Building a Better Cockroach Toxin

GAO reported that nearly $300,000 was spent on a project to study a cockroach toxin developed by Russian biological warfare institutes. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory official who supervised the project told GAO that the Russians believed they had developed a protein-based toxin to kill cockroaches without using a harmful dust, thus allowing its use in sensitive machinery and equipment, such as computers and submarines. Alas, reported GAO, U.S. researchers were unable to replicate the toxin.

DOE believes, however, that a number of its sponsored research projects do have great promise. Among the 23 projects funded as initial activities under the Nuclear Cities Initiative:

• Scientists at Snezhinsk are working with Sandia National Laboratory to improve the design of a U.S.-manufactured prosthetic foot device.
• The Sarov site is working with Brookhaven National Laboratory on a project to use electron beam technology to assess precious minerals in ore rubble.
• Zheleznogorsk and Ozersk are teaming up with Sandia to design a treatment for high-level radioactive tank waste.
• Snezhinsk and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are partnering on the development of new generation X-ray tubes.