September 1995

I read with interest the article in the Hot Papers column on K.C. Nicolaou's paper titled "Total synthesis of taxol" (The Scientist, May 29, 1995, page 14). The account is very helpful in bringing readers' attention to one of the most impressive achievements of chemists in recent years. It is, however, misleading in two aspects. First, the article failed to point out the actual research team that accomplished the first total synthesis of taxol. Second, it didn't mention the fact that two resea

I enjoyed a recent article in The Scientist (K.Y. Kreeger, "Dramatic Growth In DNA-Based Forensics Doesn't Translate Into Job Opportunities," April 17, 1995, page 1). That article listed nine forensic organizations, but left out the name and address of the largest and fastest-growing forensic association in the world: the American College of Forensic Examiners and its two boards, the American Board of Forensic Examiners and the American Board of Forensic Medicine. We are the new kids on the bl

Entomological Society of America (ESA) 9301 Annapolis Road, Lanham, Md.20706 (301)731-4535. Fax:(301)731-4538 E-Mail: mem@entsoc.org 8000 members Harry Bradley, executive director Eldon Ortman, president Journals: Journal of Medical Entomology Journal of Economic Entomology Journal of Environmental Entomology Annals of the ESA Genetics Society of America 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814 E-mail: soc@genetics.faseb.org 6000 members Elaine Strass, executive director Judith G. Hall,

if (n == null) The Scientist - Beyond the Fruit Fly The Scientist 9[18]:13, Sep. 18, 1995 Research Beyond the Fruit Fly By Karen Young Kreeger Of all the animal species described thus far by scientists, insects account for nearly five-sixths. Nearly 1 million are already identified, with taxonomists estimating another 1 million to go. Despite their ubiquity on Earth, the study of insects has only recently been married to the explosion of molecular biologic

A. Noda, Y. Ning, S.F. Venable, O.M. Pereira-Smith, J.R. Smith, "Cloning of senescent cell-derived inhibitors of DNA synthesis using an expression screen," Experimental Cell Research, 211:90-8, 1994. (Cited in nearly 150 publications through August 1995) Comments by James R. Smith, Baylor College of Medicine The major finding described in this paper, says James R. Smith, a professor in the division of molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine and codirector of the Roy M. and Phyllis Gou

J.-F. Zhang, A.D. Randall, P.T. Ellinor, W.A. Horne, W.A. Sather, T. Tanabe, T.L. Schwarz, R.W. Tsien, "Distinctive pharmacology and kinetics of cloned neuronal Ca2+ channels and their possible counterparts in mammalian CNS neurons," Neuropharmacology, 32:1075-88, 1993. (Cited in more than 80 publications through August 1995) Comments by Richard W. Tsien, Ji-Fang Zhang, and Patrick T. Ellinor, Stanford University Medical Center According to Richard Tsien, a professor of molecular and cellular

Precarious Task Author: Ricki Lewis In the days of TV's June Cleaver -- stay-at-home-mom extraordinaire -- the idea of the female parent spending hours each day lecturing undergraduates or directing laboratory research bordered on absurd. Women were rare among the ranks of academic scientists, and those who were also mothers rarer still. Today women are prominent players in the academic life sciences, and many are mothers, too. Like their counterparts in industry (R. Lewis, The Scientist, Jan.

To Baltimore Biotech Firm Author: FRANKLIN HOKE After a long career with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), biomedical engineer Stephen L. Gordon, 51, has become vice president for advanced technology development at Osiris Therapeutics Inc., a Baltimore-based biotechnology company. Gordon was chief of the musculoskeletal diseases branch for more than 17 years, and, just prior to his move, served as acting director for the institute's extramural re

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize in physics whose theories about the evolution of stars led to the concept of black holes, died of heart failure on August 21 at the University of Chicago Hospitals. He was 84 years old. STELLAR: Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar "In a sense, Chandra's [death] comes as an end of an era," comments his friend and colleague Eugene Parker, who is currently the S. Chandrasekhar Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at the University of Chicago, whe

ACROSS 1 A,C, G, T or U 3 Darwin topic 9 Thallophyte 10 What an algometer measures 11 What a fraction represents 13 Digestive ________ 14 Nerve servicing the index finger 17 Having two similar complements of chromosomes 19 Example of 21 Across 21 It helps form a solution 23 Arrays of ordered light waves 24 Do genetic surgery 26 AIDS researcher 30 Reef material 31 Disease-causing organism 32 1934 chemistry Nobelist Harold 33 Epinatal discipline 34 Amount of anything in relation to units of some