have identified proteins that could lead to drugs that stop tumor growth and cancer.
Argonne researchers are the first to study the earliest steps in capillary formation in tumors. They identified 280 proteins that endothelial cells — cells that form blood vessels — secrete in large quantities during capillary growth. Because proteins are responsible for cellular structure and communication, biologists want to learn which ones to block to develop a treatment that arrests tumor growth by halting angiogenesis.
While anti-angiogenic drugs have shown promise in laboratory studies, they have not fared well in clinical trials. That is because they have targeted only individual molecular pathways, said Argonne biologist Diane Rodi (BIO). Researchers expect their in-depth angiogenesis work to find more effective treatments.
Current cancer therapies attack fast-dividing cells such as hair follicles and the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract, causing side effects of nausea and hair loss.
"There is not a lot of capillary growth in normal adults. Humans only grow capillaries when healing from an injury or during menstrual cycles," said Rodi. "So if we can come up with a cocktail of drugs to knock out all capillary formation in the body, it might be a method of treating cancer patients that does not make them sick."
Capillaries are a tumor's lifeline, delivering oxygen and removing waste. Tumors use capillaries to metastasize, or spread to other body tissues. When malignant tumors move to other body tissues, they disable tissue function.
"Tumors kill by invading the body's normal tissues and crowding them out, preventing them from doing their job," says Rodi. "A patient dies because those tissues cannot function properly."
Capillaries are formed by endothelial cells that form little hollow tubes. When a tumor lacks oxygen, it sends protein signals toward existing capillaries. Endothelial cells break off, releasing enzymes that chew through body tissue toward the tumor to make new capillaries.
Argonne's Angiogenesis Group mimics natural capillary formation. Endothelial cells that have been isolated from human tissue and mixed with growth factors are placed in a protein gel. The gel acts like body tissue and causes the cells to release enzymes.
Using a light microscope attached to a digital camera, the group takes snapshots of the cells and isolates their ribonucleic acid (RNA) during the eight-hour capillary formation process.
The biologists identify the isolated RNA and, since RNA codes for proteins, determine what proteins the cells are making at each time interval.
Support for the research is provided by laboratory-directed research and development funding.
Changes may be afoot for Argonne's Women in Science and Technology (WIST) program, the result of a "re-evaluation survey" conducted as the program reached its first decade.
The WIST program at Argonne is a resource of people and projects that help to support the laboratory, its scientific and technical women and young women interested in scientific and technical careers.
A survey of Argonne's scientific and technical women in December 2001 provided feedback to WIST leaders and Argonne management about the work environment and the program's activities. The survey was distributed to women in the 700 series grade level and posted on wisttalk, the organization's online bulletin board. Of the 150 surveys distributed, 103 were completed and returned, including 11 from Argonne-West.
The program has done well in several areas, according to the survey and the findings of the WIST Re-Evaluation Subcommittee. Successes include an annual Science Careers in Search of Women conference for high-school young women, a Survival
Skills Workshop for Argonne scientific and technical women, an Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day for middle-school girls, and sponsorship of notable speakers for Laboratory Director's Special Colloquia. The First Friday Forum, a brown-bag lunch meeting open to all Argonne employees, often serves as a means to announce and discuss WIST issues, and for informal mentoring and networking.
In addition, WIST provides a clear and direct channel for communication among the female scientific and technical staff at the laboratory, and between them and upper Argonne management. Over time, WIST has responded to and interacted with changing laboratory administrations, providing continuity and a sustained effort on behalf of the laboratory and its scientific and technical women.
The WIST re-evaluation included an examination of the percentage of scientific and technical women at Argonne over time and their distribution among grade levels compared to men. The analysis showed that several issues remain a concern, including:
Increasing the numbers of women in
scientific and technical positions
Increasing the numbers of Argonne
women in scientific and technical management positions
Workplace equity issues, including
salary
"In general, the women who responded to the survey enjoy their work and are ambitious," said Maryka Bhattacharyya (BIO), WIST program initiator. "But they are not getting assignments that will advance their careers at the same level as men do." Other perceived barriers to career advancement include the "good ol' boy" system (men are more likely to share information with and hire other men), "glass ceiling" constraints and balancing work and family.
These issues ultimately require sustained effort by Argonne management and Human Resources, with WIST providing support and resources, according to the report.
Reconfiguration
The Re-Evaluation Subcommittee recommended some adjustments to better meet the needs of the laboratory and its
scientific and technical women. This plan recommended that Argonne and WIST:
Retain the WIST program initiator
position.
Establish a Diversity Task Force that
includes representatives of laboratory management identified as "diversity champions." Task force
members would study the status of employees in underrepresented groups and would translate the
results of their study into an action plan for the laboratory that would improve the work
environment for all employees.
Fund a WIST program initiator for
Argonne-Idaho
Reconfigure the WIST Steering
Committee
Establish grass-roots points of
contact in each division
Hold regular business meetings to
communicate WIST-related issues with interested staff.
The Re-Evaluation Subcommittee's report will be posted on the WIST Web site.
A series of tutorial lectures on the Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) will give Argonne-East scientists, engineers and support staff an overview of the proposed physics research facility.
Speakers will explain the RIA concept and technologies to provide a background for people with a general interest and those who may become involved with RIA design and construction.
Lectures will be held on Thursdays and will begin at 2 p.m. in Building 401, Room A1100. Topics will include:
May 29 — "Overview of the RIA
Concept," by Jerry Nolen (PHY).
June 5 — "Scientific
Opportunities and Challenges for RIA" by Robert Janssens (PHY)
June 19 — "Heavy-Ion Accelerator
Technology" by Richard Pardo (PHY)
June 26 — "Superconducting RF
Technology for RIA" by Ken Shepard
July 10 — "Beam Dynamics of the
RIA Superconducting Driver Linac," by Petr Ostroumov
July 17 — "Room Temperature
Accelerating Structures and Front-End Design of the RIA Accelerators," by Petr Ostroumov
July 24 — "Rare Isotope
Production and Secondary Beam Technologies," by Guy Savard
By Amy M. Kile
Low-flying yellow planes will buzz over Argonne-East this June, diminishing the laboratory's gypsy moth population and saving its trees.
"Northeast Illinois is in the transition zone between infested and uninfested areas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service developed the 'Slow-the-Spread' program to knock back pockets of the insects in the transition zone to slow their spread further west." said Donna Green, environmental stewardship team leader for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Between June 23 and June 26, planes will drop two to four green plastic flakes per square foot over much of the eastern, wooded part of Argonne. The flakes will be about one-eighth to one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter and contain a synthetic female gypsy moth pheromone detectable only to gypsy moths.
Because the operation is weather-dependent, an exact date has not been set. An announcement will be made the week spraying takes place.
Male gypsy moths use the pheromone to locate and mate with females. The June spraying will confuse the male moths, making it difficult for them to find mates and reproduce during their prime mating season.
"While the flakes are harmless to humans, employees may want to remain indoors while the spraying takes place. The flakes are sticky, and anyone who comes in contact with them will attract male gypsy moths," Green said.
It may not look it, but the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is one of the most serious insect threats to forests, woodlands, shade trees and landscape plants in the United States.
Gypsy moths were introduced to North America in 1869 when scientists tried, unsuccessfully, to breed them with native silkworms. The gypsy moths escaped and established themselves as tree pests throughout the United States.
Gypsy moth caterpillars can eat more than half of a tree's leaves, causing many trees to grow new foliage in the middle of summer. This re-growth uses up the plant's food reserves, weakening it. After three defoliations, oaks and hickories can die. Some evergreens can be killed by a single defoliation.
Last year the two applications of a bacteria fatal to gypsy moths were applied at Argonne under the "Slow-the-Spread" program. Those sprays reduced Argonne's gypsy moth population, meaning pheromones could be used instead of bacteria this year, and only one application would be necessary.
"The bacterial applications were successful, and we hope that the pheromones reduce the gypsy moth population to the point that we won't need to spray next year," said Green.
Northern Illinois University has presented an honorary doctoral degree to Argonne Director Hermann Grunder in recognition of his many outstanding contributions to the field of physics.
Grunder received the honorary doctor of science degree during the commencement ceremony for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences May 10.
"Dr. Grunder couldn't be more deserving of this honor," said NIU Provost Ivan Legg. "He leads one of the nation's premier federal laboratories and is an accomplished scientist who has been recognized internationally for his work in the areas of accelerator and nuclear physics. Dr. Grunder has greatly advanced the knowledge base that will serve as a foundation for future generations of scientists."
The award will be the only honorary degree presented by NIU this spring. Grunder was nominated by the university's Department of Physics, which has a working relationship with Argonne, where many faculty members and students conduct research.
"Dr. Grunder is both a dynamic leader and eminent scientist, traits that have made him an individual of uncommon ability and success," said John Shaffer, chair of the NIU Department of Physics. "We're privileged to have an active working relationship with Dr. Grunder and with the Argonne community."
Before his appointment to Argonne director, Grunder was instrumental in establishing and building the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia, where he served as director for 15 years.
Past recipients of honorary doctoral degrees from NIU have included J. Dennis Hastert, U.S. Speaker of the House; Arthur Schlesinger, distinguished historian and author; Paul Simon, U.S. Senator; and world-renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.
By Amy M. Kile
Argonne's pollution prevention plan, which includes a program that has recycled more than 82,000 metric tons of materials over the past five years — about the weight of the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier —has been named one of the best in the U.S. Department of Energy complex.
Argonne's pollution prevention program exceeds DOE pollution prevention leadership goals and garnered an award in the Model Facility Demonstration Complex-Wide Achievement Category. The award recognizes the laboratory's efforts in education and information exchange, pollution prevention reviews, waste reduction and recycling and purchasing plans that encourage the use of recycled products.
To educate its staff about pollution prevention, Argonne offers a user-friendly Web-based course that allows employees to receive pollution prevention training from their desktop computers.
Argonne's Waste Management and Pollution Prevention Advisory Committee sponsors a Pollution Prevention Spirit Award for Argonne-East employees to recognize efforts made in limiting waste and excess.
Argonne's management established a policy which requires all new project reviews to use a pollution prevention checklist. The management also uses the Integrated Safety Management (ISM) system and the Environmental Management System to promote pollution prevention strategies across the entire laboratory.
"Receiving this recognition is certainly another indication of our implementation of ISM, specifically as it relates to integrating environmental considerations into work planning and conduct," said Adam Cohen, director of Environment, Safety and Quality Assurance Oversight.
In addition to these educational programs and information-sharing networks, Argonne also has a comprehensive solid waste recycling program. Cardboard, aluminum, glass, plastics, metals, batteries, transparencies, toner cartridges, surplus laboratory chemicals, mixed office paper, lead shielding materials and construction and demolition debris are among the materials recycled or reduced by the laboratory. Since 1996, Argonne-East has saved more than $3.8 million by recycling.
The Argonne Chemical Exchange System (ACES) was developed to facilitate the
exchange of surplus chemicals across the laboratory. Using a centralized surplus chemical storage facility and the laboratory's Chemical Management System, employees may find the chemicals they need without purchasing excess.
Office supplies and furniture may also be recycled or reused through Argonne's Equipment and Materials Exchange.
An Affirmative Procurement Program makes purchasing recycled products easier for employees and a Sustainable Design Implementation Plan promotes the use of building materials and construction methods that are environmentally friendly.
Because of these plans, Argonne-East diverts waste from landfills, conserves energy, improves indoor air quality and reduces operating costs. Since 1996, Argonne has saved about $11 million.
"It's significant to get this award because there are many good programs throughout the DOE-sponsored laboratories," said Pollution Prevention Coordinator Keith Trychta.
For more information, call at ext. 2-6778, or visit the Pollution Prevention Web site.
Boyana Norris (MCS) will speak on "High-Performance Scientific Components" at the June 6 meeting of the First Friday Forum.
The talk will begin at 12:15 p.m. in Building 203, Conference Room R150.
Norris will discuss component-based scientific software development, including work on building component interfaces and implementations in parallel numerical toolkits for mesh manipulations, discretization, linear algebra, and optimization. She will present an example application involving partial differential equations and unconstrained minimization, work that has been recognized as one of the "Top Ten Science Achievements in 2002" by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
The First Friday Forum is an informal gathering of Argonne women usually held on the first Friday of the month. The group explores career and gender issues related to women. Meetings are open to all Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees.
NEW ARRIVALS
A girl, Clarinha, born Feb. 16 to Gabriela and Andre Parizzi (IPNS/SNS); twin boys, Sam and Wil, born April 5 to Josh and Amy Stein (ASD).
Proud grandparents: a grandson, Logan Matthew, born Nov. 18 to Frank and Bonnie Gianpetro (IPD); a granddaughter, Megan Elizabeth, born Feb. 17 to Victoria Jennings (PFS-CU); a granddaughter, Alexis Rose Johnke, born April 19 to Beth Bonczalski (OCF-PRO); a grandson, Evan Bradford, born March 31 to Joan and Roger Blackman (IPNS).
ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to Roberta Riel (CMT) on receiving her B.A. degree in English for the University of St. Francis, Joliet, Ill.; Arthur A. Frigo (CMT) was awarded the 2003 Keystone
Award by the American Glovebox Society (AGS); Patrick Lyons, son of Janet Lyons (EAD), participated in the Illinois State Science Fair in Champaign, Ill.
ENGAGEMENTS/WEDDINGS
Congratulations to Magdalena Bodnar (EQO-TR) and Tim Hennebry (CIS) on their recent engagement; Marianne Nielsen (ASD) on her recent engagement to Scott Binetti.
WELCOME
PFS-CU welcomes Gordon Wantroba and Elizabeth Bolton. CTR-ES welcomes Stephen Gurski, Ye Wu, Pierre Kemler, Essam El-Hannouny, Munidhar Biruduganti, Greg Klett, and Tobin VanVeghten.
FAREWELLS
Good luck to Justin Coburn (EAD), Allen Tsao (EAD), Cindy Adornetto (EAD), Bobby Templin (EAD), Mike Morrissey
(OTD), Rand Watson (NPS), Val Svirtun (ASD), and John A. Anderson (CTR-ES) who have left the laboratory.
GET WELL
Get well to Mary Ann Forys (IPD), Ken Albert (PFS-SS), Ken Madritsch (PRS-SS), Doreen Schoening (PFS-SS), and John L. Anderson (CTR-ES).
TRANSFERS
Good luck to Tryleng Kruy who transferred from XFD to ASD-VT.
PROMOTIONS
Promotions reported to Ar'Gang this month include: Terry Allocco (PFS-CU) promoted to Janitor Group Leader; Rosemary Stanton (OSS) promoted to Foreign Visits and Assignments Administrator.
CONDOLENCES
Condolences to Yvette Woelle (IPD) on the death of her father-
in-law; Linda Atkinson (PFS-CU) on the death of her father; Norzella Owens (PFS-CU) on the death of her sister; Anthony White (PFS-CU) on the death of his grandfather; Cynthia Powell (PFS-GR) on the death of her grandmother; Terry Allocco (PFS-CU) on the death of his mother-in-law; Pat McPartlin (CTR-ES) on the death of his father; Marianne Mintz (CTR-ES) on the death of her mother and mother-in-law; Aaron Lopez (ASD) on the death of his grandmother.
CONTRIBUTORS
Thanks to this issue's contributors: Lori Greenwood (EAD), Diana Grygiel (EQO), Karen Kroczek (PFS), Pat McUmber (ASD), Cathy Nelson (IPD), Carolyn Peters (IPNS), Sally Peters (OCF-PRO), Faith Ruppert (CMT), and Kim Tomasko (CTR-ES).
All classes offered by Computing and Instrumentation Solutions are held in Argonne-East's Building 201, Room 167. Unless otherwise specified, classes are limited to eight participants and cost $215.
June classes include:
Advanced Word 2000 (ECT378) —
Tuesday, June 3, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Advanced Excel 2000 (ECT379) —
Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Advanced Access 2000 (ECT380) —
Thursday, June 5, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Intermediate PowerPoint 2000 (ECT373)
— Friday, June 6, 8:30 a.m. - noon. Cost: $140.
Advanced PowerPoint 2000 (ECT382)
— Friday, June 6, 1 - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $140.
Complete computer class descriptions, schedules and enrollment forms are available online. For information about enrollment, contact Diane Cavazos (CIS) at ext. 2-7153 or dkcavazos@anl.gov.