Ceremony marks construction milestone

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

FacebookX

BlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

video: 

Time lapse video shows construction progress on the Power Sources Capability building at Sandia National Laboratories.

view more 

Credit: Video Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Workers marked a major milestone on one of Sandia National Laboratories’ largest construction projects of the past decade with an April 14 ceremony celebrating the installation of the final beam on the Power Sources Capability building.

“We want to celebrate all the work that’s been done to date and reaffirm our commitment to delivering on the remaining work,” said Perry D’Antonio, a senior manager overseeing the project’s technical requirements.

Construction on the new facility began in August 2025, and the beam ceremony signified completion of the building’s steel structure.

“Construction is advancing ahead of schedule,” said Savannah Torres, the project manager overseeing execution. “We’ve met or exceeded all major milestones to date and intend to keep up the pace.”

Construction on the 136,000-square-foot facility in Technical Area II is on track for completion in 2028. Equipment and employees will transition into the Power Sources Capability building afterward. The project’s final cost is projected at $400 million. The new building will be south of the Battery Test Facility.

Mission critical

Power sources are critical to the nuclear deterrence mission.

“Every system needs a power source,” said Sara Pecak, a senior manager. “Our program spans four technology areas, including thermal batteries.”

For example, once a weapon system separates from an aircraft, power sources provide main mission power through detonation. Sandia’s responsibilities for power sources include research and development, design, production and surveillance.

“Making power sources requires some unique capabilities, such as dehumidified rooms, also called dry rooms,” Pecak said. “The stringent requirements and limited supplier base require the nation to maintain this capability internally.”

Aging infrastructure

The new building will replace an aging facility that does not have the infrastructure or capacity for all the work to happen under one roof. Instead, four separate buildings are currently needed to complete all the power sources work.

“One of the things we asked for in the new building is the ability for people to walk past one another,” Pecak said. “That’s part of the design concept. We want to create an environment where people can have conversations even if they’re not working on the same projects.”

Conceptual design work began in 2019.

“We did a lot of value engineering from the original conceptual design,” D’Antonio said. Value engineering identifies alternative approaches that preserve mission function while reducing cost, improving constructability and strengthening overall project value throughout design and construction.

Future-focused

“We’ve created what we think is one of the most efficient design concepts to meet the mission both today and for the next 50 years,” D’Antonio said. “We want to build in agility for changing missions over the building’s lifespan.”

There has been strong collaboration between Sandia and key partners, including the National Nuclear Security Administration, general contractor Hensel Phelps and architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup.

“The expertise of the architecture and engineering firm and the general contractor, combined with support from the cross-functional Sandia and NNSA team, has been instrumental in positioning the project for successful execution,” Torres said. “This project not only delivers the facility needed to advance the power sources mission but also establishes a strong framework for future projects within Sandia’s multibillion-dollar line-item portfolio.”

-30-

---

The new Power Sources Capability building at Sandia National Laboratories will replace an aging, outdated facility and was designed to adapt to changing missions over the next 50 years.

Construction on the new Power Sources Capability building at Sandia National Laboratories is expected to be completed in 2028.

A technologist at Sandia National Laboratories works on a thin film thermal battery as his colleague performs quality assurance checks for the Power Sources Capabilities team.

Credit

Photo by Craig Fritz/Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.

 

Shrink, remove and modify: IPK team ‘trims’ wheat chromosomes

Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

While the targeted manipulation of entire chromosomes is well established in model organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana, it has posed a significant challenge in crops with large genomes, such as wheat. The IPK research team has now set out to determine whether highly repetitive DNA sequences known as satellite DNA are suitable targets for the CRISPR gene-editing system. The idea was that cutting many of these identical sequences simultaneously could affect the entire chromosome. The team introduced CRISPR components into the plants using a virus-based system. This approach bypasses lengthy traditional transformation processes and enables highly efficient chromosomal modifications.

“In our study, we were actually able to demonstrate for the first time that chromosomes can be efficiently reduced in size by making targeted cuts in satellite DNA,” says Dr. Jianyong Chen, the study’s first author. This is a significant breakthrough, as such changes had previously only occurred by chance. You can think of it like a rope. If you cut a rope in several places at once, it becomes unstable and eventually snaps. The same thing happens to chromosomes when many cuts are made simultaneously.

In some cases, the method resulted in the loss of entire chromosomes. “If too many breaks occur, the cell can no longer repair the chromosome efficiently - it is lost entirely,” explains Prof. Dr. Andreas Houben, head of the IPK’s research group ‘Chromosome Structure and Function’.

Faulty repair processes can also create new forms of chromosomes, called isochromosomes. “These changes can generate new genetic variants, opening pathways for breeding resistant wheat and other crops," explains Prof. Dr. Andreas Houben. This innovation potential should inspire optimism about future crop improvements.

The study shows that plant genomes can be modified with unprecedented precision. Notably, satellite DNA, once considered ‘genetic ballast’, is now an effective target for modern breeding tools. “This approach enables efficient manipulation of chromosomes, paving the way for transferring valuable traits from wild relatives into cultivated wheat,” say the IPK scientists, encouraging a sense of empowerment in future crop development. 

---

Journal

Plant Communications

DOI

10.1016/j.xplc.2026.101833 

Article Title

Satellite DNA-targeted CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing enables chromosome truncation and elimination in wheat

 

Satellite data reveal hidden crop planting timelines

Journal of Remote Sensing

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsApp\Email

 

image: 

Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) tiles selected in agricultural areas across 13 US states, including PhenoCam monitoring sites.

view more 

Credit: Journal of Remote Sensing

A new satellite-based analytical framework enables accurate estimation of crop sowing and emergence dates at the field scale. By integrating daily synthetic satellite imagery with machine-learning models, researchers reconstructed vegetation dynamics and extracted key crop phenological stages. The approach allows agricultural monitoring systems to infer early growth events that are difficult to detect directly, offering improved tools for crop management, yield forecasting, and large-scale agricultural monitoring.

Understanding crop phenology—the timing of key developmental stages such as germination, growth, and senescence—is essential for agricultural management. Accurate knowledge of crop calendars helps optimize irrigation, fertilization, disease monitoring, and yield prediction. Traditional approaches rely on field observations or ground-based monitoring systems, but these methods are often limited in spatial coverage and require intensive labor. Satellite remote sensing provides large-scale monitoring capabilities, yet detecting early crop stages such as sowing and emergence remains difficult because satellite pixels capture mixed signals from soil and sparse vegetation. Cloud cover and data gaps further complicate time-series analysis. Due to these challenges, there is a need to develop new methods capable of accurately estimating sowing and emergence dates using satellite observations.

Researchers from Mississippi State University and collaborating institutions reported a new framework for estimating crop sowing and emergence dates using satellite observations. The study, published (DOI: 10.34133/remotesensing.0878) on March 11, 2026 in the Journal of Remote Sensing, integrates daily synthetic Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) imagery with machine-learning models to reconstruct vegetation dynamics across agricultural fields. By analyzing vegetation index time series, the framework infers early crop development stages that are typically difficult to detect from space. The technology addresses a major challenge in remote sensing–based agricultural monitoring: identifying the start of the crop growth cycle accurately at large spatial scales.

The research introduces an operational pipeline that combines satellite time-series reconstruction with phenological modeling to estimate crop planting timelines. The method first reconstructs continuous vegetation index data from Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery, filling gaps caused by cloud cover. From the reconstructed time series, six phenological stages—greenup, mid-greenup, maturity, senescence, mid-greendown, and dormancy—are extracted using an asymmetric double-sigmoid model. Machine-learning algorithms then infer sowing and emergence dates based on the relationships between these phenological stages.

Among the tested models, elastic net regression achieved the best performance, predicting sowing and emergence dates with an average error of about ±10 days. The approach successfully estimated crop calendar events across large corn and soybean fields in the United States, demonstrating strong agreement with ground observations from PhenoCam monitoring sites.

The researchers built the framework using daily synthetic time series derived from Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) data, which combine observations from Landsat 8/9 and Sentinel-2 satellites at a spatial resolution of 30 meters. Because satellite observations are frequently affected by cloud contamination, the team tested four gap-filling approaches—median interpolation, polynomial regression, harmonic modeling, and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM)—to reconstruct continuous vegetation index signals.

The polynomial method produced the most accurate reconstructions, preserving seasonal vegetation dynamics while minimizing noise in the time series. These reconstructed data were then used to calculate the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and derive phenological curves representing crop growth cycles.

To validate the approach, the researchers compared satellite-derived phenological stages with ground observations from 20 PhenoCam monitoring sites across 13 U.S. states. The comparison showed strong agreement between satellite and ground measurements, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.94 and a bias of approximately 12 days.

Using the phenological stages as predictors, machine-learning models were trained to estimate sowing and emergence dates. The best model was then applied to thousands of agricultural fields, successfully mapping planting timelines across large agricultural regions.

"Our framework demonstrates that early crop development stages can be inferred indirectly from later phenological signals," the researchers noted. "Even though sowing and emergence are difficult to observe directly from satellite imagery, the seasonal growth trajectory contains enough information to reconstruct these dates." The team emphasized that the approach enables scalable monitoring of crop calendars across large regions, which could significantly improve agricultural forecasting and management strategies.

The study used daily synthetic vegetation index time series derived from Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 imagery collected between 2021 and 2023. After cloud removal, four gap-filling algorithms were tested to reconstruct missing data. Crop phenological stages were extracted using an asymmetric double-sigmoid model applied to Enhanced Vegetation Index curves. Ground observations from 20 PhenoCam sites were used to validate satellite-derived phenology. Three machine-learning models—multiple linear regression, elastic net regression, and support vector machines—were trained using leave-one-out cross-validation to estimate sowing and emergence dates.

The proposed framework could significantly enhance large-scale agricultural monitoring and decision-making. Accurate knowledge of sowing and emergence dates enables better crop growth modeling, yield forecasting, and climate risk assessment. The system could also support early detection of crop stress, disease outbreaks, and extreme weather impacts. With further refinement, the method could be integrated into global agricultural monitoring platforms and precision agriculture systems. As satellite observations and artificial intelligence technologies continue to advance, such data-driven tools may become essential for ensuring food security and improving agricultural sustainability worldwide.

###

References

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0878

Original Source URL

https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/remotesensing.0878

Funding information

This work is supported by the Data Science for Food and Agricultural Systems program, project award no. 2024-67021-42530, and Soil Health program, project award 2023-67019-39169, from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. U.R.V.A., L.B.F., and V.S.M. were partially supported by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (nos. 58-0200-0-002 and 58-6060-3-005). Y.Y. is partially supported by the NASA Acres project (80NSSC23M0034). I.D.A.S. was grateful to the Brazilian National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the Research Productivity Fellowship (310042/2021-6).

About Journal of Remote Sensing

Journal of Remote Sensing, an online-only Open Access journal published in association with AIR-CAS, promotes the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing, as well as interdisciplinary research within earth and information science.

---

Journal

Journal of Remote Sensing

DOI

10.34133/remotesensing.0878 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Operational Framework for Field-Scale Crop Sowing and Emergence Date Estimation Using Daily Synthetic Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 Time Series

 

A reusable chip for particulate matter sensing

Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

eusable SAW sensor for selective PM10 and PM2.5 detection. Schematic overview of the reusable surface acoustic wave (SAW) particulate matter sensor system. The figure shows the porous membrane filter, sensor assembly, and sensing mechanism for particle-size-selective detection. A microperforated membrane is mounted above the SAW resonator to separate airborne particles by size, allowing simultaneous monitoring of particulate matter (PM) in the PM10 and PM2.5 ranges. The lower panel illustrates microheater-assisted particle detachment, which restores the sensor surface after dust exposure and enables repeated use. The frequency-shift curves on the right show the sensor response during particle capture and its recovery after heating.

view more 

Credit: Microsystems & Nanoengineering

Air pollution is often monitored using instruments that are accurate but can be bulky, costly, or difficult to reuse continuously after particle accumulation. A new sensor system offers a compact alternative by combining surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensing with a porous membrane for particle-size separation and an integrated microheater for sensor recovery. In laboratory tests, the device simultaneously and selectively detected particulate matter in the PM10 and PM2.5 size ranges and then recovered toward its baseline after heating under vacuum. The study demonstrates a reusable sensing platform that may support future compact air-quality monitoring systems. 

Fine airborne particles are especially challenging to monitor because particle size affects both how long they remain suspended in air and how deeply they can penetrate into the respiratory system. PM2.5 is of particular concern because of its association with adverse health effects. Existing techniques, including beta-ray absorption, gravimetric methods, and light-scattering approaches, can provide useful measurements, but they may also involve tradeoffs such as system size, cost, humidity sensitivity, or reduced reliability under some conditions. Earlier SAW-based particulate sensors showed high sensitivity, but many relied on one-time particle attachment and did not provide a practical reusable format with clear size selectivity. Against this background, reusable and size-selective PM sensing remains an important research need.

Researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Intelligence Semiconductor Engineering at Ajou University in Suwon, Republic of Korea, reported the study in Microsystems & Nanoengineering, published (DOI: 10.1038/s41378-025-01137-5) on 24 March 2026. Their system integrates two acoustic sensing channels, porous microstructured membranes, and an on-chip microheater to measure airborne particles and restore the sensor after particle buildup. The study presents the first SAW-based particulate matter sensor integrating a porous microstructure membrane for particle separation with an on-board microheater for particle detachment, enabling sensor reusability.

The design uses two porous filter membranes: one with pore diameters of approximately 11 μm for the PM10 channel and one with pore diameters of approximately 3 μm for the PM2.5 channel. These membranes were placed above two-port SAW resonator sensors operating at a center frequency of 222 MHz on 128° YX LiNbO₃ substrates. Simulations and experiments indicated that the 11 μm membrane allowed both larger and smaller particles to pass, while the 3 μm membrane preferentially passed smaller particles. In chamber tests, the PM2.5 sensor showed a sensitivity of 0.11 kHz/(μg/m³) to PM2.5 particles, while the PM10 channel showed 0.246 kHz/(μg/m³) to PM2.5 and, after subtraction-based calibration, 0.218 kHz/(μg/m³) to particles in the 2.5–10 μm range. When particles accumulated on the sensing surface, the integrated microheater was driven at 12 V, raising the device temperature to approximately 100 °C and enabling recovery under vacuum conditions. Over five days, the PM10 channel retained more than 90% of its relative response, while the PM2.5 channel remained above 80%.

The broader significance lies in integrating size-selective filtration and recovery into the chip itself. By combining particle separation and thermal recovery within a single SAW-based platform, the system may reduce reliance on conventional external separation components used in some particulate matter sensing setups. This approach could support the development of smaller, more reusable sensors for portable and continuous particulate matter monitoring. With further validation in real operating environments, such devices may be useful in a range of air-quality monitoring applications.

###

References

DOI

10.1038/s41378-025-01137-5

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-025-01137-5

Funding Information

This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2023-00278288, RS-2024-00457846, and RS2023-NR119846).

About Microsystems & Nanoengineering

Microsystems & Nanoengineering is an online-only, open access international journal devoted to publishing original research results and reviews on all aspects of Micro and Nano Electro Mechanical Systems from fundamental to applied research. The journal is published by Springer Nature in partnership with the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, supported by the State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology.

---

Journal

Microsystems & Nanoengineering

DOI

10.1038/s41378-025-01137-5 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Advanced reusable SAW-based particulate matter sensor with microheater and porous microstructured filter membrane for simultaneous PM10 and PM2.5 detection

 

Giant Magellan Telescope and Coquimbo Regional Government sign strategic partnership to strengthen Chile’s astronomy industry

New partnership advances regional economic growth through astronomy and positions Coquimbo region as Chile’s global hub for science, technology, and innovation

GMTO Corporation

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

From left to right: Chilean Consul in Los Angeles, Mr. Francisco Leal; Governor of Coquimbo, Mr. Cristobal Juliá; Giant Magellan Telescope President, Daniel Jaffe; Giant Magellan Telescope Vice President and Representative in Chile, Oscar Contreras.

view more 

Credit: Gonzalo Torres - GMTO Corporation

PASADENA, CA – April 17, 2026 – Today, the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Coquimbo Regional Government announced a strategic collaboration to advance Chile’s astronomy industry, drive regional economic growth, and position the Coquimbo region as a global hub for science, technology, and innovation. At the heart of this partnership is Chile’s first national visitor and education center for astronomy, designed in partnership with Exploratorium to bring the excitement of discovery, technological innovation, and astrotourism directly to the public.

“This partnership positions the Coquimbo Region at the forefront of an industry that is shaping the future of science, technology, and opportunity,” said Governor Cristóbal Juliá. “By working with the Giant Magellan Telescope, we are creating high-quality jobs, advancing innovation, and establishing our region as a leader in one of the most important industries in the world, all while connecting Chileans with the incredible discoveries happening from our skies.”

To support public engagement and communicate the progress of the partnership, the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Coquimbo Regional Government have launched a dedicated website at coquimbo.giantmagellan.org. The site will serve as a central platform to share updates, highlight regional impact, and showcase the significance of the collaboration.

The agreement was formalized during the Governor’s official visit to the Giant Magellan Telescope’s headquarters in Pasadena, where he met with the observatory’s international leadership, including President Daniel Jaffe, and with the attendance of the Chilean Consul in Los Angeles, Mr. Francisco Leal. The signing reflects a growing alignment between regional leadership and one of the most significant international scientific infrastructure projects underway today.

Chile is home to the majority of the world’s astronomical infrastructure and, by the 2030s, will host nearly 70 percent of it. The Coquimbo Region plays a central role in that leadership, hosting major observatories and operational centers, including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the world’s newest and most advanced survey telescope. The region’s growing infrastructure, observatory operators, and scientific workforce will also be celebrated through the proposed national visitor and education center, providing public access to Chile’s astronomy industry, technological innovations, and scientific discoveries.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope represents a multi-billion-dollar international investment in Chile, and this partnership ensures that its benefits extend well beyond the observatory site,” said Daniel Jaffe, President of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Together, we are establishing a long-term foundation that supports scientific leadership, economic growth, expanded opportunity across the region, and a public-facing hub that will connect people directly with Chile’s world-class astronomy industry.”

Located at Las Campanas Observatory, the Giant Magellan Telescope is part of a new generation of “extremely large telescopes” that support a world-class scientific, engineering, and industrial ecosystem. Over nearly a century of operations, the observatory will anchor sustained demand for expertise in engineering, construction, data systems, and scientific research.

As part of this partnership, the Giant Magellan Telescope will establish its primary operations base in the Coquimbo Region, creating a central hub for telescope operations, data systems, and scientific activity. Within this campus is a flagship visitor and education center, a first-of-its-kind national landmark in Chile, developed in collaboration with the Exploratorium, a global leader in interactive science education. Envisioned as a world-class destination, the center will showcase technological innovation, and scientific discoveries, support workforce development, and promote astronomy tourism, making Chile’s leadership in the industry visible and inspiring to all.

“Together we’re creating a place where people can gather and directly experience the power of science and engineering,” said Anne Richardson, Chief Experience Officer at the Exploratorium. “Drawing on decades of experience creating spaces that spark curiosity and learning, we’re proud to partner on this effort. This center will connect communities to Chile´s astronomy research, inspire future generations and make discovery tangible and accessible to all.”

For regional commerce, the partnership will also establish the Port of Coquimbo as the main logistics hub for the project, supporting the transport of major telescope components and infrastructure from international partners as the observatory is constructed over the next few years. This coordinated approach strengthens regional supply chains and positions the Coquimbo region as a critical entry point for global scientific infrastructure.

“This is about connecting the development of the telescope with regional growth,” said Oscar Contreras, Vice President and Chile Representative for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Through this partnership, we are strengthening local capabilities, expanding opportunities for Chilean talent, and ensuring that the benefits of this global scientific investment are realized within the communities closest to it.”

A central pillar of the partnership is the protection of Chile’s astronomical observing conditions as a strategic national resource, one that is becoming increasingly rare worldwide. Ensuring long-term astronomical site protection is essential for maintaining Chile’s leadership in a global industry that depends on stable, high-quality skies.

This strategic partnership establishes the Coquimbo Region as a global hub for astronomy, linking the operations center, the first-of-its-kind national landmark visitor center, and the protection of Chile’s world-class observing sites, while engaging the public in Chile’s astronomy industry. Together, these efforts will expand Chile’s leadership in the astronomy for generations to come.