"From our nation's point of view," says Glen Dahlbacka about DOE's Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP), "this is a way to build strong ties to establishments that once built weapons to destroy us. Their great talent and skills become available to the international community."

In the case of biotechnology, he says, "we have access not only to new environments -- where practically every pothole in the road holds a new microbial community -- but to wonderful existing collections as well."

The effort to identify and characterize Earth's innumerable microbial species has barely scratched the surface. Among the coming discoveries will be not a few surprises. Recently a researcher in Houston, Texas, investigating organisms implicated in sick building syndrome, asked Tamas Torok's help in characterizing a microbe. He found it was the same as a species he'd first seen in Chernobyl -- a fascinating hint about its favored environments.

Most IPP projects have been aimed toward the nuclear sector; results have included unique scientific opportunities. "Right here at Berkeley Lab, and with our partner, Isonics, we have arguably the world's greatest collection of isotopically pure silicon," Dahlbacka says. "It was acquired under an IPP partnership with a plant that enriched uranium for nuclear weapons."

Dahlbacka cites the results of another IPP project, a collaboration with a rocket plant: "They've developed an aerodynamically unique vertical-axis windmill, especially designed for Siberia -- in fact, it would be perfect in Kamchatka. It develops 30 kilowatts and can withstand high winds. You could drop it into a remote village with no electrical hook-ups and you could soon have electric lights and a functioning water system there."

Hundreds of new technologies have resulted from IPP projects. For examples of Berkeley Lab projects and more information about IPP, visit the Technology Transfer Department's website.