Editing Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

{{short description|National laboratory located near Berkeley, California, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox laboratory
| name             = Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
| motto            = Bringing science solutions to the world
| logo             = Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory logo.svg
| image            = Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (52230758982).jpg
| alt              = The lab's Molecular Foundry and surrounding buildings
| caption          = The lab's [[Molecular Foundry]] and surrounding buildings
| established      = {{start date and age|1931|08|26}}
| director         = [[Michael Witherell]]
| address          = 1 Cyclotron Road
| city             = [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]
| state            = [[California]]
| country          = United States
| coordinates      = {{Wikidatacoord|Q1133630|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| budget           = {{nowrap|{{US$|1.495|link=yes}} billion (2023)}}<ref name="annualreport"/>
| type             = Scientific research and energy technologies
| staff            = 3,804<ref name=About/>
| campus           = {{cvt|200|acre|ha}}
| students         = 800
| nobel_laureates  = 16<ref name="nobel">{{citation |url=https://www.lbl.gov/nobelists/ |title=The Nobel Prize |access-date=November 29, 2024 |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory  }}</ref>
| operating_agency = [[University of California]]
| website          = {{URL|lbl.gov}}
}}
'''Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory''' ('''LBNL''', '''Berkeley Lab''') is a [[Federally funded research and development centers|federally funded research and development center]] in the [[Berkeley Hills|hills]] of [[Berkeley, California]], United States. Established in 1931 by the [[University of California]] (UC), the laboratory is sponsored by the [[United States Department of Energy]] and administered by the UC system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master Government List of Federally Funded R&D Centers {{!}} NCSES {{!}} NSF |url=https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/ |access-date=March 8, 2023 |website=nsf.gov |archive-date=August 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820205437/https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ernest Lawrence]], who won the Nobel prize for inventing the [[cyclotron]], founded the lab and served as its director until his death in 1958. Located in the [[Berkeley Hills]], the lab overlooks the campus of the [[University of California, Berkeley]].

==Scientific research==
The mission of Berkeley Lab is to bring science solutions to the world. The research at Berkeley Lab has four main themes: discovery science, energy, earth systems, and the future of science.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbl.gov/research/ |title=Research |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=February 28, 2025 }}</ref> The Laboratory's 22 scientific divisions are organized within six areas of research: Computing Sciences, Physical Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biosciences, Energy Sciences, and Energy Technologies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lbl.gov/about/organization |title=Organization |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=November 29, 2024 }}</ref> Lab founder [[Ernest Lawrence]] believed that scientific research is best done through teams of individuals with different fields of expertise, working together, and his laboratory still considers that a guiding principle today.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbl.gov/ernest-orlando-lawrence/
|publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | title=Ernest Orlando Lawrence | access-date=November 29, 2024}}</ref>

===Research impact===
Berkeley Lab scientists have won fifteen Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry, and each one has a street named after them on the Lab campus.<ref name="nobel"/> 23 Berkeley Lab employees were contributors to reports by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the [[Nobel Peace Prize]]. Fifteen Lab scientists have also won the [[National Medal of Science]], and two have won the [[National Medal of Technology and Innovation]].<ref name=medals>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbl.gov/people/excellence/national-medal/ |title=National Medals |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=November 28, 2024 }}</ref> 82 Berkeley Lab researchers have been elected to membership in the [[National Academy of Sciences]] or the [[National Academy of Engineering]].<ref name=About>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbl.gov/about/ |title=About the Lab |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=August 2, 2024 |archive-date=August 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240802180904/https://www.lbl.gov/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, Berkeley Lab had the greatest research publication impact of any single government laboratory in the world in physical sciences and chemistry, as measured by [[Nature Index]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/physical-sciences/global |title=2022 tables: Institutions-physical sciences-government |publisher=Nature Index |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226172143/https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/physical-sciences/global |url-status=live }} {{cite web |url=https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/chemistry/global |title=2022 tables: Institutions-chemistry-government |publisher=Nature Index |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226172143/https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/chemistry/global |url-status=live }}</ref> The only institutions with higher ranking were national government research agencies for China, France, and Italy which are network of research laboratories or smaller research units. Using the same metric, the Lab is the second-ranking laboratory in the area of earth and environmental sciences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/earth-and-environmental/global |title=2022 tables: Institutions-Earth & environmental sciences-government |publisher=Nature Index |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226172144/https://www.nature.com/nature-index/annual-tables/2022/institution/government/earth-and-environmental/global |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Scientific user facilities ===
Much of Berkeley Lab's research impact is built on the capabilities of its unique research facilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbl.gov/capabilities/ |title=Capabilities |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224215530/https://www.lbl.gov/capabilities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The laboratory manages five national scientific user facilities, which are part of the network of 28 such facilities operated by the DOE Office of Science. These facilities and the expertise of the scientists and engineers who operate them are made available to 14,000 researchers from universities, industry, and government laboratories.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities |title=User Facilities |website=US Department of Energy Office of Science |date=September 29, 2020 |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226013304/https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities |url-status=live }} {{cite web |url=https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/User-Facilities-at-a-Glance |title=User Facilities at a Glance |website=US Department of Energy Office of Science |date=May 3, 2022 |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306140440/https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/User-Facilities-at-a-Glance |url-status=live }}</ref>

Berkeley Lab operates five major National User Facilities for the DOE Office of Science:
# The [[Advanced Light Source]] (ALS) is a synchrotron light source with 41 beamlines providing ultraviolet, soft x-ray, and hard x-ray light to scientific experiments in a wide variety of fields, including materials science, biology, chemistry, physics, and the environmental sciences.[[File:Advanced Light Source building (52230759447).jpg|thumb|The [[Advanced Light Source]] and surrounding buildings]] The ALS is supported by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://als.lbl.gov/ |title=The Advanced Light Source |website=Berkeley Lab |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224221534/https://als.lbl.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://science.osti.gov/bes/suf/User-Facilities/X-Ray-Light-Sources/ALS |title=The Advanced Light Source |date=April 29, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225230549/https://science.osti.gov/bes/suf/User-Facilities/X-Ray-Light-Sources/ALS |url-status=live }}</ref>
# The [[Joint Genome Institute]] (JGI) is a scientific user facility for integrative genomic science, with particular emphasis on the DOE missions of energy and the environment. The JGI provides over 2,000 scientific users with access to the latest generation of genome sequencing and analysis capabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://science.osti.gov/ber/Facilities/User-Facilities/JGI |title=Joint Genome Institute |website=U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science |date=April 29, 2022 |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220212926/https://science.osti.gov/ber/Facilities/User-Facilities/JGI |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://jgi.doe.gov/our-projects/statistics/ |title=DOE metrics/statistics |website=Joint Genome Institute |access-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220212925/https://jgi.doe.gov/our-projects/statistics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Integrative Genomics Building (52230758417).jpg|thumb|The Integrative Genomics Building, home to the [[Joint Genome Institute]]]]
# The [[Molecular Foundry]] is a multidisciplinary nanoscience research facility. Its seven research facilities focus on Imaging and Manipulation of Nanostructures, Nanofabrication, Theory of Nanostructured Materials, Inorganic Nanostructures, Biological Nanostructures, Organic and Macromolecular Synthesis, and Electron Microscopy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foundry.lbl.gov/facilities/ |title=Scientific facilities and infrastructure |website=Molecular Foundry |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=July 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716183129/http://foundry.lbl.gov/facilities/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://foundry.lbl.gov/ |title=The Molecular Foundry |website=Berkeley Lab |access-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219215232/https://foundry.lbl.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Molecular Foundry Berkeley.jpg|thumb|The [[Molecular Foundry]]]]
# The [[National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center]] (NERSC) is the mission scientific computing facility for the DOE Office of Science, providing high performance computing for over 11,000 scientists working on DOE research programs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nersc.gov/ |title=National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center | access-date=November 29, 2024}}</ref> NERSC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 by making a video that describes significant events over that 50-year timeline.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://sites.google.com/lbl.gov/nersc50-nug/nersc-overview-video | title = NERSC: 50 Years of Scientific Computing | access-date=November 29, 2024}}</ref> The Perlmutter system at NERSC was the 5th-ranked supercomputer system in the [[Top500]] (HPL) rankings when it came online in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://top500.org/lists/top500/2021/06/
 |title=June 2021 Top500 list |website=Top500 |access-date=November 29, 2024 }}</ref>  As of November 2024, it ranks 7th in the world for performance on the alternate HPCG benchmark, which has a lower ratio of computing to data movement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://top500.org/lists/hpcg/2024/11/ | title=November 2024 HPCG list | website=Top500 | access-date=November 29, 2024 }}</ref>
# The [[Energy Sciences Network]] (ESnet) is a high-speed research network serving DOE scientists with their experimental facilities and collaborators worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.es.net/about |title=About ESnet |website=Energy Sciences Network |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215060347/https://www.es.net/about |url-status=live }}</ref> The upgraded network infrastructure launched in 2022 is optimized for very large scientific data flows, and the network transports roughly 35 petabytes of traffic each month.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.es.net/news-and-publications/esnet-news/2022/esnet-launches-next-generation-network-to-enhance-collaborative-science/ |title=ESnet launches next generation network to enhance collaborative science |website=Energy Sciences Network |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215061851/https://www.es.net/news-and-publications/esnet-news/2022/esnet-launches-next-generation-network-to-enhance-collaborative-science/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Team science ===
Much of the research at Berkeley Lab is done by researchers from several disciplines and multiple institutions working together as a large team focused on shared scientific goals. Berkeley is either the lead partner or one of the leads in several research institutes and hubs, including the following:
# The '''[[Joint BioEnergy Institute]]''' (JBEI). JBEI's mission is to establish the scientific knowledge and new technologies needed to transform the maximum amount of carbon available in bioenergy crops into biofuels and bioproducts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jbei.org/about/ |title=About JBEI |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226002958/https://www.jbei.org/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref> JBEI is one of four U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://genomicscience.energy.gov/bioenergy-research-centers/ |title=Bioenergy Research Centers |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220215113/https://genomicscience.energy.gov/bioenergy-research-centers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, the DOE announced the commitment of $590M to support the BRCs for the next five years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-590-million-increase-bioenergy-research |title=DOE Announces $590 million to Increase Bioenergy Research |date=March 17, 2023 |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317182304/https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-590-million-increase-bioenergy-research |url-status=live }}</ref>
# The '''[[National Alliance for Water Innovation]]''' (NAWI).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nawihub.org/ |title=National Alliance for Water Innovation |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226004450/https://www.nawihub.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> NAWI aims to secure an affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient water supply for the US economy through decentralized, fit-for-purpose processing. NAWI is supported primarily by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, partnering with the California Department of Water Resources, the California State Water Resources Control Board. Berkeley Lab is the lead partner, with founding partners [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]] (ORNL) and the [[National Renewable Energy Laboratory]] (NREL).
# The '''Liquid Sunlight Alliance''' (LiSA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.liquidsunlightalliance.org/ |title=DOE Energy Innovation Hubs |website=Liquid Sunlight Alliance |access-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226002956/https://www.liquidsunlightalliance.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> LiSA's Mission is to establish the science principles by which durable coupled microenvironments can be co-designed to efficiently and selectively generate liquid fuels from sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. The lead institution for LiSA is the [[California Institute of Technology]] and Berkeley Lab is a major partner.
# The '''Energy Storage Research Alliance''' (ESRA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://energystoragera.org/|title=Energy Storage Research Alliance |website=ESRA |access-date=January 14, 2025 }}</ref> The mission of the Energy Storage Research Alliance is to apply cutting-edge scientific tools and automation to accelerate materials discovery for next-generation energy storage technologies.   [[Argonne National Laboratory]] leads the ESRA collaboration with [[Berkeley Lab]] and [[Pacific Northwest National Laboratory]]  as co-leads.

=== Cyclotron Road ===
'''[[Cyclotron Road]]''' is a fellowship program for technology innovators, supporting entrepreneurial scientists as they advance their own technology projects.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cyclotronroad.lbl.gov/ |title=Cyclotron Road |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=November 28, 2024 }}</ref> The core support for the program comes from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, through the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/ammto/lab-embedded-entrepreneurship-program|title=Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=November 28, 2024 }}</ref> Berkeley Lab manages the program in close partnership with ''Activate'', a nonprofit organization established to scale the Cyclotron Road fellowship model to a greater number of innovators around the U.S. and the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.activate.org/news/ilan-letter |title=Introducing Activate: Expanding Cyclotron Road's model |website=Activate.org |access-date=November 28, 2024 }}</ref> Cyclotron Road fellows receive two years of stipend, over $100,000 of research support, intensive mentorship and a startup curriculum, and access to the expertise and facilities of Berkeley Lab.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cyclotronroad.lbl.gov/engage/our-program/ |title=Our Program |website=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=November 28, 2024 }}</ref> Since members of the first cohort completed their fellowships in 2017, the 84 start-up companies founded by Cyclotron Road Fellows have raised over $2.5 billion in follow-on funding.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cyclotronroad.lbl.gov/about-us/|title=About Cyclotron Road |website=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=November 28, 2024}}</ref>

== Notable scientists ==
=== Nobel laureates ===
Fifteen Berkeley Lab scientists have received the Nobel Prize in physics or chemistry.<ref name=nobel />
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Nobel laureates
|-
! Physics
! Chemistry
|-
|[[John Clauser]] (2022)
|[[Carolyn Bertozzi]] (2022)
|-
|[[Saul Perlmutter]] (2011)
|[[Jennifer Doudna]] (2020)
|-
|[[George Smoot]] (2006)
|[[Yuan T. Lee]] (1986)
|-
|[[Steven Chu]] (1997)
|[[Melvin Calvin]] (1961)
|-
|[[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis Alvarez]] (1968)
|[[Edwin McMillan]] (1951)
|-
|[[Donald Glaser]] (1960)
|[[Glenn Seaborg]] (1951)
|-
|[[Owen Chamberlain]] (1959)
|
|-
|[[Emilio Segrè]] (1959)
|
|-
|[[Ernest Lawrence]] (1939)
|
|}

===National Medals===
Fifteen Berkeley Lab scientists have received the [[National Medal of Science]] and two have been awarded the [[National Medal of Technology and Innovation]].<ref name=medals />

{| class="wikitable"
|+ National Medal of Science awardees
|-
|[[Paul Alivisatos]] (Chemistry, 2014)
|[[Alexandre Chorin]] (Mathematics, 2012)
|[[John Prausnitz]] (Engineering, 2003)
|-
|[[Gabor Somorjai]] (Chemistry, 2008)
|[[Marvin Cohen]] (Physical Sciences, 2001)
|[[Bruce Ames]] (Biological Sciences, 1998)
|-
|[[Harold S. Johnston|Harold Johnston]] (Chemistry, 1997)
|[[Darleane Hoffman]] (Chemistry, 1997)
|[[Glenn Seaborg]] (Chemistry, 1991)
|-
|[[Edwin McMillan]] (Physical Sciences, 1990)
|[[Melvin Calvin]] (Chemistry, 1989)
|[[Yuan T. Lee]] (Chemistry, 1986)
|-
|[[George C. Pimentel|George Pimentel]] (Chemistry, 1983)
|[[Kenneth Pitzer]] (Physical Sciences, 1974)
|[[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis Alvarez]] (Physical Sciences, 1963)
|}

The [[National Medal of Technology and Innovation]] was awarded to [[Arthur Rosenfeld]] in 2011, to [[Ashok Gadgil]] in 2023, and to [[Jennifer Doudna]] in 2025.

==History==
[[File:University of California Radiation Laboratory staff on the magnet yoke for the 60-inch cyclotron, 1938.jpg|thumb| University of California Radiation Laboratory staff on the magnet yoke for the 60-inch cyclotron, 1938; Nobel prizewinners [[Ernest Lawrence]], [[Edwin McMillan]], and [[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis Alvarez]] are shown, in addition to [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] and [[Robert R. Wilson]]]]

===From 1931 to 1945: cyclotrons and team science===
The laboratory was founded on August 26, 1931, by [[Ernest Lawrence]], as the Radiation Laboratory of the [[University of California, Berkeley]], associated with the Physics Department. It centered physics research around his new instrument, the [[cyclotron]], a type of [[particle accelerator]] for which he was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] in 1939.<ref name="Lawrence">{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1939/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 1939 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522041243/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1939/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Throughout the 1930s, Lawrence pushed to create larger and larger machines for physics research, courting private [[philanthropy|philanthropists]] for funding. He was the first to develop a large team to build big projects to make discoveries in basic research.<ref name="BigScience">{{cite book |last=Hiltzik |first=Michael |date=2015 |title=Big Science |url=http://michaelhiltzik.com/big-science |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4516-7576-4 |access-date=May 6, 2017 |archive-date=September 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909042721/http://michaelhiltzik.com/big-science/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Eventually these machines grew too large to be held on the university grounds, and in 1940 the lab moved to its current site atop the hill above campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/lawrence-legacy.html |title=Ernest Orlando Lawrence -- The Man, His Lab, His Legacy |last=Yarris |first=Lynn |date=October 1, 2001 |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814054756/https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/lawrence-legacy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Part of the team put together during this period includes two other young scientists who went on to direct large laboratories: [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]], who directed [[Los Alamos Laboratory]], and [[Robert R. Wilson|Robert Wilson]], who directed [[Fermilab]].

[[Leslie Groves]] visited Lawrence's Radiation Laboratory in late 1942 as he was organizing the [[Manhattan Project]], meeting [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] for the first time. Oppenheimer was tasked with organizing the [[nuclear bomb]] development effort and founded today's [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]] to help keep the work secret.<ref name="BigScience" /> At the RadLab, Lawrence and his colleagues developed the technique of [[Isotope separation#Electromagnetic|electromagnetic enrichment]] of [[uranium]] using their experience with cyclotrons. The [[calutron]]s (named after the university) became the basic unit of the massive [[Y-12 National Security Complex|Y-12]] facility in [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory|Oak Ridge]], [[Tennessee]]. Lawrence's lab helped contribute to what have been judged to be the three most valuable technology developments of the war (the atomic bomb, [[proximity fuze]], and [[radar]]). The cyclotron, whose construction was stalled during the war, was finished in November 1946. The Manhattan Project shut down two months later.

=== From 1946 to 1972: discovering the antiproton and new elements ===

After the war, the Radiation Laboratory became one of the first laboratories to be incorporated into the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]] (AEC) (now Department of Energy, DOE). In 1952, the Laboratory established a branch in Livermore focused on nuclear security work, which developed into [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]]. Some classified research continued at Berkeley Lab until the 1970s, when it became a laboratory dedicated only to unclassified scientific research. Much of the Laboratory's scientific leadership during this period were also faculty members in the Physics and Chemistry Departments at the [[University of California, Berkeley]].

The scientists and engineers at Berkeley Lab continued to build ambitious large projects to accelerate the advance of science. Lawrence's original cyclotron design did not work for particles near the speed of light, so a new approach was needed. [[Edwin McMillan]] co-invented the [[synchrotron]] with [[Vladimir Veksler]] to address the problem. McMillan built an electron synchrotron capable of accelerating electrons to 300 million electron volts (300 MeV), which was operated from 1948 to 1960.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McMillan |first=Edwin |date=February 1984 |title=A History of the Synchrotron |magazine=Physics Today |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=31–37 |publisher=The American Institute of Physics |doi=10.1063/1.2916080 |url=https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2916080 |access-date=February 27, 2023}}</ref>

The Berkeley accelerator team built the [[Bevatron]], a proton synchrotron capable of accelerating protons to an energy of 6.5 gigaelectronvolts (GeV), an energy chosen to be just above the threshold for producing antiprotons. In 1955, during the Bevatron's first full year of operation, Physicists Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain won the competition to observe the antiprotons for the first time. They won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1959 for this discovery.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bock |first=Nicholas |date=October 1, 2009 |title=Antiproton Discovery |url=https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/october-2009/antiproton-discovery |magazine=Symmetry |publisher=Fermilab/SLAC |access-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227194008/https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/october-2009/antiproton-discovery |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1959/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 1959 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522211428/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1959/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bevatron remained the highest energy accelerator until the CERN [[Proton Synchrotron]] started accelerating protons to 25 GeV in 1959.

[[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis Alvarez]] led the design and construction of several liquid hydrogen bubble chambers, which were used to discover a large number of new elementary particles using Bevatron beams. His group also developed measuring systems to record the millions of photographs of particle tracks in the bubble chamber and computer systems to analyze the data. Alvarez won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1968 for the discovery of many elementary particles using this technique.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1968/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 1968 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522211614/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1968/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Alvarez Physics Memos are a set of informal [[working paper]]s of the large group of physicists, engineers, computer programmers, and technicians led by [[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis W. Alvarez]] from the early 1950s until his death in 1988. Over 1700 memos are available on-line, hosted by the Laboratory.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://alvarezphysicsmemos.lbl.gov/ |title=Alvarez Physics Memos |website=alvarezphysicsmemos.lbl.gov |access-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302230616/https://alvarezphysicsmemos.lbl.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Berkeley Lab is credited with the discovery of 16 elements on the periodic table, more than any other institution, over the period 1940 to 1974.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/01/28/16-elements-berkeley-labs-contributions-to-the-periodic-table/ |title=16 Elements: Berkeley Lab's Contributions to the Periodic Table |last1=Chao |first1=Julie |last2=Roberts Jr. |first2=Glenn |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |date=January 28, 2019 |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226213634/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/01/28/16-elements-berkeley-labs-contributions-to-the-periodic-table/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The American Chemical Society has established a National Historical Chemical Landmark at the Lab to memorialize this accomplishment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/transuranium-elements-at-berkeley-lab.html |title=Discovery of Transuranium Elements at Berkeley Lab |publisher=American Chemical Society |access-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202081029/https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/transuranium-elements-at-berkeley-lab.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Glenn Seaborg]] was personally involved in discovering nine of these new elements, and he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1951 with McMillan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1951/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1951 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521194256/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1951/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Founding Laboratory Director Lawrence died in 1958 at the age of 57. McMillan became the second Director, serving in that role until 1972.

=== From 1973 to 1989: new capabilities in energy and environmental research ===
The University of California appointed [[Andrew Sessler]] as the Laboratory Director in 1973, during the [[1973 oil crisis]]. He established the Energy and Environment Division at the Lab, expanding for the first time into applied research that addressed the energy and environmental challenges the country faced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/updates/andrewsessler.cfm |title=Andrew Sessler 1928-2014 |publisher=American Physical Society |date=April 21, 2014 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228183825/https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/updates/andrewsessler.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref> Sessler also joined with other Berkeley physicists to form an organization called Scientists for Sakharov, Orlov, Sharansky (SOS), which led an international protest movement calling attention to the plight of three Soviet scientists who were being persecuted by the U.S.S.R. government.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/199510/human-rights.cfm |title=Physicists and the Eternal Struggle for Human Rights |last=Sessler |first=Andrew M. |date=October 1995 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228183824/https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/199510/human-rights.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Arthur Rosenfeld]] led the campaign to build up applied energy research at Berkeley Lab. He became widely known as the father of energy efficiency and the person who convinced the nation to adopt energy standards for appliances and buildings.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/science/arthur-rosenfeld-dead-energy-efficiency.html |title=Arthur Rosenfeld, Zealous Champion of Energy Efficiency, Dies at 90 |last=Galbraith |first=Kate |work=New York Times |date=January 27, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228164518/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/science/arthur-rosenfeld-dead-energy-efficiency.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Inspired by the [[1973 oil crisis]], he started up large team efforts that developed several technologies that radically improved energy efficiency. These included compact fluorescent lamps, low-energy refrigerators, and windows that trap heat. He developed the first energy-efficiency standards for buildings and appliances in California, which helped the state to sustain constant electricity use per capita from 1973 to 2006, while it rose by 50% in the rest of the country. This phenomenon is called the [[Rosenfeld Effect]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/energy-efficiency-godfather-art-rosenfeld-1926-2017/ |title=Energy Efficiency "Godfather" Art Rosenfeld (1926-2017) |publisher=Scientific American |last=Lott |first=Melissa C. |date=April 30, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228164522/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/energy-efficiency-godfather-art-rosenfeld-1926-2017/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sheryl-carter/legacy-art-rosenfeld-future-energy-efficiency |title=Legacy of Art Rosenfeld is the Future of Energy Efficiency |last=Carter |first=Sheryl |date=February 3, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2023 |publisher=National Resources Defense Council |archive-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228174844/https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sheryl-carter/legacy-art-rosenfeld-future-energy-efficiency |url-status=live }}</ref>

By 1980, George Smoot had built up a strong experimental group in Berkeley, building instruments to measure the [[cosmic microwave background]] (CMB) in order to study the early universe. He became the principal investigator for the Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) instrument that was launched in 1989 as part of the [[Cosmic Background Explorer]] (COBE) mission. The full sky maps taken by the DMR made it possible for COBE scientists to discover the anisotropy of the CMB, and Smoot shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2006 with John Mather.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/smoot_lecture.pdf |title=Smoot Lecture |publisher=Nobel Prize organization |date=December 8, 2006 |access-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303213600/https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/smoot_lecture.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2006/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2006 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522211826/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2006/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== From 1990 to 2004: new facilities for chemistry and materials, nanotechnology, scientific computing, and genomics ===
[[Charles V. Shank]] left [[Bell Labs]] to become Director of Berkeley Lab in 1989, a position he held for 15 years. During his tenure, four of the five national scientific user facilities started operations at Berkeley, and the fifth started construction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactions.org/press-release/charles-shank-step-down-berkeley-lab-director |title=Charles Shank to Step Down as Berkeley Lab Director |website=Interactions.org |date=February 9, 2004 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301232048/https://www.interactions.org/press-release/charles-shank-step-down-berkeley-lab-director |url-status=live }}</ref>

On October 5, 1993, the new [[Advanced Light Source]] produced its first beams of x-ray light.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://als.lbl.gov/about/history/ |title=A Brief History of the ALS |website=Advanced Light Source |access-date=February 28, 2023 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301004327/https://als.lbl.gov/about/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> David Shirley had proposed in the early 1990s building this new synchrotron source specializing in imaging materials using extreme ultraviolet to soft x-rays. In fall 2001, a major upgrade added "superbends" to produce harder x-rays for beamlines devoted to protein crystallography.

In 1996, both the [[National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center]] (NERSC) and the [[Energy Sciences Network]] (ESnet) were moved from [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]] to their new home at Berkeley Lab.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/10/25/nersc-iii-president-clinton-hails-ontime-launch/ |title=NERSC III President Clinton Hails Ontime Launch |publisher=HPCwire |date=October 25, 1996 |last=Smith |first=Norris Parker |access-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301195349/https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/10/25/nersc-iii-president-clinton-hails-ontime-launch/ |url-status=live }}</ref> To reestablish NERSC at Berkeley required moving a [[Cray C90]], a first-generation vector processor supercomputer of 1991 vintage, and installing a new [[Cray T3E]], the second-generation (1995) model. The NERSC computing capacity was 350 GFlop/s, representing 1/200,000 of the Perlmutter's speed in 2022. [[Horst D. Simon]] was brought to Berkeley as the first Director of NERSC, and he soon became one of the co-editors who managed the [[Top500]] list of supercomputers, a position he has held ever since.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top500.org/project/authors/horst-simon/ |title=Top500 authors: Horst Simon |website=Top500 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301195339/https://www.top500.org/project/authors/horst-simon/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) was created in 1997 to unite the expertise and resources in genome mapping, DNA sequencing, technology development, and information sciences that had developed at the DOE genome centers at Berkeley Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The JGI was originally established to work on the Human Genome Project (HGP), and generated the complete sequences of Chromosomes 5, 16 and 19. In 2004, the JGI established itself as a national user facility managed by Berkeley Lab, focusing on the broad genomic needs of biology and biotechnology, especially those related to the environment and carbon management.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://jgi.doe.gov/about-us/history/ |website=Joint Genome Institute |access-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303203549/https://jgi.doe.gov/about-us/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.genome.gov/Pages/About/Understanding_Our_Genetic_Inheritance_1st_5years_HGP.pdf |title=Understanding Our Genetic Inheritance |publisher=National Human Genome Research Institute |access-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123171250/https://www.genome.gov/Pages/About/Understanding_Our_Genetic_Inheritance_1st_5years_HGP.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Laboratory Director Shank brought Daniel Chemla from Bell Labs to Berkeley Lab in 1991 to lead the newly formed Division of Materials Science and Engineering. In 1998 Chemla was appointed director of the Advanced Light Source to build it into a world-class scientific user facility.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www2.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/archive/#2 |title=Daniel Chemla (1940-2008): A Remembrance of His Career |last=Yarris |first=Lynn |work=Currents |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304175324/https://www2.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/archive/#2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2001, Chemla proposed the establishment of the [[Molecular Foundry]], to make cutting-edge instruments and expertise for [[nanotechnology]] accessible to a broad research community. [[Paul Alivisatos]] as founding director, and the founding directors of the facilities were [[Carolyn Bertozzi]], [[Jean Frechet]], [[Steven Gwon Sheng Louie]], [[Jeffrey Bokor]], and Miquel Salmeron.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://10th-anniversary.foundry.lbl.gov/milestones.html |title=The History of the Molecular Foundry |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304175341/https://10th-anniversary.foundry.lbl.gov/milestones.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Molecular Foundry building was dedicated in 2006, with Bertozzi as Foundry Director and [[Steven Chu]] as Laboratory Director.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-Foundry-dedication.html |title=Berkeley Lab Dedicates the Molecular Foundry |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |last=Yarris |first=Lynn |date=March 29, 2006 |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304175324/https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-Foundry-dedication.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 1990s, [[Saul Perlmutter]] led the [[Supernova Cosmology Project]] (SCP), which used a certain type of supernovas as standard candles to study the expansion of the universe.<ref>{{cite conference |url=https://www.slac.stanford.edu/econf/C990809/docs/perlmutter.pdf |title=Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe: The Status of the Cosmological Parameters |last=Perlmutter |first=Saul |conference=XIX International Conference on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies (Lepton-Photon 99) |date=August 1999 |publisher=SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=January 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123004730/https://www.slac.stanford.edu/econf/C990809/docs/perlmutter.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The SCP team co-discovered the accelerating expansion of the universe, leading to the concept of [[dark energy]], an unknown form of energy that drives this acceleration. Perlmutter shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011 for this discovery.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2011/summary/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 |publisher=The Nobel Prize organization |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523014430/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2011/summary/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== From 2005 to 2015: advancing the national needs for energy ===
On August 1, 2004, Nobel-winning physicist Steven Chu was named the sixth Director of Berkeley Lab.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Feder |first=Toni |url=https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1801864 |title=Chu Named Berkeley Lab Director |magazine=Physics Today |date=August 2004 |volume=57 |issue=8 |page=36 |doi=10.1063/1.1801864 |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304210932/https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.1801864 |url-status=live }}</ref> The DOE was preparing to compete the management and operations (M&O) contract for Berkeley Lab for the first time, and Chu's first task was to lead the University of California's team that successfully bid for that contract.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2005/04-19-05 |title=Energy Department Awards Contract to the University of California to Manage and Operate Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |date=April 2005 |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304210930/https://science.osti.gov/Science-Features/News-Archive/Science-Headlines/2005/04-19-05 |url-status=live }}</ref> The initial term of the contract was from June 1, 2005, to May 31, 2010, with possible phased extensions for superior management performance up to a total contract term of 20 years.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/energy-department-awards-contract-uc-lawrence-berkeley-lab |title=Energy Department Awards Contract to UC for Lawrence Berkeley Lab |date=April 21, 2005 |access-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304210929/https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/energy-department-awards-contract-uc-lawrence-berkeley-lab |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2007, Berkeley Lab launched the [[Joint BioEnergy Institute]], one of three Bioenergy Research Centers to receive funding from the Genomic Science Program of DOE's Office for Biological and Environmental Research (BER).<ref>{{cite journal |title=The DOE Bioenergy Research Centers: History, Operations, and Scientific Output |journal=BioEnergy Research |volume=8 |pages=881–896 |date=2015 |last1=Slater |first1=S.C. |last2=Simmons |first2=B.A. |last3=Rogers |first3=T.S. |last4=Phillips |first4=M.F. |issue=3 |doi=10.1007/s12155-015-9660-8 |s2cid=255510342 |display-authors=3 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2015BioER...8..881S}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://genomicscience.energy.gov/about/ |title=Genomic Science Program |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305164224/https://genomicscience.energy.gov/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref> JBEI's Chief Executive Officer is [[Jay Keasling]], who was elected a member of the [[National Academy of Engineering]] for developing synthetic biology tools needed to engineer the antimalarial drug artemisinin. The DOE Office of Science named Keasling a Distinguished Scientist Fellow in 2021 for advancing the DOE's strategy in biotechnology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://genomicscience.energy.gov/jbeis-jay-keasling-named-office-of-science-distinguished-scientist-fellow/ |title=JBEI's Jay Keasling named SC Distinguished Scientist Fellow |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305164224/https://genomicscience.energy.gov/jbeis-jay-keasling-named-office-of-science-distinguished-scientist-fellow/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On December 15, 2008, newly elected President Barack Obama nominated Steven Chu to be the Secretary of Energy.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-president-elect-barack-obama-announces-key-members-energy-and-environment |title=President-Elect Barack Obama Announces Key Members of Energy and Environment Team |date=December 15, 2008 |website=The American Presidency Project |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305194339/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-president-elect-barack-obama-announces-key-members-energy-and-environment |url-status=live }}</ref> The University of California chose the Lab's Deputy Director, [[Paul Alivisatos]], as the new director.<ref>{{YouTube|id=i5Ratwwuwwg| title ="UC President Mark Yudof Announces Appointment of Paul Alivisatos as Berkeley Lab Director}} November 20, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2023.</ref> Alivisatos is a materials chemist who won the National Medal of Science for his pioneering work in developing nanomaterials.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Award Recipient Citations |url=http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/2014-recipient-citations.html |website=www.acs.org |publisher=American Chemical Society |access-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903041600/http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/2014-recipient-citations.html |archive-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> He continued the Lab's focus on meeting the nation's energy needs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=E. |title=Paul Alivisatos: LBNL's new director focuses on renewable energy, climate |journal=Chemical and Engineering News |date=February 8, 2010 |volume=88 |issue=6 |page=55 |doi=10.1021/cen-v088n006.p055}}</ref>

The DOE established the [[Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis]] (JCAP) as an Energy Innovation Hub in 2010,<ref name=hubs>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/hubs |title=Hubs |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304171330/https://www.energy.gov/hubs |url-status=live }}</ref>
with [[California Institute of Technology]] as the lead institution and Berkeley Lab as the lead partner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://solarfuelshub.org/who-we-are/overview |title=Who we are |website=Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305171915/https://solarfuelshub.org/who-we-are/overview |url-status=live }}</ref> The Lab built a new facility to house the JCAP laboratories and collaborative research space, and it was dedicated as Chu Hall in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archdaily.com/775388/chu-hall-solar-energy-research-center-smithgroupjjr |title=Chu Hall - Solar Energy Research Center / SmithGroup |website=ArchDaily |date=October 16, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305171915/https://www.archdaily.com/775388/chu-hall-solar-energy-research-center-smithgroupjjr |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/05/26/the-future-of-energy-looks-bright-at-berkeley-lab/ |title=The Future of Energy Looks Bright at Berkeley Lab |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=March 5, 2023 |date=May 26, 2015 |last=Weiner |first=Jon |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305171919/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/05/26/the-future-of-energy-looks-bright-at-berkeley-lab/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After JCAP operated for ten years, in 2020 the Berkeley team became a major partner in a new Energy Innovation Hub, the Liquid Sunlight Alliance (LiSA), with the vision of establishing the science needed to generate liquid fuels economically from sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.liquidsunlightalliance.org/overview |title=Overview |website=Liquid Sunlight Alliance |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305171916/https://www.liquidsunlightalliance.org/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Lab also is a major partner on a second Energy Innovation Hub, the [[Joint Center for Energy Storage Research]] (JCESR) which was started in 2013,
with [[Argonne National Laboratory]] as the lead institution.<ref name=hubs/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jcesr.org/ |title=Joint Center for Energy Storage Research |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305185537/https://www.jcesr.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Lab built a new facility, the General Purpose Laboratory, to house energy storage laboratories and associated research space, which Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz inaugurated in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2014/10/23/doe-secretary-helps-usher-in-new-era-of-energy-research-at-berkeley-lab/ |title=The DOE Secretary Helps Usher in a New Era of Energy Research at Berkeley Lab |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=March 5, 2023 |date=October 23, 2014 |last=Weiner |first=Jon |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305185539/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2014/10/23/doe-secretary-helps-usher-in-new-era-of-energy-research-at-berkeley-lab/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The mission of JCESR is to deliver transformational new concepts and materials that will enable a diversity of high performance next-generation batteries for transportation and the grid.

On November 12, 2015, Laboratory Director Paul Alivisatos and Deputy Director Horst Simon were joined by University of California President [[Janet Napolitano]], UC Berkeley Chancellor [[Nicholas Dirks]], and the head of DOE's ASCR program Barb Helland to dedicate a [[Shyh Wang Hall]], a facility designed to host the NERSC supercomputers and staff, the ESnet staff, and the research divisions in the Computing Sciences area.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.hpcwire.com/2015/11/13/berkeley-lab-celebrates-new-home-of-nersc-esnet/ |magazine=HPCwire |last=Trader |first=Tiffany |date=November 13, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |title=Berkeley Lab celebrates new home of NERSC, ESnet |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305223208/https://www.hpcwire.com/2015/11/13/berkeley-lab-celebrates-new-home-of-nersc-esnet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The building was designed with a novel seismic floor for the 20,000 square foot machine room in addition to features that take advantage of the coastal climate to provide energy-efficient air conditioning for the computing systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nersc.gov/news-publications/nersc-news/nersc-center-news/2015/berkeley-lab-s-new-computing-sciences-facility-features-first-of-its-kind-seismic-floor/ |title=Berkeley Lab's New Computing Sciences Facility Features First-of-its-kind Seismic Floor |last=Kincade |first=Kathy |date=November 9, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305223202/https://www.nersc.gov/news-publications/nersc-news/nersc-center-news/2015/berkeley-lab-s-new-computing-sciences-facility-features-first-of-its-kind-seismic-floor/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/11/12/facility-for-computational-science/ |title=Berkeley Lab Opens State-of-the-Art Facility for Computational Science |last=Weiner |first=Jon |date=November 12, 2015 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305223158/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/11/12/facility-for-computational-science/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== From 2016 to the present: building new facilities and accelerating decarbonization ===
In 2015 Paul Alivisatos announced that he was stepping down from his role as Laboratory Director. He took two leadership positions at the University of California, Berkeley, before becoming President of the University of Chicago in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://president.uchicago.edu/biography |title=About President Alivisatos |publisher=University of Chicago |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305225307/https://president.uchicago.edu/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> The University of California selected [[Michael Witherell]], formerly the Director of Fermilab and Vice Chancellor for Research at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] as the eighth director of Berkeley Lab starting on March 1, 2016.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-names-michael-witherell-head-lawrence-berkeley-national-laboratory |title=UC names Michael Witherell to head Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305225311/https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-names-michael-witherell-head-lawrence-berkeley-national-laboratory |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the Laboratory entered a period of intensive modernization: an unprecedented number of major projects to upgrade existing scientific facilities and to build new ones.

Berkeley Lab physicists led the construction of the [[Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument]], which is designed to create three-dimensional maps of the distribution of matter covering an unprecedented volume of the universe with unparalleled detail.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/robot-detector-map-cosmos-clues-dark-energy |title=Robot to map cosmos for clues to dark energy |journal=Science |date=September 11, 2019 |last=Clery |first=Daniel |access-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306012331/https://www.science.org/content/article/robot-detector-map-cosmos-clues-dark-energy |url-status=live }}</ref> The new instrument was installed on the retrofitted Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in 2019. The five-year mission started in 2021, and the map assembled with data taken in the first seven months already included more galaxies than any previous survey.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/astrophysicists-release-the-biggest-map-of-the-universe-yet/ |title=Astrophysicists Release the Biggest Map of the Universe Yet |date=January 13, 2022 |last=Skibba |first=Ramin |magazine=Wired |access-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306012334/https://www.wired.com/story/astrophysicists-release-the-biggest-map-of-the-universe-yet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When the DESI survey's first-year results are combined with other cosmological measurements, there is a hint that the acceleration of the universe's expansion caused by dark energy has changed with time.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/model-ever-expanding-universe-confirmed-dark-energy-probe/ |title=Model of ever-expaning universe confirmed by dark energy probe|date=April 4, 2024| access-date=March 12, 2024|last=Clery|first=Daniel|magazine=Science}}</ref>

On September 27, 2016, The DOE gave approval of the mission need for ALS-U, a major project to upgrade the Advanced Light Source that includes constructing a new storage ring and an accumulator ring.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2016/10/03/als-u-x-ray-project-takes-a-step-forward/ |title=Transformational X-ray Project Takes a Step Forward |last=Roberts Jr. |first=Glenn |date=October 3, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306005138/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2016/10/03/als-u-x-ray-project-takes-a-step-forward/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The horizontal size of the electron beam in ALS will shrink from 100 micrometers to a few micrometers, which will improve the ability to image novel materials needed for next-generation batteries and electronics. With a total project cost of $590 million, this is the largest construction project at the Lab since the ALS was built in 1993.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2022/11/15/advanced-light-source-upgrade-construction/ |title=Advanced Light Source Upgrade Approved to Start Construction |last=Biron |first=Lauren |date=November 15, 2022 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306005136/https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2022/11/15/advanced-light-source-upgrade-construction/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== How the Lab's name evolved ===
Shortly after the death of Lawrence in August 1958, the UC Radiation Laboratory (UCRL), including both the Berkeley and Livermore sites, was renamed Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 7, 2024 |title=Our History |url=https://www.llnl.gov/purpose/history#event-the-founding-of-the-laboratory-at-livermore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716131456/https://www.llnl.gov/purpose/history#event-the-founding-of-the-laboratory-at-livermore |archive-date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=August 7, 2024 |website=Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory}}</ref> The Berkeley location became Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in 1971,<ref name=apselsl>{{cite web |url=http://www.aps.org/programs/outreach/history/historicsites/lawrencelivingston.cfm |publisher=American Physical Society |title=Ernest Lawrence and M. Stanley Livingston |access-date=May 9, 2014 |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051100/http://www.aps.org/programs/outreach/history/historicsites/lawrencelivingston.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="universityofcalifornia.edu">[http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/labs/ University of California {{pipe}} Office of the President] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109214835/http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/labs/ |date=November 9, 2012 }} (accessed July 15, 2013).</ref> although many continued to call it the RadLab. Gradually, another shortened form came into common usage, LBL. Its formal name was amended to Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1995, when "National" was added to the names of all DOE labs. "Ernest Orlando" was later dropped to shorten the name. Today, the lab is commonly referred to as Berkeley Lab.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://berkeleylabnext90.lbl.gov/celebrate-the-past/whats-in-a-name/ |title=What's in a name? |access-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226211809/https://berkeleylabnext90.lbl.gov/celebrate-the-past/whats-in-a-name/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Laboratory directors ==
Since its founding in 1931, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been led by 8 directors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.aip.org/phn/21612007.html |title=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |publisher=[[American Institute of Physics]]}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!{{abbr|No.|Number}}
!Image
!Name
!Term start
!Term end
!Notes
|-
|1
|[[File:HD.1A.007 (12662186395).jpg|70px]]
|[[Ernest Lawrence]]
|1931
|1958
|
|-
|2
|[[File:Edwin McMillan Nobel.jpg|70px]]
|[[Edwin McMillan]]
|1958
|1972
|
|-
|3
|[[File:KSA 2028 (13112314795) (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|[[Andrew Sessler]]
|1973
|1980
|
|-
|4
|[[File:David Shirley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director, in 1996.jpg|70px| ]]
|[[David Shirley]]
|1980
|1989
|
|-
|5
|[[File:Charles V. Shank (2015) (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|[[Charles V. Shank]]
|September 1, 1989
|July 31, 2004
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.lbl.gov/Publications/today/2004/Mar/02-Tue/LabUPDATE_2_27.pdf |title=Shank to Step Down as Berkeley Lab Director |issue=13 |date=February 27, 2004 |work=Lab Update |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.lbl.gov/Publications/75th/files/04-lab-history-pt-7.html |title=An Historical Perspective on the Lab's Legacy: A Year-Long Series in The View |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory}}</ref>
|-
|6
|[[File:Steven Chu official DOE portrait crop.jpg|70px]]
|[[Steven Chu]]
|August 1, 2004
|January 21, 2009
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/06/17_reax.shtml |title= Chu hailed at UC Berkeley as "ideal match" for lab, campus |first=Sarah |last=Yang |date=June 17, 2004 |publisher=UC Berkeley}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2008/12/16/obama-picks-berkeley-lab-director-steve-chu-for-energy-secretary/ |title=Obama Picks Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu for Energy Secretary |first=Dan |last=Krotz |date=December 16, 2008 |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/minutes/2009/doe7.pdf |title=Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy Laboratories |date=July 16, 2009 |publisher=University of California}}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#e6e6aa"
|Interim
|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[File:Paul Alivisatos University of Chicago President September 2021.png|70px]]
|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[Paul Alivisatos]]
|January 21, 2009
|November 19, 2009
|<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/87/i5/Alivisatos-Direct-LBNL.html |title=Alivisatos to Direct LBNL |first=Jeffrey W. |last=Johnson |date=February 2, 2009 |volume=87 |issue=5 |journal=[[Chemical & Engineering News]]}}</ref>
|-
|7
|November 19, 2009
|January 21, 2016
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.supercomputingonline.com/latest/archive?view=article&id=1149:uc-appoints-paul-alivisatos-director-of-berkeley-lab&catid=7 |title=UC appoints Paul Alivisatos director of Berkeley Lab |date=November 19, 2009 |publisher=Super Computing Online}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.berkeley.edu/2016/01/21/outgoing-berkeley-lab-director-to-take-research-helm-at-uc-berkeley/ |title=Outgoing Berkeley Lab director to take research helm at UC Berkeley |first=Robert |last=Sanders |date=January 21, 2016 |publisher=UC Berkeley}}</ref>
|-
|8
|[[File:Michael Witherell 420044 by Christopher Michel 242025 01.jpg|70px]]
|[[Michael Witherell]]
|January 21, 2016
|present
|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-names-michael-witherell-head-lawrence-berkeley-national-laboratory |title=UC names Michael Witherell to head Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |date=January 21, 2016 |publisher=University of California}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Operations and governance==
The University of California operates Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under a contract with the Department of Energy. The site consists of 76 buildings (owned by the [[U.S. Department of Energy]]) located on {{convert|200|acre|km2}} owned by the university in the Berkeley Hills. Altogether, the Lab has 3,663 UC employees, of whom about 800 are students or postdocs, and each year it hosts more than 3,000 participating guest scientists. There are approximately two dozen DOE employees stationed at the laboratory to provide federal oversight of Berkeley Lab's work for the DOE. The laboratory director, Michael Witherell, is appointed by the [[Regents of the University of California|university regents]] and reports to the university president. In December 2024, the Department of Energy extended the University of California's contract to manage the Laboratory through June 1, 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/federal-agencies-approve-management-contract-extensions-lawrence-berkeley-national-laboratory |title= Federal agencies approve management contract extensions for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  |publisher = University of California|access-date=February 28, 2025 }}</ref>

Although Berkeley Lab is governed by UC independently of the Berkeley campus, the two entities are closely interconnected;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/excellence/uc-berkeley-and-berkeley-lab |title=UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |access-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306181932/https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/excellence/uc-berkeley-and-berkeley-lab |url-status=live }}</ref> more than 200 Berkeley Lab researchers hold joint appointments as UC Berkeley faculty.

The laboratory budget was $1.495 billion in fiscal year 2023, while the total obligations were $1.395 billion.<ref name="annualreport">{{cite web |title=Annual Report |url=https://cfo.lbl.gov/annual-financial-report/ |website=Office of the Chief Financial Officer |publisher=LBNL |access-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-date=June 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626060111/https://cfo.lbl.gov/annual-financial-report/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|https://www.lbl.gov/}}
* {{HAER |survey=CA-186-A |id=ca2289 |title=University of California Radiation Laboratory, Bevatron |photos=132 |data=149 |cap=14}}
* {{HAER |survey=CA-186-B |id=ca3574 |title=University of California Radiation Laboratory, SuperHilac |photos=18 |data=17 |cap=2 |link=no}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.ucop.edu/laboratory-management/ |title=University of California Office of Laboratory Management |publisher=[[University of California]] |access-date=April 18, 2016}}
* {{cite web |url=http://history.aip.org/exhibits/lawrence/radlab.htm |title=The Rad Lab – Ernest Lawrence and the Cyclotron |publisher=[[American Institute of Physics]] |access-date=March 4, 2023}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Research-Review/Magazine/1981/ |title=Lawrence and His Laboratory: A Historian's View of the Lawrence Years |first1=J. L. |last1=Heilbron |first2=Robert W. |last2=Seidel |first3=Bruce R. |last3=Wheaton |publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |access-date=April 18, 2016 |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118111506/http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Research-Review/Magazine/1981/ |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite press release |date=May 30, 2014 |publisher=SPIE Newsroom |doi=10.1117/2.321405.05 |url=http://spie.org/x108554.xml |title=SPIE Video: Paul Alivisatos: Berkeley Lab director navigates uncertain times with a focus on research |access-date=April 18, 2016}}

{{University of California}}
{{U.S. National Labs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory| ]]
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[[Category:Research institutes established in 1931]]
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