Budget ax hangs over Chicago research labs - Joe Cahill, Crain's Chicago Business

In a world where economic competitiveness hinges on innovation, our region can't afford any interruption or slowdown in the scientific research that leads to breakthrough technologies. But the federal budget stalemate imperils cutting-edge work at the Chicago area's biggest scientific centers — Fermilab in Batavia, Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont and the University of Illinois' National Center for Supercomputing Applications in Champaign-Urbana. Researchers at the two U.S. Energy Department labs and NCSA are racing scientists around the world to solve technical riddles in fields ranging from energy storage to cybersecurity. Those who find the solutions will open the door to entire new industries. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130227/BLOGS10/130229804/budget-ax-hangs-over-chicago-research-labs