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SLAC vandalism triggers FBI investigation

FBI, San Mateo County officials probe weekend incident, which ruined 3,500 protein samples

An act of vandalism at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory over the weekend that left thousands of protein samples thawing to their destruction has prompted an FBI investigation.

Rob Brown, the Menlo Park laboratory's communications director, said about 3,500 samples were destroyed on July 18 or 19 when someone removed them from their liquid-nitrogen storage units and left them thawing on the counter. The ruined samples were submitted to the laboratory by the Joint Center for Structural Genomics, a federally funded research institute based in San Diego County. Brown estimated the damage to be greater than $500,000.

Lab officials discovered the vandalism Monday morning, when SLAC employees arrived to work, Brown said. The vandals also left Post-It notes on the counter, but Brown couldn't say what, if anything, was written on these notes.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office investigated the scene before handing it off to the FBI, said Detective Sgt. Lisa Gibbons from the sheriff's office. Gibbons said this was the first incident of vandalism at SLAC that she could recall.

"It's not your garden-variety vandalism case," Gibbons said.

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A spokesperson from the FBI's San Francisco office declined to comment on the investigation and the agency's possible involvement with it.

Brown said the laboratory has "many thousands" of frozen specimens in its Menlo Park facility. The ruined samples, he said, represent a very small fraction of the laboratory's collection.

The laboratory is home to the Stanford Synchotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), which uses intense beams of X-ray radiation to examine materials on a molecular level. The machine -- which resembles a ring with booths around it -- attracts a wide variety of visitors and researchers, Brown said.

"This SSRL is really used by people from all over the world," Brown said. "They don't just come here to study the samples, they also submit samples to us."

The protein samples are stored in tiny, teardrop-shaped containers with a tail end. The robot picks up each sample by the long end and transfers it to the light beam for examination, Brown said. These containers are stored in cassettes, with each cassette including about 100 samples.

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Investigators were reviewing their laboratory's logs earlier this week to find who has been visiting the laboratory over the weekend, Brown said. He said authorities are trying to determine whether the vandal was someone within the laboratory or a visitor. He said it didn't appear as if anything was taken from the laboratory.

The Sand Hill Road facility already has two gateways a visitor must pass through, as well as additional security inside the building. But the incident has prompted a fresh look at the laboratory's security protocols.

"Overall security is something we're looking at now," Brown said.

Gennady Sheyner
 
Gennady Sheyner covers the City Hall beat in Palo Alto as well as regional politics, with a special focus on housing and transportation. Before joining the Palo Alto Weekly/PaloAltoOnline.com in 2008, he covered breaking news and local politics for the Waterbury Republican-American, a daily newspaper in Connecticut. Read more >>

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SLAC vandalism triggers FBI investigation

FBI, San Mateo County officials probe weekend incident, which ruined 3,500 protein samples

by / Palo Alto Online

Uploaded: Fri, Jul 24, 2009, 3:28 pm

An act of vandalism at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory over the weekend that left thousands of protein samples thawing to their destruction has prompted an FBI investigation.

Rob Brown, the Menlo Park laboratory's communications director, said about 3,500 samples were destroyed on July 18 or 19 when someone removed them from their liquid-nitrogen storage units and left them thawing on the counter. The ruined samples were submitted to the laboratory by the Joint Center for Structural Genomics, a federally funded research institute based in San Diego County. Brown estimated the damage to be greater than $500,000.

Lab officials discovered the vandalism Monday morning, when SLAC employees arrived to work, Brown said. The vandals also left Post-It notes on the counter, but Brown couldn't say what, if anything, was written on these notes.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office investigated the scene before handing it off to the FBI, said Detective Sgt. Lisa Gibbons from the sheriff's office. Gibbons said this was the first incident of vandalism at SLAC that she could recall.

"It's not your garden-variety vandalism case," Gibbons said.

A spokesperson from the FBI's San Francisco office declined to comment on the investigation and the agency's possible involvement with it.

Brown said the laboratory has "many thousands" of frozen specimens in its Menlo Park facility. The ruined samples, he said, represent a very small fraction of the laboratory's collection.

The laboratory is home to the Stanford Synchotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), which uses intense beams of X-ray radiation to examine materials on a molecular level. The machine -- which resembles a ring with booths around it -- attracts a wide variety of visitors and researchers, Brown said.

"This SSRL is really used by people from all over the world," Brown said. "They don't just come here to study the samples, they also submit samples to us."

The protein samples are stored in tiny, teardrop-shaped containers with a tail end. The robot picks up each sample by the long end and transfers it to the light beam for examination, Brown said. These containers are stored in cassettes, with each cassette including about 100 samples.

Investigators were reviewing their laboratory's logs earlier this week to find who has been visiting the laboratory over the weekend, Brown said. He said authorities are trying to determine whether the vandal was someone within the laboratory or a visitor. He said it didn't appear as if anything was taken from the laboratory.

The Sand Hill Road facility already has two gateways a visitor must pass through, as well as additional security inside the building. But the incident has prompted a fresh look at the laboratory's security protocols.

"Overall security is something we're looking at now," Brown said.

Comments

Donald
Stanford
on Jul 24, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Donald, Stanford
on Jul 24, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Why are they sure this is an act of vandalism and not just a mistake by an employee?


Hmmm
East Palo Alto
on Jul 24, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Hmmm, East Palo Alto
on Jul 24, 2009 at 8:42 pm

I was wondering the same thing, Donald. Maybe it was what was written on the Post-Its, indicating it was a malicious act?

My partner uses that SSRL & I know that not just anyone can waltz right in. On the other hand, it's not like people are milling about 24/7, so it is possible for vandalism to occur. My first thought, though, was that it was a terrible mistake, the mysterious Post-Its not withstanding.


A Palo Alto parent
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Jul 26, 2009 at 11:59 am
A Palo Alto parent, Duveneck/St. Francis
on Jul 26, 2009 at 11:59 am

The Post-its said "Note to self: Don't forget to put samples back!"

No, just kidding. This is extremely worrying. There are a few mad scientists out there, and putting the greatest geniuses in charge of delicate operations like SLAC, nuclear power plants, NASA, bio research labs, etc., might not be the best idea. I've often wondered about security levels in places like SLAC, and the assumptions that are made about researchers and staff.


Richard
Midtown
on Jul 26, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Richard, Midtown
on Jul 26, 2009 at 3:30 pm

Comparing SLAC to a nuclear power plant or a bio research lab is very misleading. The serious hazards at SLAC are confined to the people who work there, and safety is taken exremely seriously (too seriously according to some people). Security is another matter entirely, and is not as strict as it appears at first glance. There are many students and construction contractors who work there for a few weeks or months who get badges that allow the in without having to sign in every time. One of them (or an employee) could have gotten to these samples. Since knowing about and opening the cryogenic container requires a bit of specialized knowledge it seems like an inside job.
There is no reason to worry about anything other than the loss of money and research, though. This posed no threat to public safety and there is really nothing at SLAC or SSRL that could be stolen that would represent a huge danger to the public. Of course they have some radioactive material and some hazardous chemicals, but those can also be found on campus and in many industrial locations with less security than SLAC.


Donald
Stanford
on Jul 28, 2009 at 10:49 am
Donald, Stanford
on Jul 28, 2009 at 10:49 am

The Chronicle says a former SLAC employee has confessed: Web Link


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