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Seven natural scientists and, for the first time ever, a sociologist are cited by U.S. president for their contributions For the first time since the National Medal of Science--the United States' highest scientific honor--was initially presented by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, a sociologist has been selected as one of the recipients. Robert K. Merton, University Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, New York City, and sev

Kathleen G. Morgan, a professor of physiology in medicine at Harvard Medical School's cardiovascular division at Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, has been named the new director of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI), effective Jan. 1, 1995. BBRI is an independent, nonprofit institute whose mission is to learn more about the natural world through basic biological research. The 25-year-old organization has about 20 principa

Scientific Journals On CD-ROM Proliferate The following scientific societies produce journals on CD- ROM or have active development projects in the works. For more information on society memberships or journal subscriptions, contact the societies directly at the telephone numbers given. American Chemical Society (ACS), Washington, D.C., (202) 872-4600 (Biochemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society) American Institute of

Their redefined mission is leading researchers at DOE labs to take on unusual -- sometimes bizarre -- assignments At the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, researchers are taking the bang out of old munitions dumps, using a special group of TNT-eating microorganisms. Meanwhile, on a weapons-test site near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., a remotely operated, minature robot helps biologists stud

Back to Basics In AIDS A New Twist Energetic Activity That's Edutainment Fullerene Bonanza On The Fly Chilling Results Although last month's 10th International Conference on AIDS in Yokohama, Japan, yielded little in the way of good news concerning progress to date in efforts to combat the pandemic, some researchers were able to leave the meeting with the hope that future gatherings will be less gloomy. William E. Paul, head of t

Under pressure to reap return on investment, companies are seeking ways to ensure success in designing drug tests This past July, Synergen Inc. suspended clinical trials of its anti-inflammatory drug candidate, Antril--being tested to fight sepsis--for lack of efficacy. Faced with the setback to its $100 million-plus investment, the Boulder, Colo.-based biotech was forced to lay off more than half its work force and shut down two

These days, many biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms facing the daunting road to market with a new drug are opting to get help from contract research organizations, or CROs. These service companies specialize in providing all or part of the necessary clinical trials; they also manage regulatory reviews. And their participation in the drug- development process is growing dramatically as the number of candidate compounds coming thr

The two-time Nobel laureate, winner of prizes in chemistry in 1954 and peace in 1962, passed away at his home in Big Sur, Calif. He succumbed to prostate cancer, which he had been battling for about a year. "He was, in my judgment at least, the greatest and most original scientist--especially in chemistry--in the 20th century," says Norman Davidson, a professor, emeritus, of biology and chemistry at the California Institute of Tech

At the same time, he and other framers of the statement say they are gratified that so many diverse and prestigious organizations have put their support behind the effort. "I guess I had hoped that more congressional offices and more parts of the [Clinton] administration would have taken note of the breadth of the constituents that had thought it important to prepare a statement," says Leon Rosenberg, president of the Bristol-Myers

Scientific Journals On CD-ROM Proliferate The following scientific societies produce journals on CD- ROM or have active development projects in the works. For more information on society memberships or journal subscriptions, contact the societies directly at the telephone numbers given. American Chemical Society (ACS), Washington, D.C., (202) 872-4600 (Biochemistry, Journal of the American Chemical Society) American Institute of

Back to Basics In AIDS A New Twist Energetic Activity That's Edutainment Fullerene Bonanza On The Fly Chilling Results Although last month's 10th International Conference on AIDS in Yokohama, Japan, yielded little in the way of good news concerning progress to date in efforts to combat the pandemic, some researchers were able to leave the meeting with the hope that future gatherings will be less gloomy. William E. Paul, head of t

Their redefined mission is leading researchers at DOE labs to take on unusual -- sometimes bizarre -- assignments At the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, researchers are taking the bang out of old munitions dumps, using a special group of TNT-eating microorganisms. Meanwhile, on a weapons-test site near Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., a remotely operated, minature robot helps biologists stud