Photo of the Week: Antidote to Counteract Nerve Agent Poisoning

The Photo of the Week visually showcases the exciting work federal labs do every day! 

About this photo:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed a versatile antidote called LLNL-02 to counteract exposure to nerve agent poisoning. Chemical weapon nerve agents typically function by blocking the transmission of messages from the central nervous system, composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain’s natural protection — the blood-brain barrier — has long been a major obstacle to the development of effective nerve agent antidotes, until now. This image illustrates the ability of LLNL-02 (depicted as clusters of light blue, dark blue, red and white in the image) to pass through the blood-brain barrier (which separates the red field from the white field in the image), making it more effective in protecting the central nervous system.

About the federal lab:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Department of Energy

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) defining responsibility is ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent. LLNL’s mission is broader than stockpile stewardship, as dangers ranging from nuclear proliferation and terrorism to energy shortages and climate change threaten national security and global stability. LLNL’s science and engineering are being applied to achieve breakthroughs for counterterrorism and nonproliferation, defense and intelligence, energy and environmental security.