April 2005
Why Dr. Wick Haxton "Digs" the DUSEL: the Proposal to Build a Deep Underground Science & Engineering Laboratory in the Cascades
At the February Science & Technology Roundtable (STRT) breakfast, Dr. Wick Haxton, Professor of Physics at the University of Washington, explained the potential benefits of a proposal to build a Deep Underground Science & Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) in Cashmere Mountain in the Cascades.
Dr. Haxton opened his presentation with an explanation of why scientists want laboratory space deep underground. Physicists and material scientists, for example, need extremely clean laboratories in which to conduct their research. The DUSEL would enable them to avoid the cosmic rays at the planet's surface, because the rock above the lab acts as a shield. For every 1,500 feet, Dr. Haxton noted, cosmic rays are reduced by a factor of 10. The underground lab would enable scientists to study neutrinos, which are "ghostly particles" produced by the Big Bang and as a byproduct of the sun's thermonuclear reaction that can pass through virtually anything, are difficult to detect, and require a very large, quiet and clean observatory to avoid false signals.
Other areas of inquiry that would be served well by the DUSEL include microbiology and hydrology. Dr. Haxton noted that microbial life deep beneath the earth's surface has survived and evolved in extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, acidity and salinity, and the deep underground lab would enable scientists to study this evolution in an extreme environment. The lab would also allow researchers to study the Cascades hydrology - we do not have any long-term studies of the hydrology of a mountain ecosystem - as well as the effects of global climate change.
Dr. Haxton cast the DUSEL site selection as a competitive issue, as the existing U.S. underground labs are shallow and can not compete with what the Europeans built 25 years ago. The new Cascades lab would be the deepest in the world. The research that is envisioned for the underground lab could yield applications in a number of industries. For example, research in geomicrobiology could have implications for environmental cleanup and new pharmaceuticals, and ultra clean materials developed in the lab would be useful for high tech industry.
The Cascades proposal calls for more than just the construction of the lab; the University of Washington also proposes to build an above-ground science center in or near Leavenworth for faculty, researchers, students, visiting scientists and support staff. In addition, a visitor center is planned to conduct public outreach, K-12 education programs, university extension courses, and programs for teachers in science education, linking the lab with the surrounding community and extending the benefits of siting such a facility in Washington above ground. Dr. Haxton estimated the center could serve 250,000 visitors annually.
In addition to the Cascades site, Dr. Haxton expected five other sites to compete for the lab: the Homestake mine in South Dakota, the Soudan mine in Minnesota, Mount San Jacinto in California, the Kimballton mine in West Virginia, and the Henderson mine in Colorado. A number of physical factors make Cashmere Mountain an attractive selection, specifically the steepness of the site, the uniformity of the rock, the absence of a major fault, and the fact that a 7,400-foot depth is attainable at that location.
Dr. Haxton estimated the cost of building the lab to be $300 million, with the expectation that the facility would conduct approximately $2 billion worth of science projects over 40 years. An extensive public outreach campaign has been undertaken in connection with the Cashmere Mountain proposal. The National Science Foundation is expected to issue a final decision on its site selection in 2006. For more details on the lab proposal, and to view conceptual drawings of lab facilities, visit the DUSEL-Cascades web site at www.int.washington.edu/DUSEL/cascades.html.
Nobel Laureate Linda Buck to Conclude the 2004-05 Season of STRT
Dr. Linda Buck, full member of the Division of Basic Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and joint winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, will be the final speaker of the 2004-05 STRT season. Dr. Buck will cap off another excellent lineup of science and technology speakers at the final breakfast on Friday, June 10th.
Dr. Buck and Dr. Richard Axel share the 2004 Nobel Prize for their research into the olfactory system and discovery of odorant receptors. In their work, they defined the genes and proteins that control our complex sense of smell.
Dr. Buck joined the FHCRC in 2002 following 11 years as a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty. She has won several national and international scientific awards and is an affiliate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Washington as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
For more information on the STRT program, contact Lauren Roberts-Fairbanks at (206) 389-7243 or email.
Thank you to the sponsors of STRT for helping us to bring important developments in science and technology to our members in 2004-05:
Preview: Technology Alliance 8th Annual State of Technology Luncheon
Each year, over 1,000 leaders from our state's high-tech industries, trade associations, research and academic institutions, business, and government gather to celebrate Washington's progress in growing a strong technology-based economy, making the State of Technology luncheon the premier event for Washington's technology community. The Technology Alliance has an exciting and informative program lined up for this year's luncheon, so don't wait to book your table or ticket to this popular event.
Technology Alliance Celebrates Passage of Life Sciences Discovery Fund and University Technology Transfer Legislation
The Technology Alliance has identified key policy priorities for Washington to be competitive and grow its technology-based economy. Working with leaders from business, academic institutions and the broader community, the TA works to build support for these policies for the benefit of the state and its citizens. In the 2005 state legislative session, the TA and its partners achieved two major victories on key policy initiatives that will support Washington research and commercialization.
New Economic Impact Study Reveals Importance of Technology-Based Industries to Washington State's Economy
The Technology Alliance recently completed the fourth in a series of studies of the economic impact of technology-based industries in Washington State. The study showed that these industries have become increasingly vital to our state's overall economic health, accounting for the largest share of employment, labor income and business activity of any major sector in the state economy in 2003.
