Also See: Breadth of Biodiversity After months of complaints, hundreds of scientists will finally be able to use a long-coveted recombinant technology without looking over their shoulders. On August 19, National Institutes of Health Director Harold Varmus announced an agreement with DuPont Pharmaceuticals that will enable NIH and NIH-supported researchers to use a DuPont-developed technology, called Cre-lox, without compromising the company's ability to receive the appropriate value for commer

BIODIVERSITY ABOUNDS: Algae and sponges line the underwater ledges of Navassa, a tiny, uninhabited island in the Caribbean that recently got a rare visit from scientists. A recent expedition has revealed an unexpected breadth of biological diversity on a rare untouched patch of wilderness. Led by Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) scientists Michael Smith and Nina Young, 14 researchers set out to survey a tiny U.S.-owned island 40 miles west of Haiti in the Greater Antilles. Part of the Unite

Zebrafish The key to understanding vertebrate development and the origins of human birth defects may lie with the fishes--that is, with the zebrafishes (Danio rerio). Using zebrafish mutants produced primarily by chemical mutagenesis, researchers have, in recent years, turned the popular aquarium pets, originally from India, into invaluable tools for understanding the finest genetic details of vertebrate embryogenesis. Zebrafishes are the only viable candidate for large-scale vertebrate mutage

Recent research has shed new light on the sleep/wake cycle. In two papers featured on the cover of the July 10 issue of Cell (J.L. Price et al., Cell, 94:83-95, 1998; B. Kloss et al., Cell, 94:97-107, 1998), scientists from Rockefeller University reported the discovery of a gene in Drosophila, dubbed double-time (dbt). The dbt gene is believed to regulate the molecular cycles underlying circadian rhythms--patterns of activity that, in humans, regulate body temperature, mental alertness, pain

Commencement ceremonies this spring at many colleges and universities across the country honored not only graduating students, but scientists hailing from a variety of fields. In recognition of their achievements, dozens of scientists received honorary degrees; some also offered words of advice to graduates. The speeches included the usual all-important cliches: Strive to be your best. Take risks. Seize opportunities. Retain your individuality. Learn for the sake of learning. However, several s

Seven life scientists are among the 15 honorees for this year's National Academy of Sciences award ceremony set for today at the NAS's 135th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The meeting also includes the induction of academy members elected last year (E.R. Silverman, The Scientist, 11[9]:1, April 28, 1997). The academy is presenting its highest honor, the Public Welfare Medal, to David A. Hamburg, president emeritus of the Carnegie Corp. of New York. Hamburg, 72, is being recognized "for his

Edited by: Eugene Russo Photo: Robert Neroni Photo: Michael Price PERFECT FHIT: Kay Huebner and Carlo Croce of the Kimmel Cancer Center discovered a correlation between the deletion of the FHIT gene and the onset of lung cancer. G. Sozzi, M. L. Veronese, M. Negrini, R. Baffa, M.G. Cotticelli, H. Inoue, S. Tornielli, S. Pilotti, L. De Gregorio, U. Pastorino, M. A. Pierotti, M. Ohta, K. Huebner, C. Croce, "The FHIT gene at 3p14.2 is abnormal in lung cancer," Cell, 85:17-26, 1996. (Cited in mor

Edited by: Eugene Russo T CELL STARTER: Harvard's Michael Grusby believes that research on Stat pathways will lead to a better understanding of T cell differentiation. M.H. Kaplan, U. Schindler, S.T. Smiley, M.J. Grusby, "Stat6 is required for mediating responses to IL-4 and for the development of Th2 cells," Immunity, 4:313-9, 1996. (Cited in more than 75 publications as of February 1998) Comments by Michael J. Grusby, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public

QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT: A meta-analysis by Arno Motulsky's lab illustrated the relationship between homocysteine levels and folic acid intake. C.J. Boushey, S.A.A. Beresford, G.S. Omenn, A.G. Motulsky, "A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease," JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association, 274:1049-57,1995. (Cited in 127 papers through August 1997) Comments by Arno G. Motulsky, Department of Medicine, University of Washington Researchers ha

DETERMINING CAUSES: Louis Kunkel believes that researching sarcoglycans will provide a better understanding of muscular dystrophy. C.G. Bonnemann, R. Modi, S. Noguchi, Y. Mizuno, M. Yoshida, E. Gussoni, E.M. McNally, D.J. Duggan, C. Angelini, E.P. Hoffman, E. Ozawa, L. Kunkel, "b-sarcoglycan (A3b) mutations cause autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy with loss of the sarcoglycan complex," Nature Genetics, 11:266-73, 1995. (Cited in 76 papers through August 1997) Comments by Louis M. Kunkel, D

HANDS-ON ENDEAVOR: Aspiring science writer Dawn Breault did summer research with cell biologist Sam Bowser at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, N.Y. Many undergraduate students are returning to their respective campuses a little wiser in the ways of science after spending their summer vacations working on research projects at various institutions across the United States. In most cases, the experience helps undergraduates determine if they really want to pursue a career in science. It provides a