Argonne National Laboratory – Profiles

Argonne National Laboratory, operating under the Department of Energy, provides critical security technologies that prevent and mitigate events with potential for mass disruption or destruction. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC.

Argonne scientists and engineers offers expertise in the following focus areas:

• Chemical and molecular science
• Biosciences
• Environmental Science
• Mathematics and Computer Science
• Energy and Global Security
• Energy Systems
• Global Security Sciences
• Nuclear Engineering
• Photon Sciences
• Accelerator Systems
• Engineering Support
• X-ray Science
• Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Chemical Sciences and Engineering
• High Energy Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanoscience and Technology
• Physics

Argonne operates the following leading-edge national user facilities:

• Center for Nanoscale Materials
• Advanced Photon Source
• Argonne Leadership Computing Facility
• Electron Microscopy Center
• Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System
• Transportation Research and Analysis Computing Center

Argonne conducts research in several areas specific to biological sciences including:

• Antibody and protein stabilization
• Membrane protein expression
• Membrane-based separative bioreactors
• Bioengineering for new medical treatments
• Protective hypothermia for treatment of cardiac events
• Endoscopic electron beam cancer therapy

One of the biodefense technologies developed at Argonne is a Biochip which provides a universal platform for the detection and identification of many different types of biological agents. Both proteins and nucleic acids can be examined and on-chip PCR can be performed.

Argonne has also developed and tested a millimeter-wave (mmW) radar detection system that can measure a suite of airborne chemicals at 1-100 ppm in real time with minimal interference from common atmospheric chemicals. The mmW sensors can be mounted in a wide variety of places, from buildings to vehicles and aircraft for all-around, real time detection capability. In addition, the sensors can be networked, enabling an airborne chemical surveillance system to be created for specific uses.

The experts at Argonne collaborate annually with over 600 companies, numerous federal agencies, and hundreds of research institutions worldwide. Argonne operates on an annual budget of approximately $722 million (USD) and has a workforce of approximately 3,350 employees.