By working together, we will be able to benefit from sharing our unique and complementary research facilities and expertise. Wash. Project technical areas include advanced materials, biotechnology and intelligent processes and controls. For example, in materials research the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Seagate Technology, Fremont, Calif., will design molecular lubricants for computer disks with the goal of more reliable, higher performance and cheaper computers. In the biotechnology area, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Genometrix Inc., The Woodlands, Texas, will develop a gene-based detector that, by rapidly identifying microorganisms, will have applications in medicine, agriculture, public health safety and biotechnology. The department's awards support the national laboratories' research, while the industry partners support their research and often provide equipment or funds to the laboratory.
Brief descriptions follow.
In advanced materials research, Argonne National Laboratory and Front Edge Technology Inc., Baldwin Park, Calif., Stirling Thermal Motors Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., and Diesel Technology Co., Wyoming, Mich., will improve the understanding of carbon films to allow extended wear life, reduced maintenance costs and increased energy efficiency in automobile engines. Argonne will also work with the Dow Chemical Co. of Freeport, Texas, to develop new electrodes for producing magnesium, saving money and energy while reducing emissions. Brookhaven National Lab and Gould Electronics of Eastlake, Ohio, will partner to develop new materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. Brookhaven will also work with Oxford Superconducting Technology of Carteret, N.J., to improve how superconductors are manufactured, with potential savings in electricity in power transmission lines and transformers. Also, in advanced materials work, the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Commonwealth Scientific Corp of Alexandria, Va., will develop a coating system for magnetic storage devices that will improve computer data storage capacity.