(AGENPARL) – Fri 11 April 2025 A weekly compendium of media reports on science and technology achievements
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though the Laboratory reviews
items for overall accuracy, the reporting organizations are responsible for
the content in the links below.
LLNL Report, April 11, 2025
By engaging with students, LLNL aims to inspire them to think of STEM fields
in a different way. (Photo: Garry McLeod)
Igniting Livermore’s young minds
The next generation of scientists and researchers will showcase its talents
at the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District’s 23rd annual Science
Odyssey competition at Joe Michell K-8 School on April 9-10.
“Our Science Odyssey is a point of pride,” said Chris Connor, the
district’s director of elementary education. “We do this every year and
one of the things I love about it is it’s not just the schools that get
involved. It’s a community event … Here in Livermore, our passion for
science goes to a whole new level.”
More than 350 students from grades 1-12 will showcase their projects in
science, engineering, mathematics and computer science. Beginning April 9,
volunteer judges from the community, including Sandia National Laboratories
and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will evaluate, review and score
the student projects. The event culminates April 10 with the main showcase,
which is open to the public.
Read More
A model of the antibody designed to neutralize a broad diversity of
SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Graphic: Janelle Cataldo)
LLNL engineers next-gen antibodies
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ai-optimizes-antibodies-to-tackle-evolving-sars-cov-2-variants/ar-AA1CteFp
Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in collaboration
with other leading institutions, have successfully used an AI-driven platform
to preemptively optimize an antibody to neutralize a broad diversity of
SARS-CoV-2 variants.
This pioneering approach, published
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu0718 in the journal /Science
Advances/, represents a significant leap in the fight against rapidly
evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, improving future pandemic preparedness
and antibody therapy resilience. The paper details the development of
3152-1142, a next-generation antibody derived from AZD3152, a medicine from
global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca currently approved in Europe and
Japan for COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis.
By integrating cutting-edge computational modeling, deep mutational scanning
and laboratory validation, scientists have engineered an antibody that
restores full potency against multiple potential escape variants, including
one that emerged over the course of this work, with the goal of fortifying
antibodies against potential future mutations.
Read More
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/ai-optimizes-antibodies-to-tackle-evolving-sars-cov-2-variants/ar-AA1CteFp
At locations across the Lab and virtually, LLNL employees from an array of
job roles explored AI models through demonstrations and breakout sessions.
(Photo: Blaise Douros)
Living on the EDGE
More than 3,200 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) employees
participated in the first-ever aiEDGE for Innovation Day on March 26 — an
event aimed at empowering and equipping the Lab’s workforce to integrate AI
into their daily work.
The hybrid event, hosted with industry partners OpenAI and Anthropic, gave
employees exclusive access to the companies’ latest advanced generative and
reasoning AI models. At locations across the Lab and virtually, employees
from a broad array of job roles explored the models through demonstrations
and breakout sessions focused on real-world applications, evaluating the
models for their ability to enhance productivity, streamline operations and
accelerate scientific research.
Read More
Metasurfaces form an audible enclave where sound can be heard. At other
points along the trajectory, sound is not heard — meaning private listening
is possible. (Image: Heyonu Heo)
Who needs headphones?

Isolated pockets of audible sound are created using metasurfaces

A ground-breaking method to create “audible enclaves” — localized zones
where sound is perceptible while remaining completely unheard outside — has
been unveiled by researchers at Pennsylvania State University and Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory. Their innovation could transform personal
audio experiences in public spaces and improve secure communications.
“One of the biggest challenges in sound engineering is delivering audio to
specific listeners without disturbing others,” explains Penn State’s
Jiaxin Zhong. “Traditional speakers broadcast sound in all directions, and
even directional sound technologies still generate audible sound along their
entire path. We aimed to develop a method that allows sound to be generated
only at a specific location, without any leakage along the way. This would
enable applications such as private speech zones, immersive audio
experiences, and spatially controlled sound environments.”
Read More

Isolated pockets of audible sound are created using metasurfaces

LLNL’s Discovery Center is open Monday to Friday, noon to 4 p.m.
Discover more this summer
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/7-family-friendly-summer-activities-in-livermore/ar-AA1CePhd
Great news, Livermore — summer is just around the corner! If you’re in
search of family-friendly fun, we’ve put together a list of seven fantastic
activities in and around town that are sure to be a hit with everyone. Don’t
forget to check with the venue ahead of time to confirm hours, ticket
availability or any special requirements before you go!
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Discovery Center offers both in-person
and virtual visitors an exciting glimpse into the Lab’s science and
technology. Exhibits are designed to inspire the next generation of
researchers by showcasing new innovations and the impactful work conducted at
the Lab.
Read More
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/7-family-friendly-summer-activities-in-livermore/ar-AA1CePhd
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Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory https://www.llnl.gov
provides solutions to our nation’s most important national security
challenges through innovative science, engineering and technology. Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National
Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security
Administration.
Read previous Lab Report articles online https://www.llnl.gov/news/lab-report
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