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1000 results for “neutron_chick”
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@neutron_chick @noelreports Then here is another quote for you, by the same guy #AlainBerset, #socialDemocrat, our president #CH this year:
> I worry a lot about "war euphoria"…
> it's not because we've had the illusion of stability, and then the *illusion of a sudden change*, that our country should radically change its workings. -
@neutron_chick @noelreports Then here is another quote for you, by the same guy #AlainBerset, #socialDemocrat, our president #CH this year:
> I worry a lot about "war euphoria"…
> it's not because we've had the illusion of stability, and then the *illusion of a sudden change*, that our country should radically change its workings. -
@neutron_chick @noelreports Then here is another quote for you, by the same guy #AlainBerset, #socialDemocrat, our president #CH this year:
> I worry a lot about "war euphoria"…
> it's not because we've had the illusion of stability, and then the *illusion of a sudden change*, that our country should radically change its workings. -
@neutron_chick @noelreports Then here is another quote for you, by the same guy #AlainBerset, #socialDemocrat, our president #CH this year:
> I worry a lot about "war euphoria"…
> it's not because we've had the illusion of stability, and then the *illusion of a sudden change*, that our country should radically change its workings. -
@neutron_chick @noelreports Then here is another quote for you, by the same guy #AlainBerset, #socialDemocrat, our president #CH this year:
> I worry a lot about "war euphoria"…
> it's not because we've had the illusion of stability, and then the *illusion of a sudden change*, that our country should radically change its workings. -
@kamscan This weekend for us!!! Although two neighbors already did theirs last week. I can't do it before Remembrance Day, but I have to say it makes a little happy that they did 🤩🤩 🎄🎄
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2/? More images of the total solar eclipse over North America on April 8, 2024.
1st img: moon covers ~45-50% of the sun, it's at the very edge of the the largest sun spot and it's about to cover it. 2nd img: moon covers ~85-90% of the sun. 3rd img: moon covers ~95% of the sun, which is now a thin crescent. 4th img: moon is covering ~97-98% of the sun, which looks like a very thin crescent.
Next posts will have images during totality.
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@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19 It just completely baffles me that doctors who are seeing this and connecting the dots to #Covid aren't screaming for #cleanair, #masking, #airfiltration, etc to avoid as many infections and reinfections as possible ... just wow 😭 😭 😭
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@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19 It just completely baffles me that doctors who are seeing this and connecting the dots to #Covid aren't screaming for #cleanair, #masking, #airfiltration, etc to avoid as many infections and reinfections as possible ... just wow 😭 😭 😭
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@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19 It just completely baffles me that doctors who are seeing this and connecting the dots to #Covid aren't screaming for #cleanair, #masking, #airfiltration, etc to avoid as many infections and reinfections as possible ... just wow 😭 😭 😭
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@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19 It just completely baffles me that doctors who are seeing this and connecting the dots to #Covid aren't screaming for #cleanair, #masking, #airfiltration, etc to avoid as many infections and reinfections as possible ... just wow 😭 😭 😭
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@DenisCOVIDinfoguy @auscovid19 It just completely baffles me that doctors who are seeing this and connecting the dots to #Covid aren't screaming for #cleanair, #masking, #airfiltration, etc to avoid as many infections and reinfections as possible ... just wow 😭 😭 😭
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@tomkindlon @longcovid @covid19 @novid Thanks for sharing! It is a great article. We are all lucky to have Alice Wong as an advocate for those with #disabilities.
And I have been worried. Yesterday she posted several messages on the bird site that she was sick and in hospital... but there hasn't been an update from her for a long while now...I hope she is receiving the care she needs 😓 😓
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Happy for #Manitoba right now!! #NDP win and the 1st #FirstNations premiere in #Canada!! So proud!!
🥹🥹🥹🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦Lots of strategic voting happened. The Progressive #Conservatives still got over 40% of the popular vote. And despite all that, I really think that #ProportionalRepresentation would be a better electoral system.
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Happy for #Manitoba right now!! #NDP win and the 1st #FirstNations premiere in #Canada!! So proud!!
🥹🥹🥹🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦Lots of strategic voting happened. The Progressive #Conservatives still got over 40% of the popular vote. And despite all that, I really think that #ProportionalRepresentation would be a better electoral system.
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Happy for #Manitoba right now!! #NDP win and the 1st #FirstNations premiere in #Canada!! So proud!!
🥹🥹🥹🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦Lots of strategic voting happened. The Progressive #Conservatives still got over 40% of the popular vote. And despite all that, I really think that #ProportionalRepresentation would be a better electoral system.
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@RouxJ I get errors like that sometimes too! I would also like to know what the issue might be.
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I wish we could all have this option.
For those working full-time, only having 2 days off a week to physically and mentally recharge after a 5 day work week can be very challenging. It's almost never enough for me.
#WorkerRights #economy #MentalHealth #FlexibleWork #FlexWork
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@erictopol Huh...Can anyone share a copy of this paper? Or screenshots of key sections?
And does anyone know of any papers looking at human patients and using beta blockers for #longCovid??
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@sundogplanets These are really great resources, thanks for sharing!!
#Astronomy #Regina #RASC #Skywatching #Satellites #Starlink #Moon #SolarSystem #Constellations #MilkyWay
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"We have no f'ing idea why so many people in this lugubriously bureaucratic country are dying because our reporting is so ponderously slow and rife with pissing contests and non-cooperation.
Get the f over yourselves and start reporting nationally now. People's live matter."
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Uranium Enrichment Facility And Heavy Water Reactor Of Islamic Terrorist State Iran Hit By Israel
Even as Trump’s America and the Islamic terrorist state of Iran are negotiating, Israel’s Air Force jets successfully struck the uranium enrichment facility as well as the heavy water reactor in different locations of Iran, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post. The operation only shows Iran getting weaker in the war.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of The Jerusalem Post. Some parts in boldface…
Israel attacked Iran’s Khandab heavy water reactor in Arak, as well as a uranium enrichment facility in Ardakan, on Friday, the IDF confirmed.
Over 50 Israel Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, guided by IDF intelligence, completed strikes targeting the Iranian terror regime’s infrastructure across three areas simultaneously, the IDF said.
Earlier Iranian state media reports noted that the enrichment facility in Ardakan produced yellowcake, a concentrated uranium powder used in the early stages of nuclear fuel production.
Later on Friday, a missile struck the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, with no casualties, material damage, or technical disruptions being reported.
Heavy water is a unique material used to operate nuclear reactors – A government official told the Islamic Republic’s semi-official Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), that no casualties occurred in the reported attack on the heavy water reactor, and that there is no danger to the local population. Fars reported that the facility was struck twice.
“Heavy water is a unique material used to operate nuclear reactors, such as the inactive Arak reactor, which was originally designed to have weapons-grade plutonium production capabilities,” the IDF said. “These materials can also be used as a neutron source for nuclear weapons.“
The military added that the facility, which was hit during the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran, was also a “significant economic asset” for the Iranian regime and generated tens of millions of dollars for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization.
According to the military, Iran worked to rebuild the facility after it was struck nine months ago. It added that the Islamic Republic deliberately avoided a mandate to convert the reactor so that it would not be capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.
In a statement issued later by the IDF, the military said Friday’s attacks across Iran also targeted a military industry facility used for the production of a variety of weapons, an Iranian Ministry of Defense site used for the development and production of advanced explosive devices, and a site used for the production of components for ballistic missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.
Attacks follow call for evacuation – The attack comes after the IDF called for residents of the northwestern Iranian city of Arak to evacuate ahead of imminent strikes on nearby regime military infrastructure.
The heavy water reactor is located a short distance northwest of the municipality of Arak. The call for evacuation was posted on the IDF’s Persian-language X/Twitter account, and included graphics illustrating the targeted areas and evacuation routes.
The post further called for those in the nearby Khairabad industrial zone to evacuate.
Soon thereafter, the IDF announced that it had begun simultaneous attacks on regime infrastructure in three areas of Iran. It did not specify further on the targets of the attacks.
Iranian media claims strikes on Ardakan yellowcake production facility – Shortly after the strikes on the heavy water research reactor, Iranian state media outlets reported attacks on the yellowcake production facility in Ardakan. The IDF later confirmed it struck the site.
Ardakan is a city in Iran’s Yazd province, which the IDF had struck previously. targeting a central site for producing missiles and sea mines.
For other updates about what has been going lately in the Middle East, watch the YouTube news videos below.
https://www.youtube.com/live/peGur27n9ck?si=UlIGqzvMRQdF-1oD
https://youtu.be/XFHSfGgnguE?si=2wNuEEQOuYqBZFny
https://youtu.be/0mLYkaz0Muc?si=238GTdgXaVIRDPyD
https://youtu.be/zNzwkhLR-PM?si=tCh6zsYodmuhjdyW
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the successful strikes by Israel’s Air Force made the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran less capable of developing nuclear material for its weapons? How long do you think the war against Iran will last? What do you think America and Israel should do to find the launchers of Iran’s heavy missiles?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
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How Mitochondrial Dynamism Orchestrates Mitophagy
Authors Orian S. Shirihai, Moshi Song, Gerald W. Dorn II
Understanding the Significance of Mitochondrial Fission and Fusion
Mitochondrial dynamics refers to the movement of #mitochondria within a cell. This includes #fission, which is when mitochondria divide into two parts, #fusion, which is when two mitochondria join together, and #translocation, which is when mitochondria move from one part of the #cell to another. This movement is important for maintaining the stability of the mitochondrial #DNA, which is the genetic material found in mitochondria, and for controlling the cell's #respiration. It can also be involved in programmed #CellDeath. In the #heart, mitochondrial dynamics #protein s, such as #mitofusin s, optic #atrophy, and dynamin-related protein, are highly expressed and play an important role in maintaining the quality of the #mitochondria. Other roles for mitochondrial dynamics proteins in the #heart include helping to move #calcium into the mitochondria and regulating the structure of the mitochondria.
#Mitochondria are organelles in cells that are responsible for producing #energy. They can change their structure by breaking apart (#fission) and reforming (#fusion). This process is complicated and energy intensive, so it is important to understand why it is necessary. One reason may be that when cells divide, the mitochondria need to be divided equally between the two daughter cells. This requires the #mitochondria to be broken apart and then reformed in each daughter #cell. This process of breaking apart and reforming is more efficient than growing and budding the mitochondria. To help explain this process, the authors use the analogy of an army. Each soldier in the army is like a protein in the mitochondria, and the different units of the army are like the different parts of the #mitochondria. To increase the size of the army, units are added, rather than individual soldiers. This is similar to how mitochondria are modified, by adding or subtracting intact functional units, rather than individual #protein s.
Mitochondria are #organelle s in cells that can change their physical structure by undergoing fission. Fission can be symmetrical, which is when mitochondria replicate and expand the number of #mitochondria in the #cell, or asymmetrical, which is when damaged components of the mitochondria are removed. The major #protein that helps with mitochondrial fission is called Drp1. It is mostly found in the #cytosol, but it needs to be recruited to the outer mitochondrial #membrane to help with fission. Different factors can cause Drp1 to be recruited, such as phosphorylation by mitotic kinase cyclin B–cyclin-dependent-kinase (cdk) 1 complex during #cell division, or interacting with Bcl-2–associated protein x during #apoptosis. Inhibiting Drp1 can protect cells from some, but not all, forms of programmed cell death.
Mitochondria, which are organelles in cells, can be partitioned in #mitosis. The most efficient way to do this is by dismantling and then reconstituting the cellular #mitochondria network through sequential #organelle fission, distribution, and refusion. To explain this concept, the text uses an analogy of how military units are constituted and managed within an army's hierarchical organization structure. In this analogy, each soldier represents an individual respiratory complex #protein, which are grouped together to form a squad (analogous to a respiratory complex). Squads are arranged into platoons, and approximately 6 platoons comprise a functional unit, the company (like 1 complete respiratory chain). The text suggests that it would be easier to add prefabricated supercomplexes to preexisting ones, as by fusing mitochondrial cristae, rather than trying to make a larger or different shaped mitochondrion through the wholesale incorporation of individual proteins. This is because making major structural modifications of respiratory supercomplexes on paracrystalline cristal membranes would first require destabilizing the #membrane, then incorporating additional individual #protein components, and finally reconstructing the original highly organized structure, which is complicated and potentially disruptive.
#Mitochondria are small organelles in cells that can change their physical structure by undergoing fission. Fission can be symmetrical, which means the #mitochondria are split into two equal parts, or asymmetrical, which means the mitochondria are split into two unequal parts. Symmetrical fission is used to replicate and expand the number of mitochondria in the #cell, while asymmetrical fission is used to remove damaged mitochondria from the cell. The major #protein responsible for mitochondrial fission is called Drp1. Drp1 is mostly found in the cytosol, but it needs to be recruited to the outer mitochondrial #membrane to promote fission. Different factors can stimulate Drp1 to move to the outer mitochondrial #membrane, such as phosphorylation by mitotic kinase cyclin B–cyclin-dependent-kinase (cdk) 1 complex. In addition, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is often found at the sites of mitochondrial fission. If Drp1 is not present, the mitochondria can still fragment during #mitosis, suggesting that there are other mechanisms that can promote mitochondrial fission.
The text is talking about the process of mitochondrial fission, which is a process that involves connecting and separating parts of a #mitochondria. The author uses the metaphor of making sausage links to explain the process, but then goes on to explain that mitochondria are actually more like a turducken, which is a dish made of a chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey. This creates layers of poultry, which is similar to the double #membrane /double space structure of #mitochondria. The author then explains that the process of mitochondrial fusion involves connecting the two mitochondria layer by layer, using proteins called mitofusins. Mitofusins have a #GTPase domain, two hydrophobic heptad repeat coiled-coil domains, and a small hydrophobic transmembrane domain. These proteins insert into the outer #membrane of the #mitochondria, and can interact with other proteins in the cytosol. The process of mitochondrial fusion is GTP-independent and reversible, but #GTP #hydrolysis is essential for irreversible outer membrane fusion.
#Mitofusins are proteins that are essential for the first two stages of mitochondrial fusion, which is the process of two mitochondria joining together. This process is important for the exchange of information between the #mitochondria and the #cell. If the mitofusins are deleted or suppressed, the mitochondria become abnormally small and are unable to undergo normal fusion. This can have serious implications for the health of the #cell.
Membrane-by-membrane mitochondrial fusion is a process that helps to keep the structure of the inner and outer membranes of #mitochondria intact. This helps to preserve the process of oxidative phosphorylation, which is important for providing energy to cells. Without this process, molecules that can be toxic to cells can form and interrupt the electron transport chain. This process is also important for maintaining the normal shape of the crista, which is necessary for the proper assembly and functioning of electron transport chain supercomplexes. In addition, it has been shown that interrupting Mfn-mediated OMM fusion can cause a #cardiomyocyte ER stress response, while interrupting Opa1-mediated IMM fusion can compromise mitochondrial function.
Mitochondrial fission and fusion are important processes in #biology, as evidenced by the fact that mutations in genes related to these processes can cause serious diseases in humans. Altering the balance between fission and fusion can have an effect on the shape of #mitochondria, with more fusion leading to longer, more interconnected mitochondria, and more fission leading to shorter, less interconnected mitochondria. It is generally thought that more interconnected #mitochondria are healthier, but this is not always the case. In some cases, mitochondrial #fragmentation can be beneficial, and it is important to understand the interplay between mitochondrial fragmentation and other processes, such as #mitophagy, in order to understand the effects of mitochondrial fission and fusion.
Mitophagy is a process by which cells eat their own #mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles that produce energy in the form of #ATP, which is used to power most biological processes. Over time, mitochondria can become damaged and produce toxic levels of reactive oxygen species ( #ROS ). To protect the #cell from this damage, it has developed a sophisticated system to identify and remove these dysfunctional #mitochondria. This process is called mitophagy. #Mitophagy is a combination of the words mitochondria and #autophagy, which means "self-eating". It is a way for cells to selectively target and remove damaged mitochondria, while still keeping healthy ones. This helps to maintain the balance between having enough energy-producing #mitochondria and getting rid of the ones that are no longer functioning properly.
Pulse chase experiments are a type of scientific experiment used to study the behavior of molecules over time. In this particular experiment, researchers found that when #mitochondria (the energy-producing organelles in cells) are targeted for #mitophagy (a process of removing damaged mitochondria from the cell), they have a relatively depolarized #membrane potential before being removed. This means that the #mitochondria have a lower electrical charge than normal, and they are less likely to be involved in #fusion events (when two mitochondria join together). The time between the mitochondria becoming depolarized and being removed from the cell can range from less than an hour to about three hours, suggesting that there is a population of preautophagic #mitochondria (mitochondria that are about to be removed). This #preautophagic pool helps to explain the variation in mitochondrial #membrane potential in different cell types. The process that feeds mitochondria into the preautophagic pool is important for determining how quickly #mitochondria are removed from the #cell. Scientists have developed a technology to label individual mitochondria and track their #membrane potential, which has allowed them to identify the event at which depolarized #mitochondria are produced. This event is called asymmetrical fission, and it occurs when the daughter mitochondria produced by the fission event have different #membrane potentials - one daughter has a higher membrane potential than the mother mitochondrion, while the other daughter has a lower membrane potential. This process of asymmetrical fission helps to separate damaged components from healthy components before they are removed from the #cell.
The concept of mitochondrial fission and fusion and how it affects mitochondrial quality. It suggests that when the fusion factors Mfn1 and Mfn2 are both absent, unusually small and degenerated #mitochondria accumulate in adult mouse hearts. This was associated with impaired #cardiomyocyte respiration, but not with measurable alterations in #oxygen consumption. It was later discovered that the isolation procedure used was not capturing the fragmented #mitochondria produced by interrupting mitochondrial fusion. This led to the discovery that Mfn2 is essential to #Parkin-mediated #mitophagy, which is a process that helps to maintain mitochondrial quality. Three recent papers have also implicated the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 in cardiac #mitophagy, and it is suggested that if asymmetrical mitochondrial fission normally precedes mitophagy, then chronic suppression of fission by ablating Drp1 would have different consequences on #mitophagy depending on when it is assayed.
Mfn2 and PINK1–Parkin Mitophagy Signaling is a mechanism for controlling the quality of #mitochondria in the body. #PINK1 and #Parkin are proteins that are linked to #Parkinson's disease, and mutations in their genes were the first to be identified as causing the disease. Scientists have studied how PINK1 interacts with Parkin, and how this interaction can lead to the destruction of damaged #mitochondria, which is called #mitophagy. #PINK1 is like an ignition switch that senses when mitochondrial damage has occurred, and then activates Parkin-mediated mitophagy. PINK1 is normally not present in healthy #mitochondria, but when mitochondrial damage occurs, PINK1 accumulates and triggers the destruction of the damaged #mitochondria.
PINK1 is a protein that accumulates on damaged mitochondria and helps to promote mitophagy, which is the process of getting rid of damaged mitochondria. PINK1 does this by inducing the cytosolic protein Parkin to move to the mitochondria and ubiquitinate proteins on the outer membrane of the mitochondria. This helps to prevent the spread of damage from the damaged mitochondria to the healthy ones. PINK1 also inhibits the fusion of the damaged mitochondria. There are different theories about the biochemical events that cause Parkin to move to the mitochondria and stop the fusion. It is thought that PINK1 phosphorylates Parkin on certain sites, which helps Parkin bind to the mitochondria. It is also thought that PINK1 phosphorylates ubiquitin, which helps Parkin bind to the mitochondria and ubiquitinate proteins on the outer membrane. Finally, it is thought that PINK1 phosphorylates Mfn2, which helps Parkin bind to the mitochondria and ubiquitinate proteins on the outer membrane. All of these processes help to promote mitophagy and prevent the spread of damage from the damaged mitochondria to the healthy ones.
#PINK1 is a protein that plays an important role in a process called #mitophagy, which is a form of quality control for mitochondria. Mutations in the #PINK1 #gene have been linked to hereditary #Parkinson's disease in humans, but when the PINK1 gene is deleted in mice, it does not cause the same #neurodegenerative pattern seen in humans. Even when the genes for PINK1, Parkin, and DJ-1 are all deleted in mice, it still does not cause the same loss of dopaminergic #neuron s seen in #Parkinson's disease patients. This suggests that there may be other pathways that can compensate for the loss of #PINK1 and #Parkin, such as increased transcription of other E3 #ubiquitin ligases in the hearts of Parkin-knockout mice.
The text is discussing the idea of mitochondrial quality control pathways, which are processes that help keep mitochondria healthy. The text is suggesting that there may be alternate pathways that can be used to maintain mitochondrial health, rather than waiting until the mitochondria are completely depolarized before triggering their removal. It is comparing this idea to the idea of maintaining a car, where it is better to perform regular maintenance and repairs rather than waiting until the car is completely broken down before replacing it.
Like a car, mitochondria can be maintained through preventative maintenance, such as replacing worn parts, and that more serious damage can be repaired by removing and replacing individual components. It also suggests that, like a car, #mitochondria can be repaired by removing and replacing damaged parts, but on a smaller scale. The different types of maintenance and repair may be part of a continuum, rather than distinct categories.
#Mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamism are two processes that are closely connected. Mitophagy is the process of removing damaged #mitochondria from the #cell, while mitochondrial dynamism is the process of mitochondria fusing together and separating. The two processes work together to keep the cell healthy by eliminating damaged mitochondria and preventing healthy mitochondria from being contaminated by the damaged ones. The protein #Mfn2 plays a role in both processes, acting as a factor for mitochondrial fusion when it is not acted on by #PINK1 and as a receptor for #Parkin when it is. This suggests that the two processes are mutually exclusive, meaning that they cannot happen at the same time. This helps to protect healthy #mitochondria from being contaminated by the damaged ones. Finally, the involvement of PINK1 and Parkin in multiple mitochondrial quality control mechanisms shows that there are multiple ways to keep the #mitochondria healthy, which is important for preventing chronic degenerative diseases and providing opportunities for #therapeutic intervention.
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- Oklo Clears Environmental Reviews at INL
- Westinghouse Signs Engineering Contract for AP1000 Reactors in Bulgaria
- Great British Nuclear Issues ‘Invitation To Negotiate’ To Four SMR Companies
- Texas A&M University Proposes Sites for Reactor Test Beds
- World Economic Forum Publishes Framework for Advanced Nuclear Power
- IAEA Highlights ‘Pressing Need’ For International Finance For Nuclear Plants
Oklo Clears Environmental Review for INL Micro Reactor
Oklo checked off a significant milestone in its path forward toward building a first of a kind micro reactor on a site at the Idaho National Laboratory. This was the environmental review processes of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Idaho National Laboratory required for construction of the firm’s first micro reactor on the federal site. It is targeting its first deployment at INL in 2027.
Jacob DeWitte, CEO and Co-Founder of Oklo, said the approvals are a “pivotal step forward as we advance toward deploying the first commercial advanced fission plant.”
DeWitt added that, “With this process complete, we can begin site characterization.”
This announcement follows the recent final sign off on a Memorandum of Agreement with the DOE, which initiates site characterization activities. It also follows DOE’s approval of Oklo’s Conceptual Safety Design Report for its Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, which will recycle nuclear material at INL to fuel the Aurora powerhouse.
Oklo is developing next-generation fission powerhouses, starting with the Aurora micro reactor, which can produce 15 MW of electrical power, scalable to 50 MWe, and operate for 10 years or longer before refueling. Oklo’s fast reactors incorporate key safety features and can be fueled by recycled waste.
DeWitt noted that “Our business model of selling power directly to customers rather than power plants positions us to respond to a growing order book effectively and meet diverse energy needs across data centers, industrial processes, defense, and off-grid communities.”
Supply Chain Agreement
Last December Oklo named Siemens Energy as its preferred supplier in an MOU on advanced fission power plant deployments. Siemens Energy would become Oklo’s preferred supplier for steam turbines and generator technology for its Aurora powerhouse.
Siemens Energy would also provide consulting to support Oklo in related design work to optimize the integration of the power conversion systems (conventional island). This partnership will help develop the capability to scale of the Aurora powerhouse deployments for customers. The Aurora powerhouse is designed to offer power ratings of 15-50 MWe.
Multiple Project Sites
Oklo has three project sites. A site use permit for its first location was granted by the Department of Energy in 2019. The firm was awarded fuel for its first reactor from Idaho National Laboratory. Oklo is currently doing work with the Idaho National Laboratory to take the waste fuel from EBR-II and use it for the first Aurora Powerhouse.
Centrus HALEU Production
In August 2023 Oklo and Centrus Energy signed an MOU for fuel, components, and power procurement to support the deployment of advanced fission technologies in Piketon, OH. The parties intend to enter into one or more definitive agreements relating to the following collaborative activities addressed in the MOU:
- Oklo would purchase HALEU from the production facility Centrus is planning to build in Piketon, Ohio, which is licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to produce HALEU.
- Centrus would purchase electricity from the Aurora powerhouses that Oklo is planning to build in Piketon. These two power plants are designed to power thousands of homes and businesses in addition to the HALEU production facility. The HALEU production plant is designed to be scaled up to support hundreds of reactors.
- Centrus would manufacture components for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse at Centrus’ advanced manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as well as manufacturing capacity at the American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio, where HALEU production will take place.
- Centrus and Oklo would work together to establish and license the capabilities necessary to deconvert HALEU from uranium hexafluoride to uranium metal and fabricate fuel assemblies for Oklo’s Aurora powerhouses.
Two Plants for Piketon, OH
In February 2024 Oklo announced the signing of a lands right agreement with the non-profit Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) for land including options for the siting of two plants.
This agreement is an extension of Oklo and SODI’s announcement in May 2023, related to the deployment of two Aurora powerhouses. SODI is a nonprofit community improvement corporation and serves as the DOE-designated community reuse organization for the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) facility near Piketon, Ohio.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the land rights agreement and, in exchange for an upfront fee, which will be credited toward any purchase by Oklo under the land rights agreement, SODI has granted Oklo an option and right of first refusal to purchase land in Southern Ohio from SODI.
Oklo aims to build its second and third plants on land owned by SODI. The land will host two commercial 15 MWe Aurora powerhouses (30 MWe total) with opportunities to expand.
According to a company press statement, Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse reactor will cost around $70 million for the 15 MWe version, with levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of somewhere between $80-$130/MWh, depending on use and location.
Other Pending Deals
Oklo formed a strategic partnership with Atomic Alchemy to produce medical isotopes from its recycling of spent fuel process for cancer treatment and diagnostic imaging.
Separately, it signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Wyoming Hyperscale to collaborate on a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to supply 100 MW to its data center expected to be located in Cheyenne, WY.
Also, Oklo signed a non-binding LOI to collaborate on another 20-year PPA with Diamondback Energy to supply power to its shale-oil operations in the Permian Basin Texas.
Funding Status
In May 2024 Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This milestone follows the completion of its business combination with AltC Acquisition Corp. on 05/09/24.
Oklo has received $306 million in gross proceeds from the transaction before taking into account expenses associated with the transaction, which is expected to be used to execute Oklo’s business plan and fund the initial deployment of the company’s Aurora powerhouse. A key company focus is to develop and submit a license application to the NRC and to successfully complete that regulatory process.
Oklo announced its newly appointed board of directors comprised of industry leaders with Sam Altman serving as chairman of the board. Sam Altman, Chairman of Oklo since 2015 and former Chief Executive Officer of AltC, said, “There are huge growth opportunities ahead for the firm.”
NRC Licensing Update
Oklo is engaged with the NRC in pre-application activities interactions for the Oklo Aurora Powerhouse reactor. The proposed Oklo reactors are liquid metal-cooled, metal-fueled fast reactors with an initial power level of 15 MWe. Oklo has promoted the design as being scalable to 50 MWe.
Oklo submitted its latest regulatory engagement plan with the NRC in 3Q2023. However, the firm requested that the details of the plan be restricted from public view due to the proprietary nature of some of the information in it. The NRC’s web pages for the pre-application activity and docket are current as of October 2024.
The NRC has not indicated on its web site a calendar of milestones leading to a date for a license application from the firm which is expected under the agency’s Part 52 licensing regulations. These regulations are applicable to early site permits, design certifications, combined licenses, design approvals, or manufacturing licenses.
& & &
Westinghouse Signs Engineering Contract for AP1000 Reactors in Bulgaria
Westinghouse Electric Company, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. and Bulgaria’s Kozloduy NPP – New Build EAD have signed the Engineering Services Contract for two AP1000 reactors to be built at the Kozloduy site.
The contract scope includes site planning for two Westinghouse AP1000 units. In addition, the contract provides support for Kozloduy NPP – New Build EAD to begin licensing and permitting, while providing critical project planning and operations & maintenance development. The work outlined in the 12-month contract will begin immediately.
Bulgaria’s first AP1000 nuclear reactor is anticipated to achieve commercial operation in 2035. Westinghouse has already signed Memoranda of Understanding with 22 Bulgarian suppliers to support the project. The two-unit Kozloduy project will also provide Bulgarian firms opportunities to support the construction of other AP1000 units globally.
Former minister of energy Rumen Radev has said Bulgaria would like the cost of the two-unit project to not exceed $14 billion (€12.9bn). He added that the idea is to implement the project entirely on public funds with up to 25–30% percent self-financing. The rest is to be loan-financed for part of which Bulgarian State guarantees will be furnished. Minister Radev, has said that the electricity from the new Kozloduy reactors will cost €65/MWh.
According to trade press reports in March 2024, questions were raised about the economic basis for the project. Valentin Kolev, energy analyst and member of the American Association of Energy Engineers, told Euractiv:
“It will be very difficult to find banks to finance the project. If we assume that we will produce 15 terawatt-hours per year, in 20 years of operation, it makes 300 terawatt-hours. At a price of €17.6 billion for the two reactors, a price of close to €60/MWh [megawatt-hour] would result, but this is only the investment. Fuel costs and much more are not included. The price for power cannot be below €100–125.”
He added that cost overruns could push the completed cost of the twin reactors well past the estimated price of €17.6 billion which is €3.6 billion more than the estimate from the number from the energy minsitry. However, of the hypothetical price of $6,500/Kw, a global benchmark, is used, the price of the two reactors, at €14.95 billion comes out much closer to the Energy Ministry’s number.
At the signing ceremony Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov, U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten, Executive Director of Kozloduy NPP – New Build Petyo Ivanov, Senior Vice President of Westinghouse Energy Systems Elias Gedeon, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction President and CEO Yoon Young-Joon attended the signing ceremony in Sofia.
& & &
Great British Nuclear Issues ‘Invitation To Negotiate’ To Four SMR Companies
- A final decision on potential technologies is expected in spring 2025
(NucNet contributed to this report) Great British Nuclear (GBN) has issued an “invitation to negotiate” to the four companies that were chosen for the shortlist of the UK government’s small modular reactor (SMR) selection process.
GBN, the public body set up to drive the delivery of new nuclear energy projects in the UK, said that after these negotiations are concluded, the companies will be invited to submit final tenders, which GBN will then evaluate.
A final decision on which technologies to select will be taken in the spring 2025. GBN has not indicated how much government funding for the first-of-a-kind (FOAK) SMR will be provided or whether it will commit to funding SMRs in “fleet mode” once the FOAK is in revenue service.
Given that none of the four contenders have completed the UK Office of Nuclear Regulation Generic Design Assessment process to license their designs, a timeline for any of the SMR to complete all key milestones and attain being in revenue service extends at least to the end of this decade or into the early 2030s.
For instance, the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) for Rolls-Royce’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) began in 2022 and is projected to span approximately 53 months, aiming for completion in 2026. In a flurry of marketing promises, Rolls-Royce earlier had projected a two-year turnaround. The British bureaucracy won. Construction of the first unit could take three-to-four years.
The good news for Rolls-Royce and its customers is that the firm is planning to build a fleet of 16 of its 470 MWe PWRs which means it is possible the units 5-16 will benefit from factory production economies of scale, a mature supply chain, and experienced workforce.
The other three contenders will have timelines that complete with reactors in revenue service at later dates. Assuming the UK government doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket, at least one more and possibly two of the remaining contenders could create SMR fleets based on their designs.
Current Contenders
The four companies in the process are GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy International, Holtec Britain Ltd, Rolls Royce SMR Ltd and Westinghouse Electric Company UK.
The two companies that were on an initial list of six, but were not included in the list of four, were EDF and US-based NuScale Power.
French state-owned utility and nuclear operator EDF said in July that it had pulled out of the competition after deciding to shift away from its indigenous Nuward technology to a design based on proven light water reactor technology.
The UK government gave no reason for NuScale’s failure to make the list of four. In November 2023, NuScale cancelled its first SMR project, in the US, as costs increased due to inflation.
UK Nuclear Industry Calls For No More Delays
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the London-based Nuclear Industry Association, said that while it is good to see the UK SMR competition reach this stage, what is critical is reaching a decision as soon as possible without any further delays to the now published timeline.
“Confidence in the UK government’s pronouncements on support for SMRs rests on fulfilling commitments made today. It is vital for supply chain confidence as well as driving the wider nuclear ambition.”
Greatrex’s comments reflect the deep frustration the nuclear industry has with the UK government which has repeatedly dithered and delayed its investments decisions in SMRs since first entertaining the concept of SMRs in 2015.
Greatrex called for the government to empower GBN to buy more sites, starting with Heysham, so “we can deliver a fleet of SMRs for clean, reliable, British power and good, skilled jobs.”
& & &
Texas A&M University Proposes Sites for Reactor Test Beds
Up to now several SMR and microreactor developers have set their sights on building their test prototypes and first of a kind (FOAK) plants at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory.
A new opportunity for siting and construction next generation nuclear reactors may become available. This is due to an action by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.
It notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) it has potential sites available at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan, TX, for multiple companies to test and construct the next generation of nuclear reactors. The “test bed” is expected to lead to energy advancements that could provide power to data centers for artificial intelligence and other power-hungry ventures.
The type of reactors that could be tested at Texas A&M-RELLIS are often labeled as “small modular reactors,” or SMRs. They have a footprint that is much smaller than the size of a traditional reactor, and they can produce up to 300MWe per unit, compared with more than 1,000MWe per unit with traditional reactors.
Clarity Needed on Roles, Responsibilities, and Costs of Licensing
In its press statement, Texas A&M said the submission of the letter of intent to the NRC “marks the beginning of a licensing process for the A&M System. Reactor companies will benefit from the A&M System taking on the licensing burden. The result will be a shorter path to getting their reactors up and running.”
It isn’t clear from the press statement what that means as licensing an SMR or a microreactor is an expensive and time consuming undertaking even with recent legislation mandating quicker turnaround times for the process. If the reactors built at the test bed at A&M are expected to eventually produce power, they would have to be licensed under NRC’s Part 52 regulations. The NRC is still at the front end of developing regulations for licensing advanced reactors, the so-called “Part 53 regulations.”
Even just the process of site characterization, e.g., readiness to host an advanced reactor test prototype, would require the NRC’s approval possibly through the early site permit process (ESP). In 2022 the State of Kentucky looked into the idea of preparing generic early site permits as a way to encourage siting of one or more LWRs in the state. The timeline was up to five years and the cost in 2022 was approximately $75 million per ESP. The report concluded that as the State of Kentucky had no prior experience licensing a nuclear reactor, either through an ESP, Part 50, or Part 52, that the timeline would be longer and the costs would be higher.
Image: Kentucky State Government
Lining Up Client Firms for the Program
The Texas A&M press statement says the university recently concluded the process of gathering proposals from nuclear reactor companies that hope to construct reactors at Texas A&M-RELLIS. The university did not name any of the current contenders.
Negotiations related to these proposals are expected to begin soon. Also, there might be additional opportunities for organizations to take advantage of the A&M System’s site for nuclear reactor technology testing and the manufacturing of small modular reactors.
After negotiations are complete, the A&M System will announce which companies will conduct testing and other work at Texas A&M-RELLIS. A timeline for announcing awards was not proved by the university.
Texas Size Ambitions for the Program
John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M System, said “no other entity in the U.S. is further along than the Texas A&M System to provide a location and human resources to get small, modular nuclear reactors online. The test bed for the reactors will support multiple reactors from various companies.”
Sharp also claimed that the Texas A&M System, along with Texas A&M University, is uniquely qualified to take on a venture as ambitious as building, testing and running nuclear reactors. The system’s flagship campus in College Station – just a few miles from the testbed – employs dozens of professors and researchers with nuclear expertise. Plus, Texas A&M University is home to the largest nuclear engineering department of any university in the country.
& & &
World Economic Forum Publishes Framework for Advanced Nuclear Power
(WNN) The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released a framework to help align stakeholders on key actions and strategies to accelerate deployment of small modular reactors and other advanced nuclear technologies.
The report highlights nine priority areas and actions for accelerating the deployment of these technologies. ( full text PDF file )
Image: WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Accenture, has partnered with stakeholders across the nuclear ecosystem – including experts from large energy-consuming industries, financiers, reactor vendors, supply chain businesses, utilities, government organizations, non-profits/NGOs and academia – to develop a Collaborative Framework for Accelerating Advanced Nuclear and Small Modular Reactor Deployment. It is intended to be a coordination tool for stakeholders to align on actions and strategies to accelerate advanced nuclear and SMR deployment.
“The Framework provides a basis for locally led implementation, as priorities will vary across geographies at various stages of nuclear development,” the report says. “It could also apply to other advanced clean energy technologies that require a systemic approach to unlock progress, such as geothermal and long-duration energy storage.”
“The ecosystem for new nuclear comprises a range of stakeholders including technology developers, financial institutions, utilities, large energy consumers and governments. Reaching commercial viability of advanced nuclear and SMRs is dependent on de-risking and improving the economics of projects through purposeful, coordinated action between these stakeholders – beyond anything seen before.”
Regarding the emergence of the advanced nuclear and SMR market, WEF says ecosystem collaboration must facilitate stronger demand signals to stimulate confidence among public and private investors by sharing risks and costs.
Deployment depends on energy policies that address specific challenges, such as improving supply chain stability and creating vehicles for strategic partnerships across ecosystem stakeholders. In addition, regulation needs to be modernised by aligning regulatory bodies to streamline licensing of standard design across countries.
In order to deliver advanced nuclear and SMRs at scale, project deployment must be transformed to enhance rapid delivery of cost-competitive projects through innovative deployment models, modular construction and design for manufacture and assembly, the report says.
Where possible, existing infrastructure should be repurposed and new reactors co-located with current energy systems.
The maturity and scalability of advanced nuclear and SMR technologies should be increased by collaborating with regulators and energy off-takers, as well as by standardizing design.
The nuclear supply chain should also be prepared for large-scale deployment by boosting investment, developing nuclear fuel sources and standardizing components.
Meanwhile, the workforce should be developed by identifying skills gaps, retraining workers from other energy industries, facilitating skills pools and partnerships between industry and educational institutions.
WEF says the financing of advanced nuclear and SMRs needs to be addressed by developing innovative financing mechanisms, leveraging public-private partnerships, reaching target cost levels to attract mainstream investments, and including nuclear in clean investment taxonomies.
The report said small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced nuclear technologies represent clean energy solutions that, when built at scale, could deliver cost-effective carbon-free energy. These technologies are well suited to meet many clean power, heat and clean fuel production use cases for heavy industry, data centers and transport,” the report says. “However, the commercial viability of these technologies needs to be improved.
& & &
IAEA Highlights ‘Pressing Need’ For International Finance For Nuclear Plants
- As climate summit approaches in Azerbaijan, UN atomic agency calls for investment to ‘rapidly increase’
(NucNet) As more than 100 heads of state and government are expected to gather in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for the Cop29 UN climate summit, the International Atomic Energy Agency is hoping that delegates will agree on the pressing need for increased climate finance, including for new nuclear power plants.
As the world grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change, IAEA director-general Rafael Grossi will join global leaders at Cop29 – formally known as the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – to highlight what he called “the vast potential” of nuclear solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation and monitoring.
The IAEA said a central theme of Cop29 will be the pressing need for increased climate finance.
A UN report released last month indicates that current policies and investments fall far short of what is needed to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C in this century, the target of the Paris Agreement signed at Cop21 in 2016.
In its own report last month the IAEA said investment in nuclear power must rapidly increase to $125 billion (€115bn) a year by 2030 meet global climate targets.
The IAEA said it will showcase nuclear solutions for climate action in some 40 events at Cop29, which will take place from the 11th to 22nd of November. The agency’s Atoms4Climate pavilion will feature an exhibit on nuclear applications, with IAEA experts ready to answer questions about how nuclear energy contributes to net-zero emissions and how nuclear science can address climate-related challenges to food security, water resources and ocean health.
The agency wants Cop29 to build on the global consensus that emerged at Cop28 in Dubai, where 22 countries signed a pledge to triple nuclear generation capacity by 2050 from a base year of 2020. Also at Cop28, the agreed deal recognised the need to accelerate nuclear energy as a key approach for a deep, rapid and sustained reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Cop29 also follows on the first Nuclear Energy Summit, hosted in Brussels by the IAEA and the government of Belgium in March, where leaders from more than 30 countries reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions and meet development goals.
“At Cop28, the world agreed nuclear power must be part of the transition to net zero,” said Grossi. “We know investment in nuclear power can lower grid costs and speed up the deployment of intermittent clean-energy sources like wind and solar.
“As the world moves from consensus to construction, the IAEA supports newcomer countries in establishing safe, secure, safeguarded and sustainable nuclear power programs.”
Grossi will co-host a high-level event with the US on small modular reactors (SMRs), which offer flexible, cost-effective options for powering small energy grids, making them suitable for developing countries, as well as energy-intensive industries, data centers and even commercial ships.
Governments Need To Play A Role
The IAEA wants governments to play a role in ensuring financing availability for nuclear power projects. This includes providing loan guarantees, subsidies, and regulatory support to attract private investors. Public-private partnerships are seen as a potential model for distributing financial risks while making nuclear energy projects more bankable.
Despite private investors having been “historically averse” to nuclear energy projects due to their specific risks, various financial instruments can help mitigate these risks and make nuclear ventures more appealing to private capital.
Government backing can also come though export credit agencies, with export credit having become increasingly important for all parties involved in nuclear energy projects, the IAEA said.
Innovative financing mechanisms, including green bonds and sustainable finance, could also be used to unlock the required capital. The inclusion of nuclear energy in sustainable investment taxonomies, such as in the European Union, is seen as a potential catalyst for drawing commercial banks into the sector.
# # #
https://neutronbytes.com/2024/11/09/oklo-clears-environmental-review-at-inl/
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DATE: May 14, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Brain cells store competing memories that drive or suppress alcohol relapse
URL: https://www.psypost.org/brain-cells-store-competing-memories-that-drive-or-suppress-alcohol-relapse/
A new study published in the journal Neuron provides evidence that the brain stores competing memories of alcohol use and the recovery from it within distinct networks of the same type of brain cell. The research suggests that the memory driving a return to drinking and the memory suppressing it exist side by side, competing for control over a person’s behavior. These findings offer a nuanced understanding of how addiction persists and point toward potential new ways to improve treatments for alcohol use disorder.
Addiction occurs when addictive substances hijack normal learning processes, leading to the formation of powerful memories that link certain actions and environments with the drug. Behavioral therapies, such as extinction training, attempt to reduce the urge to seek alcohol by repeatedly exposing individuals to drug-related cues without providing the alcohol reward. However, the clinical impact of these therapies tends to be limited because scientists do not fully understand the physical cellular structures that hold these opposing memories.
“Relapse is one of the most difficult challenges in alcohol use disorder, even after long periods of abstinence or treatment,” said Jun Wang, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the Texas AM University Health Science Center’s College of Medicine. “Alcohol-associated cues and contexts can trigger powerful memories that drive renewed alcohol seeking. We wanted to understand where relapse-related memories are stored in the brain, and how extinction training reduces alcohol-seeking behavior by erasing the original alcohol memory or by creating a competing memory that suppresses relapse.”
Memories are thought to be physically stored in the brain through specific groups of cells called engrams. An engram is a physical change in the brain that represents a memory. It consists of a specific network of brain cells that activate together when an experience happens, and when the brain recalls that memory, the same group of cells fires again. Past research on engrams has mostly focused on fear learning in other parts of the brain, meaning less is known about the engrams that store habits and voluntary actions related to addictive substances.
The researchers designed the study to test whether the memories for alcohol use and the memories for extinction are stored in separate areas or within the same cell populations. They focused on a brain region called the dorsomedial striatum, which helps control goal-directed behaviors. Within this region, they examined a specific type of cell known as direct-pathway medium spiny neurons.
“We were surprised to find that these opposing memories were encoded within the same genetically defined cell type, direct-pathway medium spiny neurons, rather than being separated simply by different neuron types,” Wang said. “Traditionally, many models emphasize broad distinctions between direct- and indirect-pathway neurons, but our findings show that even within one cell type, distinct neuronal ensembles can have very different, even opposite, behavioral functions.”
The scientists conducted a series of experiments using genetically modified mice. They placed the mice in specialized testing boxes equipped with levers and lights. The mice learned that pressing an active lever three times would deliver a small amount of a twenty percent alcohol solution, which was accompanied by a specific tone and a yellow light. After several weeks of this training, the mice underwent nine days of extinction training, where pressing the lever no longer provided the alcohol or the cues.
To track the memory cells, the researchers used a specialized genetic tagging technique. They injected a drug that allowed them to permanently label the specific brain cells that were active either during the initial alcohol learning or during the later extinction training. Following the training phases, the researchers tested groups of four to seven mice to see which memory cells were reactivated during a simulated relapse event.
They found that the brain cells tagged during the initial alcohol learning were highly reactivated when the mice experienced the cues associated with alcohol. The cells tagged during extinction training were not reactivated during this simulated relapse, which provides evidence that alcohol use and extinction training recruit different sets of the same type of brain cell.
The researchers then looked at where these specific cell groups were located within the dorsomedial striatum. This brain region is divided into two distinct areas: the matrix, which generally promotes action, and the striosome, which generally discourages action. By analyzing brain tissue samples, the scientists found that the cells linked to extinction memories were heavily clustered in the striosome areas. These extinction-related cells strongly inhibited dopamine-producing neurons, which helps suppress the urge to seek alcohol. In contrast, the cells linked to alcohol use were spread broadly across the matrix and promoted reward-seeking behavior.
To test whether these distinct groups of cells actively control behavior, the researchers used a technique that allows them to turn specific neurons on or off using custom-made chemicals. They injected viral vectors into the brains of the mice, which safely delivered genetic instructions causing the tagged memory cells to produce specialized receptors. The researchers then injected a chemical that binds to these receptors to either turn the cells on or off.
In tests involving groups of seven to sixteen mice, the authors found that turning off the alcohol-learning cells successfully suppressed the simulated relapse. Activating the extinction-learning cells also reduced the animals’ attempts to seek alcohol. The scientists repeated these tests using sucrose instead of alcohol and found no effect. This suggests these particular memory cells are specific to alcohol and do not generalize to natural rewards.
The authors also wanted to understand exactly how the brain physicalizes the memory of alcohol use. Learning changes the brain by strengthening the synapses, which are the connections between different brain cells. The researchers focused on the connections coming from the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area involved in complex decision-making. By taking electrical recordings from dozens of individual neurons across multiple mice, they found that alcohol use caused a long-lasting strengthening of the synapses connecting the medial prefrontal cortex to the specific cells involved in alcohol learning.
To see if this strengthened connection was the actual memory, the scientists used a technique that controls brain cells with light. They introduced light-sensitive proteins into the brain cells of a new group of mice, numbering seven to eleven per group, that had never consumed alcohol. By shining a specific wavelength of light into the brain through tiny optical fibers, the scientists forced the neurons to fire and strengthened their connections artificially.
This artificial stimulation was paired with specific lights and sounds in the testing chamber. Later, when the researchers played the lights and sounds again, the mice began pressing the lever as if they were seeking alcohol. This suggests that the researchers successfully created an artificial memory of alcohol relapse simply by strengthening a specific brain connection. The authors also replicated these behavioral findings in a small group of rats to ensure the results were not unique to mice.
“One important aspect of the study is that we were able to identify not only the neurons associated with alcohol relapse and extinction, but also a synaptic mechanism that helps store relapse-related memory,” Wang said. “Specifically, we found that communication from the medial prefrontal cortex to striatal neurons was strengthened after alcohol self-administration, and experimentally mimicking this strengthening was sufficient to drive relapse-like behavior. This provides evidence that alcohol-related memories can be physically embedded in specific brain connections.”
“The main takeaway is that relapse and recovery-related learning are not only abstract psychological processes; they are represented by specific groups of neurons in the brain,” Wang explained. “We found that two opposing alcohol-related memories, one that promotes relapse and one that suppresses alcohol seeking after extinction, can be encoded within the same broad type of striatal neuron. This suggests that recovery may depend not only on weakening relapse-driving circuits, but also on strengthening the brain circuits that support extinction and behavioral control.”
While the study provides a detailed look at how the brain stores alcohol-related memories, there are some limitations to consider. The timeline of alcohol exposure in the study was relatively short compared to human addiction, which tends to develop over years. It is possible that the physical nature of these memories changes over longer periods of chronic alcohol use.
“An important caveat is that this study was conducted in mouse models of alcohol self-administration, extinction, and relapse-like behavior,” Wang noted. “These models capture important aspects of alcohol seeking and relapse, but they do not fully reproduce the complexity of human alcohol use disorder. We also do not want readers to interpret the findings as meaning that relapse is controlled by a single brain region or a simple ‘on/off switch.’ Rather, our study identifies one specific circuit and cellular mechanism that contributes to alcohol-related memory and relapse-like behavior.”
Current medical treatments cannot selectively erase or enhance specific memory cells in human patients. However, understanding that recovery involves strengthening a competing extinction memory gives researchers a new conceptual target. Future therapeutic strategies might focus on finding medications or brain stimulation techniques that specifically boost the extinction memory network to help prevent relapse.
“Our long-term goal is to understand how maladaptive alcohol memories are formed, stored, retrieved, and suppressed at the level of specific brain circuits,” Wang said. “We are particularly interested in identifying mechanisms that could selectively weaken relapse-promoting memory circuits or strengthen extinction-related circuits. In the long run, this type of work may help guide new strategies to improve the durability of behavioral therapies and reduce relapse risk.”
The study, “Dual-engram architecture within a single striatal cell type distinctly controls alcohol relapse and extinction,” was authored by Xueyi Xie, Yufei Huang, Ruifeng Chen, Zhenbo Huang, Himanshu Gangal, Ziyi Li, Jiayi Lu, Adelis M. Cruz, Anita Chaiprasert, Emily Yu, Nicholas Hernandez, Valerie Vierkant, Runmin Wang, Xuehua Wang, Rachel J. Smith, and Jun Wang.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/brain-cells-store-competing-memories-that-drive-or-suppress-alcohol-relapse/
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We start from the electron mass and each increment is greater than the previous one, there is no way to refine the result by playing on the number of iterations.
Only uses universal constants are used in the calculation. Check it.
You won't come out of this reading unscathed !
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- DOE Its Opens Checkbook to Four Firms for HALEU Contracts
- Urenco Signs Enrichment Contract With French HTGR Developer Jimmy
- Tokamak Energy Gives Details of Its Pilot Fusion Energy Plant Design
- U Michigan Opens $35M Center for Nuclear Powered Space Propulsion
DOE Opens Its Checkbook to Four Firms for HALEU Contracts
- DOE Awards $2.7 billion to Four Firms for HALEU Production Contracts
- Selected companies can compete for work to provide enrichment services to produce fuel for advanced reactors
Four companies have been awarded contracts funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, creating strong competition and allowing DOE to select the firms that are the best fit for future work.
All contracts will last for up to 10 years and each firm winning a contract under the program will receive a minimum of $2 million. A total of $2.7 billion is available for these services, subject to congressional appropriations.
Selected companies include:
- Louisiana Energy Services (Urenco USA)
- Orano Federal Services
- General Matter
- American Centrifuge Operating (Centrus)
Asides from the usual business related press statements expected from an award of this magnitude, the four firms has little to say, for obvious competitive reasons, about how they will ramp up their operations to compete for pieces of DOE’s$2.7 billion pie.
The HALEU that DOE acquires through these contracts, in the form of UF6, will be used to support reactors like those under development through DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program—TerraPower’s Natrium reactor and X-energy’s Xe-100.
How Much HALEU is Needed and How Much Will These Contracts Produce?
Under these four contracts, selected companies will bid on future work to produce and store HALEU in the form of uranium hexafluoride gas to eventually be made into fuel for advanced reactors. Under separate contracts to some of these same firms DOE will issue production orders for deconversion and fuel fabrication into uranium oxide or uranium metal fuels.
According to the HALEU Availability Program DOE projects that more than 40 metric tons of HALEU will be needed by 2030 with additional as yet unspecified amounts which will required each year thereafter to deploy a new fleet of advanced reactors in a timeframe that supports the Administration’s 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Additional demand numbers will be gathered through the surveys required by the Energy Act of 2020 and interactions with the members of the HALEU Consortium. Its members, which include TerraPower, X-Energy, BWXT, and other developers of advanced reactors, are all targeting electrical generation power levels near or below 300MWe either as single units or in multiples of units of smaller capacity.
Demand for HALEU will depend on the success of advanced reactor developers to license their designs at the NRC and to convince customers to place orders for multiple units in “fleet mode” in order to realize the economies of scale of factory production of nuclear reactors. which fit the IAEA definition of small modular reactors.
DOE says it is track to demonstrate domestic production at the Centrus enrichment facility in Piketon, OH. The demonstration is expected to produce a 900 kilogram/year production rate starting in 2024 to address near-term HALEU needs for fuel qualification testing and DOE-supported advanced reactor demonstration projects.
This number means that to meet DOE’s target of delivering 40 metric tonnes of HALEU by 2030, the four contracts will have to produce 39 metric tonnes over the next five years or, on average, eight metric tonnes/year, and, on average, leaving aside the actual production capacity of each contractor, two metric tonnes of HALEU per contractor per year which is twice the amount Centrus is tasked by DOE to product this year.
About DOE’s HALEU Programs
HALEU is uranium enriched between 5% and 19.5% U235, which increases the amount of fissile material to make the fuel more efficient relative to lower-enriched forms of uranium. Many advanced reactors will use HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies.
Advanced nuclear reactors are key to our nation’s clean energy future and meeting our nation’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals. The United States currently lacks commercial HALEU enrichment capabilities to support the deployment of advanced reactors.
These contracts support the buildout of a robust HALEU supply chain in the United States and complement last week’s announcement of contracts to support HALEU deconversion services. The HALEU enrichment/acquisition RFP is focused on mining/milling, conversion, enrichment, and storage activities. Whereas the second RFP is for HALEU deconversion from uranium hexafluoride gas to metal or oxide forms, as well as transport to deconversion site(s), if needed, and storage.
& & &
Urenco Signs Enrichment Contract With French HTGR Developer Jimmy
- French company’s microreactor design will use TRISO fuel
(NucNet) Anglo-German-Dutch uranium enrichment company Urenco has signed a contract with France-based nuclear technology developer Jimmy to supply low-enriched uranium plus (LEU+) for its high-temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) micro reactor development project.
Urenco said in a statement that a first delivery is to be made in 2026 from Urenco’s US plant site in Eunice, New Mexico.
Jimmy says it designs reactors that provide industrial heat as an alternative to fossil fuels in support of decarbonization efforts. Jimmy’s proposed 20-MWt microreactor design will use tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel.
According to Urenco, Jimmy’s design will initially use LEU+ with plans to move to high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel once it is available.
“This announcement marks the second advanced fuels contract for Urenco, showing the market is starting to gather momentum,” said Magnus Mori, head of market development and technical sales at Urenco.
In November 2023, Canada’s Ontario Power Generation chose Urenco to provide uranium enrichment services required to fuel up to four first-of-a-kind GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor plants at the Darlington site in Ontario.
Urenco has been investing in the expansion of its enrichment capacity, with projects announced in the US, the UK, and the Netherlands.
LEU+ refers to uranium enriched between 5% and 10% U-235, while Haleu has a higher enrichment level of 10% to 20%, with both fuel types being crucial for next-generation nuclear technologies.
Urenco expects to be able to supply HALEU to its advanced reactor customers in the early 2030s. In May 2024, the UK government announced it will provide funding to Urenco to build a dedicated HALEU facility at its Capenhurst site in northern England.
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Tokamak Energy Gives Details of Its Pilot Fusion Energy Plant Design
(WNN) Tokamak Energy, a UK-based company, gave first details of a high-field spherical tokamak plant “capable of generating 800 MW of fusion power and 85 MW of net electricity” as part of the USA’s Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy program.
Tokamak Energy says that the aim is for the pilot fusion energy plant to be operational by the mid-2030s and gave details of the emerging design at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics in held Atlanta, Georgia earlier this month.
The company says “initial designs are for the tokamak to have an aspect ratio of 2.0, plasma major radius of 4.25 meters and a magnetic field of 4.25 Tesla, as well as a liquid lithium tritium breeding blanket”. It will include a new generation set of high temperature superconducting magnets “to confine and control the deuterium and tritium hydrogen fuel in a plasma many times hotter than the center of the sun”.
Tokamak Energy was spun out of the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in 2009. It announced in February last year it was to build a prototype spherical tokamak, the ST80-HTS, at the UKAEA’s Culham Campus, near Oxford, England, by 2026.
The objectives of the projects are;
- to demonstrate the full potential of high temperature superconducting magnets”
- to inform the design of its fusion pilot plant, to demonstrate the capability to deliver electricity into the grid in the 2030s,
- support the aim of producing globally deployable 500-megawatt commercial plants.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Bold Decadal Vision aims to use public-private partnerships to accelerate fusion energy research and development to “enable commercially relevant fusion pilot plants” and demonstrate an operating fusion pilot plant, led by the private sector, in the 2030s.
Tokamak Energy, which became the first private firm to reach a plasma temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, already has links with US national laboratories and universities and has had seven previous awards through the US Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program. Last June it signed the agreement, as one of eight firms taking part in the DOE’s $46 million milestone-based fusion development program.
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U Michigan Opens $35M Center for Nuclear Powered Space Propulsion
To develop spacecraft that can “maneuver without regret,” the U.S. Space Force is providing $35 million to a national research team led by the University of Michigan. It will be the first to bring fast chemical rockets together with efficient electric propulsion powered by a nuclear microreactor.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. will design a new lightweight microreactor while engineers at U-M will build a heat source that can mimic its output to test the other components of the power and space nuclear propulsion system.
The newly formed Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience Institute involves eight universities and 14 industry partners and advisers in one of the nation’s largest efforts to advance space power and propulsion, a critical need for national defense and space exploration.
Right now, most spacecraft propulsion comes in one of two forms: chemical rockets, which provide a lot of thrust but burn through fuel quickly, or electric propulsion powered by solar panels, which is slow and cumbersome but fuel-efficient. Chemical propulsion comes with the highest risk of regret, as fuel is limited. But in some situations, such as when a collision is imminent, speed may be necessary.
Meanwhile, electric propulsion could be much faster, such as a 100-kilowatt Hall thruster built at U-M. The problem is finding the power to run these thrusters.
“The space station generates about 100 kilowatts of power, but the solar arrays are the size of a couple of football fields, and this is too large for some of the power-hungry applications that are of interest to the Space Force,” said Benjamin Jorns, U-M associate professor of aerospace engineering and institute director.
To power faster, efficient electric propulsion, one sub-team is developing a concept for a nuclear microreactor, exploring the early feasibility of a new path for safe, reliable and sustainable nuclear power for space. Others will build technologies to turn the heat from a microreactor into usable electricity, and electric engines to turn the electricity into thrust. The propulsion system design includes a chemical rocket for quick maneuvers.
While chemical rockets need fuel to burn, electric propulsion needs propellant to accelerate. Both generate thrust by shooting out material opposite the direction of travel. Electric thrusters strip electrons off the propellant atoms—turning them into ions—and use electric fields to accelerate them to extremely high speeds. To simplify refueling, the team is trying to demonstrate fuels that can be used to drive the chemical rocket, and which are also effective propellant for electric propulsion.
Two teams will explore how to extract the thermal energy as electricity. U-M and Spark Thermionics will investigate thermionic emission cells, which take advantage of the difference between the heat of the reactor and the cold of space to help drive an electrical current. Another U-M team will pair with Antora Energy to implement thermal photovoltaics, like solar cells that turn heat into electricity.
Cornell University, Advanced Cooling Technologies and Ultramet will design lightweight panels that can extract waste heat and radiate it out into space, as the reactor will produce more energy than either conversion approach can realistically use. The University of Wisconsin, U-M and Cislunar Industries will design a power processing module that will convert the electricity extracted from the microreactor so that it can meet the high power demands of the electric engine.
Subteams will explore three different styles of electric propulsion:
- the Hall thruster (Jorns’ team at U-M),
- the applied-field magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (Princeton University and Champaign Urbana Aerospace) and
- the electron cyclotron resonance thruster (University of Washington and NuWaves Inc.).
Any of these thrusters will rely on a module that turns the propellant into a gas, developed by Western Michigan University and Champaign Urbana Aerospace, and a cathode to prevent the spacecraft from accumulating an electric charge by neutralizing the propellant, developed by Colorado State University.
A new concept for a chemical rocket will be developed by U-M and Pennsylvania State University. Benchmark Space Systems will provide an already developed commercial system for a proof-of-concept test.
The project will be supported with computer modeling and experimental diagnostics developed by U-M, Cornell, Colorado State and the University of Colorado. Analytical Mechanics Associates will assess the full system.
Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and Aerospace Corp. form the advisory board.
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https://neutronbytes.com/2024/10/19/doe-opens-its-checkbook-to-four-firms-for-haleu-contracts/
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Terrestrial Energy Goes Public With Gain of $280M
- Terrestrial Energy Goes Public with Net of $280 Million
- SMR Developers Get Ready to Submit License Applications to NRC
- DOE Re-Issues $900 Million Solicitation For SMRs
- INL Seeks Industry Sponsors for $5-10 Million to Invest in Nuclear Startups
Terrestrial Energy Goes Public with Net of $280 Million
- Terrestrial Energy merged with a special acquisition company
- The firm expects to net $280 million from the deal
The combined entity of Terrestrial Energy and HCM II Acquisition Corp expects to list on Nasdaq under the symbol ISMR. Proceeds will be used to accelerate commercial deployment of Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR technology and to pay transaction expenses. Prior to the SPAC merger, Terrestrial Energy had raised $94 million, according to PitchBook.
The ticker IMSR is a reference to Terrestrial Energy’s design of small modular reactor (SMR), which it calls an integral molten salt reactor. The startup is targeting a range of markets, including electric power, data centers, and industrial applications that require process heat.
The transaction will provide approximately $280 million in gross proceeds consisting of $50 million in common stock PIPE commitments at $10.00 per share from new non-affiliated fundamental institutional investors, and approximately $230 million of cash held in HCM II Acquisition Corp.’s (HCM II) trust account before potential redemption.
HCM II Acquisition Corp. (HCM II) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. HCM II’s Class A ordinary shares and warrants are listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbols “HOND” and “HONDW”, respectively.
HCM II’s management team is led by Shawn Matthews, its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Steven Bischoff, its President and Chief Financial Officer. HCM II’s Board of Directors includes Andrew Brenner, Michael J. Connor and Jacob Loveless.
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is acting as exclusive capital markets advisor and sole PIPE placement agent. King & Spalding LLP is acting as legal advisor to HCM II. Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP is acting as legal advisor to Terrestrial Energy. DLA Piper LLP (US) acted as legal counsel to the placement agent, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co.
Key Markets for the IMSR
Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR plant technology is focused on several growth sectors, including data center power supply, industrial heat and power, grid power, and the production of advanced low-carbon fuels and materials.
The company has multiple partnerships and agreements with Westinghouse Fuels, Energy Solutions, Schneider Electric, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Argonne National Laboratory, among others.
Texas A&M University recently selected Terrestrial Energy to partner on the construction of a commercial IMSR plant at the Texas A&M RELLIS campus, contributing to the university’s goal of achieving 1 GW of generating capacity at the site by the mid-2030s.
https://youtu.be/ncKGUj6FN1E?feature=shared
Progress with Canadian and US Nuclear Regulatory Agencies
In 2023 the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) completed its programmatic Vendor Design Review of the IMSR plant design, the first Generation IV reactor design to complete Canada’s CNSC Vendor Design Review, and a historic industry first for a nuclear plant powered with molten salt reactor technology.
The company’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) engagement commenced in 2016 and includes a successful inter-agency joint review of the IMSR technology under a CNSC-U.S. NRC Memorandum of Cooperation and concurrent with the CNSC’s completion of the Vendor Design Review.
About Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR
Terrestrial Energy’s reactor core is designed to be entirely replaced every seven years, in part to head off some of the problems earlier molten salt reactors experienced like corrosion. The reactor core includes not only the fuel and graphite modulators that regulate the speed of the fission reactions, but also the heat exchangers and pumps that keep the salt cool and flowing.
The company’s IMSR plant design, consisting of two operating IMSRs, has an 822 MWth / 390 MWe capacity. Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR technology is differentiated from legacy nuclear technology through its use of molten salt reactor technology, which offers high efficiency and inherently safe operation.
Terrestrial Energy’s IMSR plants are designed to make use of low-cost, readily available Standard-Assay Low Enriched Uranium (LEU enriched to under 5% U235) fuel, enabling secure and scalable fuel supply chains necessary for widespread fleet deployment.
Terrestrial Energy believes the use of LEU fuel is a key competitive advantage given significant challenges to the commercial supply of High-Assay Low- Enriched Uranium (HALEU is enriched to between 15% and 20% U235) due to geopolitical tensions.
There are many proposals to build commercial-scale molten salt reactors, but to date, none has been built. The basic technology was invented in the 1950s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. However, these designs did not proceed to commercial implementation.
Terrestrial Energy isn’t the first SMR startup to use a SPAC — Sam Altmans Oklo completed its deal in 2024. However, X-Energy exited a SPAC deal shortly after the termination of NuScale’s project in Idaho and reverted to being a privately held company.
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SMR Developers Get Ready to Submit License Applications to NRC
(WNN) Oklo Inc and Deep Atomic Inc are preparing pre-application engagements with with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for their respective projects: Oklo Inc is engaging with the regulator ahead of an application to construct and operate an Aurora Powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory, while Deep Atomic is planning to apply for design certification of its MK60 small modular reactor.
NRC pre-application activities mainly occur through three processes: white papers/technical reports, topical reports, and readiness assessments. These documents request NRC feedback on technical, programmatic, regulatory, or administrative topics that may involve challenging issues, describe new/novel approaches, involve policy issues that require Commission involvement, or are technical areas that applicant/vendors have little experience.
SMR Developers Engage With US Regulators
NRC policy regulating advanced nuclear reactors encourages potential applicants to engage with its staff “early and often” in the design process to help minimize complexity and add stability and predictability in the licensing and regulation process.
Oklo is engaging with the NRC through a Pre-Application Readiness Assessment for the combined license application (COLA) it intends to submit later this year. The readiness assessment allows NRC staff to review and familiarize themselves with Oklo’s licensing materials ahead of the full application so that both sides can prepare for an efficient and cost-effective review
The Readiness Assessment will begin later this month, and will address the content of the first phase of Oklo’s COLA submission, which will include information on the siting and environmental portions of the application. Oklo plans to submit a formal COLA later this year, with plans for follow on-applications for an order pipeline of 14 GW.
The Aurora powerhouse is a fast neutron reactor capable of producing electricity – up to 50 MWe – or heat. Oklo received a site use permit from the US Department of Energy in 2019 to build and operate a prototype reactor at Idaho National Laboratory and is working towards site characterization for the first-of-a-kind plant.
The firm plans to submit its combined license application after 10/01/25 which is the date at which the NRC’s planned 55% hourly reduction in fees takes place for applications by developers of advanced reactors.
Oklo’s first reactor, which is to be built at a site on the Idaho National Laboratory, will use HALEU fuel derived from the EBR II project. While there is enough for a first fuel loading, like other advanced reactors developers, the firm is facing a challenge to secure enough fuel for future new builds especially at multi-unit sites supporting data centers.
It will be 2030 or later before production of HALEU fuel by US suppliers is up to speed. Oklo noted in the investor briefing that it is also building a spent fuel recycling facility and fuel fabrication plant at the Idaho lab which will provide the fuel for its commercial installations.
Oklo said in an investor briefing last week that it has expanded the power rating of its advanced reactor to 75 MW to meet requirements for power by large data center customers. The firm said in the briefing the change will take place, “without any notable technical, design, or regulatory complexities.”
The firm’s ambitions to build out 14 GW of power for multiple customers translates into about 190 of the 75 MW units. The firm’s business model is one of build, own, and operate the reactors at customer sites. Each reactor the firm builds and operates becomes a continuous revenue stream for the firm. The firm said in its briefing that the larger reactor design is more fuel efficient and allows its customers to achieve needed electrical generation with fewer reactors.
Deep Atomic Design certification
Deep Atomic formally notified the NRC in a letter dated 03/01/25 of its intent to begin the Pre-Application Process for the Design Certification of its MK60 SMR. The MK60 SMR uses pressurized light water reactor technology, and is designed to produce 60 MW of electricity. It is specifically intended to cater for data centers. The Zurich, Switzerland-headquartered company says its target date for the project (series manufacturing) is the fourth quarter of 2029.
“We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the NRC to ensure a transparent, efficient, and thorough review process throughout all stages of the licensing process,” Deep Atomic CEO William Theron said in the letter to the NRC.
Deep Atomic initiated the consultation with the NRC in October last year. It aims to submit its regulatory engagement plan this coming July and the design certification application by the fourth quarter of 2027. It told the NRC that it also intends to submit an application for an Early Site Permit – which certifies that a site is suitable for the construction of a nuclear power plant from the point of view of site safety, environmental impact and emergency planning – by the fourth quarter of 2027, but without naming a proposed site. Eventually, the firm will have to select a location for the ESP.
Deep Atomic recently issued a white paper on its vision for co-location of SMRs at data centers to provide a fully integrated, optimized power and cooling generation solution. The company says it views the data center and the SMR as parts of one integrated system rather than two separate entities.
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DOE Re-Issues $900 Million Solicitation For Generation III+ SMRs
(NucNet) The US Department of Energy (DOE) on 03/24/25 re-issued a $900m (€831m) solicitation to support the deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactors (SMRs). The re-issued solicitation specifies light-water reactor (LWR) technologies.
Among the changes, “all community benefits requirements, and related elements, have been removed from the solicitation.” The previous solicitation required a community benefit plan that considered four factors: local engagement, alignment of community benefits with community priorities, quality local jobs, and support for underrepresented groups. The previous solicitation put 20% of the evaluation for a funding award on these factors.
The original solicitation was issued in October 2024. The new solicitation has the objective of achieving “grid-scale deployment of “domestic Gen III+ SMR technologies that are reliable, able to be licensed, commercially viable, and have a demonstrated path towards a multi-reactor order book.”
Three Applicants Likely Among Others
While the solicitation is open to all comers, three applicants to the previous RFP are likely submit bids for this one. They include;
Constellation had teamed with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to support an early site permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for one or more advanced nuclear reactors at the Nine Mile Point site in upstate New York.
TVA applied to “accelerate construction of an SMR at TVA’s Clinch River Project, in Oak Ridge, TN,, by two years—with commercial operation planned for 2033.” The selected SMR is the GE-Hitachi BWRX-300.
TVA’s partners include Bechtel, BWX Technologies, Duke Energy, the Electric Power Research Institute, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Indiana Michigan Power, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Sargent & Lundy, Scot Forge, and North American Forgemasters.
Arizona Public Service had partnered with the Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power. It focused on site selection efforts with a site picked by the end of the decade and having an SMR in revenue service in the early 2040s.
DOE’s Risk Reduction Strategy
The DOE said the re-issued solicitation offers funding to de-risk the deployment of Generation III+ light-water small modular reactors through two tiers.
Tier 1 will provide up to $800 million to support up to two “first mover” teams of utility, reactor vendor, constructor, and end-users or off-takers committed to deploying a first plant and developing a multi-reactor, Generation III+ SMR order book.
Tier 2 will provide approximately $100 million to spur additional Generation III+ SMR deployments by addressing key gaps that have hindered the domestic nuclear industry in areas such as design, licensing, supply chain, and site preparation.
Why DOE Wants SMRs
The DOE said US electricity demand is forecast to soar in the coming years driven by consumer needs, data center growth, increased AI use, and the industrial sector’s need for constant power.
SMRs could provide reliable power for these energy-intensive sectors, with the added benefit of flexible deployment thanks to their compact size and modular design.
Light-water SMRs could also make use of the existing service and supply chain, including LEU fuel, e.g., less than 5% U235, supporting the country’s current fleet of LWRs. This would help speed up the near-term deployment of new nuclear reactors, the DOE said.
Generation III+ plants incorporate passive safety features which require no active controls. They can shut down safely in an emergency without the need for operator action or electronic feedback. There is no precise definition of Generation III+, but full size plants already in operation that include Generation III+ features include the Westinghouse AP1000, Areva’s EPR and Russia’s VVER 1200. Many generation III+ SMR plants, e.g, less than 300 MW, are under development by multiple developers, but none are yet in operation.
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Idaho National Laboratory Seeks Industry Sponsors for $5-10 Million to Invest in Nuclear Startups
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is seeking an industry sponsor to invest $5 million to $10 million in a privately funded innovation incubator. This program will combine the power of a national laboratory with private sector commercialization knowledge to unleash breakthrough innovations by finding and supporting promising startups in the areas of nuclear energy, integrated energy systems, cybersecurity and advanced materials.
The innovation incubator seeks to provide seed-stage startups aligned with the private sector sponsor’s strategic investment priorities with access to INL’s world-class facilities and technical expertise, which can de-risk and advance their innovations. This is a unique opportunity to support promising startups and be at the forefront of innovation.
INL and the private sector sponsor will jointly issue nationwide calls for entrepreneurs and startups to identify American technologies and talent. This effort will develop and narrow into a small cohort of top candidates who will be selected for investment. The incubator provides the private sector sponsor with direct access to a pipeline of innovation at a fraction of the cost of conventional acquisition. Sponsor benefits include:
Pipeline to innovation: The incubator delivers a turnkey source of cutting-edge American innovation in the private sector sponsor’s areas of strategic interest, providing valuable new growth opportunities.
Technology de-risking: National laboratory scientists and laboratory capabilities that provide unparalleled technical due diligence for identified opportunities and subsequent acceleration of technology advancement, resulting in opportunities that are substantially de-risked.
Publicity for advancing American innovation: Partnering with INL adds credibility, goodwill and visibility to the private sector sponsor’s investments, demonstrating viable leadership in technical innovation.
Interested industry sponsors can contact [email protected] for more information.
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