LLNL joins Human Vaccines Project to accelerate vaccine development and understanding of immune response

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has joined the international Human Vaccines Project (HVP), bringing Lab expertise and computing resources to the consortium to aid development of a universal coronavirus vaccine and improve understanding of immune response. The HVP is a nonprofit, public-private partnership with a mission to decode the human immune system and accelerate the...

Update on operations impacted by regional fire

The Laboratory continues to monitor regional fire and weather conditions. Until the evacuation warning affecting Site 300 is lifted, non-essential operations at the site will remain suspended. For Site 200, operations also will curtail if the nearby evacuation warning area is expanded to include the main Lab campus. Stand by for further announcements and please monitor local conditions and...

Lab activities increase, but remote work will continue

Since I spoke to you during my virtual all hands meeting, activity at the Laboratory has continued to increase, with approximately 25 percent of the Lab’s workforce now on site to support work prioritized by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), as well as some non-NNSA work supported by other sponsors. The scope of these efforts puts us in a new posture defined by NNSA as...

Lab provides assistance in national swab shortage

In this era of COVID-19, tracking the disease adequately enough to allow state and local officials to lift shelter-in-place orders and return to a semblance of normalcy in the absence of a vaccine will require widespread testing, according to medical experts. However, such extensive testing efforts have been hampered due to a shortage of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, the preferred tool used by...

Guidance regarding extended shelter-in-place orders

Local, state and national response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, with the state of California establishing a four-stage plan to slowly modify its shelter-in-place order and Bay Area counties extending their shelter-in-place orders through May. Under the extended Alameda County order, current restrictions will largely remain, with limited easing for a small number of lower-risk...

LLNL’s new machine learning platform generates novel COVID-19 antibody sequences for experimental testing

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have identified an initial set of therapeutic antibody sequences, designed in a few weeks using machine learning and supercomputing, aimed at binding and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The research team is performing experimental testing on the chosen antibody designs. Currently, treating COVID-19 with...

Changes to time-charging

The Lab’s policy on charging leave associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, effective Monday, April 20. This change, which was finalized late Monday, will limit the ability of employees to use authorized leave to those whose work cannot be done via telecommuting. Other employees, whose assignment allows them to productively telecommute, but whose ability to do so is limited due to...

Summer student program update

As Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) remains in Reduced Mission-Critical Operations until further notice, most employees continue to work from home and operate under protective measures — to self-isolate, practice social distancing, reduce travel and telecommute when possible. After careful consideration to maintain the safety of our staff and students during these uncertain...

Reduced Mission-Critical work continues

Last week, limited work resumed on site in support of specific mission-essential activities in support of national security responsibilities, a posture referred to as “Reduced Mission-Critical Operations.” This is in addition to the employees who have been on site in support of both minimum safe and COVID-19-related projects and activities. Guidance has been developed to help returning...

Message from the director: Time to relax as best we can

Throughout our Lab’s history we have worked tirelessly to protect the nation against various threats. While our current fight against the COVID-19 pandemic presents a set of challenges we’ve never faced, I am no less gratified by our collective ability to rise to this occasion. For all of us, each week has brought new problems and challenges — always stressful and always demanding. Yet...

Guidance for extended shelter-in-place

In recent days, local, state and national response to the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved. Bay Area counties — including Alameda — have extended their shelter-in-place orders to 11:59 p.m. May 3. The White House also has extended the federal social distancing guidelines to April 30. To protect the health and safety of the Laboratory community, employees who are not working on site...

Lab will begin limited return to work for Reduced Mission-Critical Operations

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the Lab has reduced its staffing at sites 200 and 300 to that required for safety, security and the minimal maintenance of facilities. In addition, IT staff has been on site helping to support the enormous growth in telecommuting over the past month. Small groups of employees have made themselves available at the Lab to respond without delay to...

Minimum Safe Operations posture continues

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has now been at a Minimum Safe Operations posture for five days, and all systems are operating as planned, with a limited number of people continuing to work on-site to ensure the safety and security of the Laboratory and its facilities. In addition, a small number of employees remain on site to support select mission-critical...

COVID-19 update: Message from the director

Last week, I directed an orderly move to Minimum Safe Operations for our Laboratory in response to the growing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the tireless efforts of employees across the Laboratory, we have achieved that goal. Today, we are officially in Minimum Safe Operations, with a limited number of people on site to ensure the safety and security of our Laboratory and its...

COVID-19 update: Lessening community transmission

The Laboratory continues to make significant progress in the transition to Minimum Safe Operations, which will be reached by Monday, March 23. This move was made in response to Bay Area public health departments’ shelter-in-place orders, which went into effect on March 17, as well as state and federal government recommendations. The shelter-in-place orders were issued in response to an...

COVID-19 update: Clarification on timekeeping

As the Laboratory continues to transition to Minimum Safe Operations by Monday, March 23, all employees who can effectively telecommute should be doing so, with the exception of employees performing minimum safe activities. Now that the Laboratory is close to achieving a Minimum Safe Operations status, we have clarification on timekeeping. Employees should use the following timekeeping...

Lab continues move toward Minimum Safe Operations

The Laboratory is moving toward a state designated as “Minimum Safe Operations” by Monday, March 23, as requested by Director Bill Goldstein. This move is in response to county public health departments’ shelter-in-place orders issued Monday, as well as state and federal government recommendations. To achieve Minimum Safe Operations — a state of curtailed on-site work activities — the...

COVID update: Lab moves to Minimum Safe Operations

In response to the growing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am directing an orderly move to Minimum Safe Operations for our Laboratory. This move will allow us to comply with the various county shelter-in-place orders, state and federal government recommendations, and – most importantly – enable us to protect the health and safety of our workforce. During Minimum Safe Operations, the...