U.S. Army Research Laboratory chemist Sasha Teymorian has started a study to identify cellular injuries sustained by warfighters through the use of synthesized gold nanoclusters.

The Army said Thursday Teymorian, also a postdoctoral research fellow at ARL, will examine the structure and stability properties of the gold nanoclusters at the lab’s Weapons and Materials Research Directorate at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

“One of the projects I am working on is the synthesis of gold nanoclusters conjugated to various proteins,” Teymorian said.

“These bio-stabilized gold nanoclusters exhibit interesting fluorescent properties, and I am working to understand how various external factors such as changes in temperature and pressure influence their fluorescence,” she added.

Teymorian noted that nano-scale materials can help to create new technologies such as sensors, electronics, and energy storage and conversion devices.

Teymorian plans to publish the results after she completes the identification of the bio-stabilized gold nanoclusters and in vivo analysis.

House Appropriations Committee members have cleared a bill that would provide $21.7 billion to fund operations of the Treasury Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Small Business Administration and U.S. federal courts for fiscal year 2017.

The proposed budget in the FY 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill is $2.7 billion less than the President’s request and about $1.5 billion less than the enacted fiscal 2016 amount, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers’ (R-Kentucky) office said Thursday.

“Our bill is the product of comprehensive hearings with input from both sides of the aisle with an emphasis on economic growth and job creation through small businesses, while bolstering law enforcement to protect our citizens,” Rogers noted.

The bill would reduce the Internal Revenue Service‘s budget by approximately $236 million next fiscal year and add new oversight and transparency rules at the agency.

The panel adopted an amendment offered by Scott Rigell (R-Virginia) that seeks to block funding for the implementation of an executive order requiring federal contractors to comply with labor standard reporting requirements that Rigell believes can hurt vendors’ contracting activities.

The committee also accepted Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s (D-Ohio) proposed amendment to revive mail-delivery standards that were established in July 2012.

The Government Accountability Office has called on Congress to require the U.S. Navy to change the way the service buys frigates and hold funds for Littoral Combat Ship acquisitions in fiscal year 2017.

GAO said Thursday that it also wants the Defense Department to demand reviews prior to acquisition decisions and step up oversight through a mandatory development of documents and reports for the frigate program.

After a study on alternatives meant to address the LCS program’s lethality and survivability shortfalls, the Navy reported compromises in the modifications made to both LCS variants in keeping with the service’s requirements.

GAO also concluded that the Navy’s 2014 plan to acquire both LCS variants will not result in improved capability in certain areas of the program.

“Industrial base considerations that have factored into prior LCS decisions are less compelling, as both yards will be building LCS currently under contract through fiscal year 2021,” GAO said in the report.

“As the Navy pivots from LCS to the frigate program, which is estimated to cost more than $8 billion for ship construction alone, its approach would require Congress to appropriate funding with key unknowns.”