Berkeley Lab’s annual Director’s Awards recognize the significant achievements of Lab employees. In 2021, three technology transfer awards were given, for exemplary efforts in entrepreneurism, building relationships with industry or intellectual property achievements that have an impact on society’s health and economy.
The Python-based Hierarchical ENvironment for Integrated Xtallography (PHENIX) team in the Biosciences Area received an award for creating a world-class tool for automating macromolecular crystallography that is now being used around the world. X-ray crystallography is critical to understanding the fundamentals of life and to the development of new therapeutics. From fundamental science to drug development, the PHENIX software is now being used around the world to automate macromolecular crystallography. It is now being used at the Lab as well as by more than 10,000 academics and approximately 50 commercial licensees around the world.
The Center for X-Ray Optics team in the Energy Sciences Area received an award for groundbreaking and sustained research in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for chip manufacturing. The team’s advancements in EUV lithography support continued and substantial improvement in both compute power and energy efficiency.
Michael Tucker, a scientist in the Energy Technologies Area, received an award for his persistent efforts in intellectual property development, commercialization activities, industrial collaboration and technology transfer that generated significant engagement and interest from industry, culminating in two companies licensing and successfully scaling up LBNL’s solid-oxide fuel-cell technology.
The tech transfer awardees and the other Laureates will be recognized at a special event on November 18, 2021.