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Medical journal article criticizes recommendations of NIH panel, but many contend that politics remains the real obstacle. The scientific community is up in arms about a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding the use of human embryos in research. Writing in the May 16 issue of the journal, in an article titled "The politics of human embryo research-Avoiding ethical gridlock" (G.J. Annas et al., 334:1329-32, 1996), the authors argue that a National Institutes of Health

Clouded By Secrecy ("Cosmeceuticals") BRIGHT IDEA: Faith Strickland investigates aloe's immunoprotective effects. Another summer season is under way, and millions of people are sunning themselves by beaches and pools. These days, however, the public is more aware of the unhealthy effects of sun exposure and is using more skin-care products that contain sun-protective ingredients. As the competition heats up, cosmetic companies are increasingly on the lookout for new research on better ways t

Late last month, the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier decision allowing the National Science Foundation to maintain confidentiality in its peer-review process. In 1994, Wanda and Robert Henke, engineers who own and run Lutherville, Md.-based Dynamic In Situ Geotechnical Testing Inc., brought a suit against NSF and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), challenging the agencies' right to keep private the names of grant-proposal reviewers. From 1990

Class Of '96 DR. WHO: Harold Varmus poked fun at himself at Harvard. Colleges and universities recognized the scientific achievements of Nobel laureates, distinguished alumni, government officials, and one famous frog in awarding honorary degrees during commencement exercises this spring. Schools large and small, looking to recognize either a specific accomplishment or an entire career of superlative performance, named a wide range of science educators and researchers to receive honorary doc

Despite contrary suggestions, they say CDC's prevention efforts aimed toward general public were not wasted A recent article in the Wall Street Journal is causing concern in the AIDS research community. The article, titled "AIDS Fight Is Skewed By Federal Campaign Exaggerating Risks" (A. Bennett, A. Sharpe, May 1, 1996, page 1), contends that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta has distorted the public's perception of the potential for contracting AIDS with a

Discoveries While Fighting To Receive Recognition And Respect In Tucson, Ariz., David Levy is a freelance writer and educator who spends his nights watching the desert sky for comets. STRUGGLE: Forrest Mims III, shown during a trip to the Mauna Loa Observatory, has encountered resistance to hisefforts to work at the site. In Miami, Randy McCranie is a postal worker who has conducted extensive investigations as a field biologist in Honduras. And in Seguin, Texas, Forrest M. Mims III is a pro

Drug-Resistant Microbes As pesky pathogens continue to evolve, new technologies to combat them are emerging, spelling job opportunities for molecular biologists and chemists. OBSTINATE MICROBES: Margaret Rennels cites strains of pneumococcus resistence to two major drugs. At drug and biotech companies across the United States, scientists have set their sights on a most elusive target: drug-resistant microbes. Working in pharmaceutical- biotechnology partnerships, researchers are trying every

Damage Science's Image MAD SCIENTIST? Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaozynski was turned in by his brother As the Federal Bureau of Investigation quietly builds its case against Unabomber suspect Theodore J. Kaczynski, observers ponder how the popular media's depiction of the Montana loner and former mathematician will affect the public's perception of science. Opinions range from beliefs that people will easily separate Kaczynski's credentials from his alleged crimes to fears that the case-play

Student employees at three University of California (UC) campuses recently voted to call a strike for the coming fall term. On May 1, members of the Association of Graduate Student Employees/United Auto Workers (AGSE/UAW) voted 77 percent in favor of striking at UC-Berkeley. Similar votes taken on May 14 by the Student Association of Graduate Employees/UAW at UCLA and on May 21 by the Association of Student Employees/UAW at UC-San Diego found 94 percent and 98 percent in favor of striking, resp

HERE WE GO AGAIN: More breast cancer genes are likely, says Duke's Futreal. A recent report in Nature Genetics (C. Phelan et al., 13:120-2, 1996) suggests that mutations in BRCA2, the second breast cancer susceptibility gene identified, may not be involved in as many cases of inherited breast cancer as first thought, but it may play a role in some pancreatic cancers. At the same time, the work implies that a third breast cancer gene-and perhaps more-may lurk in human DNA. Researchers at Duke

Scientists' Aid Research!America, an Alexandria, Va.-based national nonprofit advocacy group for biomedical research, is branching out to the states, attempting to form grass-roots support for increased federal funding. Officials of the organization are pleased with the programs' progress: Opinion polls consistently show that the public supports increased biomedical research funding. But they also maintain that the programs could use more help from scientists themselves. OPEN EYES: Student m

Vaccine Development Well-intentioned immunization efforts ignore economic realities, observers contend. By all accounts, the 1990s should be a monumental decade for pediatric vaccines. Wielding new molecular tools like genetic engineering, scientists can craft safer and more creative vaccines than ever imagined. Yet poor communication and disparate desires among industry players plague the vaccine pipeline, according to insiders. As a result, they say, vaccine R&D is taking a hit, investors