Construction of American centrifuge begins

American Centrifuge construction begins
01 June 2007

Construction work on Usec's American Centrifuge plant began on 31 May, following the granting of a licence to construct and operate the plant in mid April.

Usec President and CEO, John Welch said the development was "another important step toward deploying US-developed centrifuge technology."

The plant, in Piketon, Ohio, will be based on large energy-efficient centrifuge machines, developed from original designs by the US Department of Energy. Its modular construction would mean that more capacity could be added relatively cheaply.

The company has scheduled commercial operation to begin in late 2009, ramping up to 11,500 machines providing a 3.8 million separative work unit (SWU) capacity by 2012 as more cascade modules are brought online. Total costs for the new plant are estimated at $2.3 billion.

The enrichment process increases the concentration of the fissionable uranium isotope (U-235) in order to produce nuclear reactor fuel. The licence Usec holds for the eventual plant would allow it to enrich uranium up to an assay level of 10% U-235, and be expanded to a capacity of 7 million SWU.

Separately, Usec has signed a five-year contract with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for electricity supply to its other enrichment plant, an energy-hungry gaseous diffusion design at Portsmouth. Nuclear power accounted for 28% of TVA's generation in fiscal year 2005.




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Further information

Usec

WNA's Uranium Enrichment information paper

WNN: Usec granted licence for new enrichment plant

Nuclear medicine unravels brain chemistry and violent behaviour

UPTON, NY — An image depicting research findings linking brain chemistry with aggressive personality has been named “2007 Image of the Year” by the Society for Nuclear Medicine (SNM). The research, which was performed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, showed that healthy men with lower levels of a particular brain enzyme exhibited more aggressive personality traits, as measured by a standard personality questionnaire.

This neuroimaging research — in normal, non-violent subjects — strengthens the link between low levels of the brain enzyme, known as monoamine oxidase A (MAO A), and aggressive behavior, which has been a topic of research for more than two decades.

“Our study provides evidence of an association between brain MAO A level and aggressive personality traits in normal individuals,” said Nelly Alia-Klein, an assistant scientist at Brookhaven Lab’s Center for Translational Neuroimaging, who presented her work at the society’s 54th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. “If this model of understanding is tested with individuals who actually engage in aggressive or antisocial behavior, such as domestic violence, it could show promise in the future for pharmacological intervention against abnormal aggression,” she added.

The researchers assessed brain MAO A activity in 27 healthy, non-violent male volunteers using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. This technique uses a radiotracer-tagged molecule that binds to brain MAO A and can be measured quantitatively by PET. The subjects also completed a standard, 240-question personality questionnaire, which gave the researchers a complete profile of the men’s personalities, not merely their tendency toward aggression.

The main finding: The lower the subjects’ brain MAO A activity levels, the more they answered “yes” to statements about taking advantage of others, causing them discomfort, having a short temper, vindictiveness, and enjoying violent movies. “Only aggressive personality was related to brain MAO A activity — not other personality dimensions,” Alia-Klein emphasized.

It is important to note that MAO-inhibitor drugs are effective in treating depression and are not associated with aggressive behavior, she added.

SNM past president and historian Henry N. Wagner Jr. announced the depiction of the Brookhaven Center for Translational Neuroimaging findings as the Image of the Year at a press conference on June 4 during the society’s annual meeting. The honored image, chosen from thousands presented at the meeting, graphically shows the group’s approach providing a visual model of their scientific study into the uncharted gene-brain-behavior complex. It consists of four images, including a PET scan showing brain MAO A activity.

“One of the major scientific contributions of molecular imaging is its ability to relate human brain chemistry and behavior,” said Wagner, who for 30 years has summarized current trends in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine, and annually selects an Image of the Year at the society’s meeting.

4th June 2007

James Watson gets his personal genome

Public release date: 31-May-2007
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Contact: Lori Williams
loriw@bcm.edu
713-798-4710
Baylor College of Medicine
Nobel laureate James Watson receives personal genome in ceremony at Baylor College of Medicine

The $1 million, two-month project is a collaboration of 454 Life Sciences and the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC), said Dr. Richard Gibbs, director of the HGSC and a scientific advisor to the Connecticut-based company. The announcement, aside from its meaning to Watson, is significant because it demonstrates that it will be possible in the future to sequence anyone’s genome – a goal toward which many sequencing firms are working. The time and cost will decrease as the technology improves.

“Personalized genomes span the gulf between genetic diagnostics and genomics,” said Gibbs. “This project brings together research genetics, genetic diagnostics and genomics into the new vision of personal medicine. All of that is embodied in this project.”

A report on the project and a commentary on its ethical implications are scheduled to appear in the near future. The raw sequencing data was released today to the publicly available resource called GenBank National Center for Biotechnology Information Trace Archive (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Traces/trace.cgi).

“When we began the Human Genome Project, we anticipated it would take 15 years to sequence the 3 billion base pairs and identify all the genes,” said Gibbs. “We completed it in 13 years in 2003 – coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the publication of the work of Watson and Dr. Francis Crick that described the double helix. Today, we give James Watson a DVD containing his personal genome – a project completed in only two months. It demonstrates how far the sequencing technology has come in a short time.”

“When I conceived the 454 Sequencing(TM) technology, I envisioned making routine individual genome sequencing a reality to help with personal medical care,” said Jonathan Rothberg, founder and former chairman of 454 Life Sciences. “Since Dr. Watson is the co-discoverer of DNA’s structure and a 1962 Nobel Laureate, it is only appropriate to work with him on this ambitious genome sequencing project. This project will pave the way for exploring life at the ultimate level by uncovering what makes each individual unique.”

454 Life Sciences generated the raw sequence data, using DNA extracted from a specimen of blood. Its revolutionary new technique means that there is no need for laborious and expensive up-front bacterial cloning of the DNA. Instead the DNA is directly used in a polymerase chain reaction and fed into a new 1.63 million-well DNA sequencing plate. The sequence data stream into a computer for subsequent analysis.

The HGSC verified the accuracy of the sequence and determined whether it encompassed everything in the genome. This helped validate the new technology developed by 454 Life Sciences that made the project possible.

The HGSC then analyzed the content of the genome and searched for evidence of genes for diseases such as cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy. Because these are recessive genes, a person must have two mutated copies to have the disease. Having one copy makes a person a carrier for the disease.

They also looked for gene variants or alleles that can raise the risk of chronic diseases such as those of the heart or kidneys.

The HGSC also managed the process of providing the information to Watson, which included designing an ethical model for providing the data, writing a consent form that covered all the risks and ethical issues involved and obtaining research approvals from BCM boards.

BCM’s strength in genetics, diagnostics and genomics made it a logical partner in the project. For example, BCM has developed gene chips that can evaluate DNA in chromosomes for deletions or additions associated with increased risk of some diseases.

“These gene chips provided independent confirmation that features found in the sequences match those found in other assays,” said Gibbs.

Watson, who chose BCM as the site at which the data transfer will take place, plans to evaluate the information included in the genome and write about its significance to him, his family and the future of genetic medicine at a later time.

“There will be a host of ethical and social questions as we move into the phase of integrating this kind of information into clinical in the future,” said Dr. Amy McGuire, assistant professor of medical ethics at BCM. She has advised on the ethical issues involved in this personal genome effort.

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