Chalk River Laboratories

About: Chalk River Laboratories is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Neutron diffraction & Neutron scattering. The organization has 2297 authors who have published 2700 publications receiving 73287 citations.

Vive la radiorésistance!: converging research in radiobiology and biogerontology to enhance human radioresistance for deep space exploration and colonization.

Abstract: While many efforts have been made to pave the way toward human space colonization, little consideration has been given to the methods of protecting spacefarers against harsh cosmic and local radioactive environments and the high costs associated with protection from the deleterious physiological effects of exposure to high-Linear energy transfer (high-LET) radiation. Herein, we lay the foundations of a roadmap toward enhancing human radioresistance for the purposes of deep space colonization and exploration. We outline future research directions toward the goal of enhancing human radioresistance, including upregulation of endogenous repair and radioprotective mechanisms, possible leeways into gene therapy in order to enhance radioresistance via the translation of exogenous and engineered DNA repair and radioprotective mechanisms, the substitution of organic molecules with fortified isoforms, and methods of slowing metabolic activity while preserving cognitive function. We conclude by presenting the known associations between radioresistance and longevity, and articulating the position that enhancing human radioresistance is likely to extend the healthspan of human spacefarers as well.

Discontinuous unbinding of lipid multibilayers.

Abstract: We have observed a discontinuous unbinding transition of lipid bilayer stacks composed of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol using x-ray diffraction. The unbinding is reversible and coincides with the main (${L}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{L}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$) transition of the lipid mixture. Interbilayer interaction potentials deduced from the diffraction data reveal that the bilayers in the ${L}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ phase are only weakly bound. The unbinding transition appears to be driven by an abrupt increase in steric repulsion resulting from increased thermal undulations of the bilayers upon entering the fluid ${L}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ phase.

Ikaite, CaCO3·6H2O: Cold comfort for glendonites as paleothermometers

Abstract: Neutron diffraction results are linked to the pre-diffraction, morphological crystallography of E.S. Dana to show that ikaite is the precursor of “glendonite” and “thinolite” and that some of the unusual features of the morphology can easily be explained by an accidental near-equivalence of the unit cell of ikaite, CaCO3.6H2O. This relationship between the morphology of the pseudomorphs and the crystallography of ikaite gives strong justification for the use of “glendonite” as a paleo thermometer, representing near freezing conditions for water.