A team of marine scientists report that a novel method for combating ship ballast corrosion may also be a cost-effective way to stem the tide of invasive species that are wreaking havoc on local marine ecosystems around the world.1 The process involves pumping bubbling nitrogen gas into ballast water to remove oxygen, which, in turn, prevents oxidation and rust in the tanks. The depletion of oxygen transforms the ballast water environment into one that is toxic to most aquatic organisms, which a

The presentations and posters at the recent American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting offered up reams of data that pointed to a commanding future of discoveries. But, as the geneticists and students checked in and got their badges, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cast an ominous shadow that could not be ignored. ASHG president Huntington F. Willard addressed it head-on: "Let the clearest and loudest message of this week be that at a time when others would take away freedom of thou

As the pace of scientific discovery continues at breakneck speed, the gap widens between the public's and scientists' understanding of science. And, with research revealing that barely half of U.S. high school seniors meet even basic science requirements,1 the prospects for the situation improving in the near future appear bleak. The myriad scientific findings in the last decade have stimulated and increased media coverage, but the lament among scientists about the media, says Nobel laureate Sir

"The problems of the future are, I believe, very serious-and I'm not as optimistic as I used to be. You see, I am a child of the sixties who had the great fortune to grow up so optimistic." As he spoke those words, Nobel laureate Sir Harold W. Kroto stood before a crowd of some 5,000 people gathered at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., for the 37th annual Nobel Conference. This year's meeting was a special one, celebrating of the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes. The college

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) in Salisbury Cove, Maine, has received a $3.75 million, five-year National Institutes of Health grant to develop a Comparative Toxicogenomics Database focusing on aquatic species. Slated to go online in 2006, it will be the first database in the world to provide genetic information on aquatic species to the international scientific community (See also, A.J.S. Rayl, "How to create a successful fish tale," The Scientist, 15[16]:1, Aug. 20, 2001

Oxygen--the 'science-in-fiction' play written by chemists Carl Djerassi and Roald Hoffmann--will permeate the Royal Institution as it debuts in London Oct. 27. With the premiere at the San Diego Repertory Theater in California and publication of the play (Wiley-VCH) last Spring, Djerassi, also known as 'Father of The Pill,' and Nobel laureate Hoffmann garnered kudos from an A-list of science 'critics' and respectable notice in theater circles. From Nobel laureates Harold Varmus and Murray Gell-M

The theory that a healthy diet and regular exercise can be key factors in staving off cancer surfaces again. The latest support comes from researchers spanning from the United Kingdom, across the Atlantic, to the shores of the Pacific Ocean--researchers at the Imperial College of Medicine and the UK's Institute of Food Research studying colon cancer, and investigators at the University of California at Los Angeles looking into prostate cancer. The UCLA researchers found that a low-fat, high-fib

Think outside the cage." That's all it takes to understand why some researchers are moving away from mouse models and diving into transgenic fish research, according to biologist Richard N. Winn of the University of Georgia. Investigators bucking the mammalian tide come from all sectors of biological research, and, in addition to Winn, include National Academy of Sciences (NAS) member Richard B. Setlow, senior biophysicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory; Elwood A. Linney, professor of microbi

More than 80 percent of the planet's living organisms exist only in aquatic ecosystems. Some may harbor secrets to human origins, and clues, treatments--perhaps even cures--for human disease. Some are critical bioindicators that portend the health of the biosphere. Yet, overall, scientists know little about the biochemical processes of these life forms. The vast, rich knowledge within the oceans and freshwater systems on Earth remains virtually untapped, because in the world of biological resear

"In the case of the Controlled Substances Act, the statute reflects a determination that marijuana has no medical benefits worthy of an exception (outside the confines of a government-approved research project)." -Justice Clarence Thomas1 The Supreme Court's recent ruling against manufacturing and distributing medicinal cannabis does not appear to have had any immediate impact on either basic or clinical research studies under way. Some investigators, however, remain leery about the potential f

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., have shown that running can boost brain-cell survival in mice with the neurodegenerative disorder Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T).1 Surprisingly, during the course of the study, they also discovered that the Atm gene--which is absent in those with the disease--appears to play a critical role in neural stem cell development. A-T is a rare disease characterized by the death of brain cells, which results in a progressive lo

Just a few short decades ago, cell biologists--essentially relegated to the tissue culture equivalent of Flatland--couldn't imagine working in three dimensions without sacrificing their subjects, much less having the ability to view the impact of their work in real time, over time. Now, state-of-the-art imaging technologies and new biological reagents and probes are sending biologists and other scientists on fantastic voyages into the molecular world of living animals to watch how cancer develop