File Photo Paul D. Ellner was nearing retirement from his professorship in microbiology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons when he stumbled on his second career "quite by accident." A colleague who had enlisted as an expert witness in a legal case was overwhelmed with work and passed the job on to Ellner. "I found it very challenging, very interesting," says Ellner, who has been hired as an expert witness in more than 70 cases since his retirement from Columbia almost 1

When US President Richard M. Nixon declared war on cancer in his 1971 state of the union address, his inspiration was the idea that millions of dollars thrown into the development of new and better chemotherapies would mean an end to the ancient scourge. It did not take long for even the most hawkish advocates of heavy investment in chemotherapeutic drug development to admit that victory was far in the future. John Cairns, a microbiologist now retired from the Harvard School of Public Health,

Government files fresh charges against Thomas C. Butler while scientists continue to support him

File Photo Like their colleagues in private industry, academic researchers need to think defensively when it comes to the use of research materials covered by patents. Many university-based scientists may have systems in place already to document the equipment and materials used for experiments related to research financed by commercial sponsors. It is up to the company sponsoring the work to ensure that technology is licensed and the royalties paid. But a drawn out legal battle has ended in

No vaccine or treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome has yet appeared, and government money has just begun to flow to SARS research. Yet biotech companies have already cashed in on SARS fears, thanks to investors who scrambled to place their bets on the winners in the race against the new global scourge. At biotech after biotech, the story was the same: a press release claiming connection to the search for a cure for SARS brought a nice bump-up in the stock price and a hefty increas

Courtesy of Moffa Photography Researchers have until August 1st to make their views known on a proposed policy for sharing genetically modified mice and mutant strains bred for research. The policy applies to both knockout and transgenic mice, inbred and mutant strains, as well as associated data and tools, such as DNA vectors and embryonic stem cells. Early reviews of the National Institutes of Health's draft statement from professional organizations were positive, perhaps because the agency

Court rules against Florida State University in bitter battle with American BioScience

US Supreme Court to consider taking up case over academics' exemption from patent protection

DNA-repair researchers trying to separate sound science from allegedly false data in retracted papers

Courtesy of Moffa Photography Work continues on a method for setting priorities for big research projects at the National Science Foundation, an effort that started in 1991 when Congress asked for help in weighing competing proposals. Lawmakers say they simply cannot understand the big-ticket requests for funding of major research equipment and new facilities that turn up in NSF's budget. Because of the large expense, proposals to build a string of ocean observatories, for one example, or to i

Scientists at US agencies have been using virus as surrogate and model for smallpox

Composition draws criticism for conservative stances on embryonic stem cell research