Science's Role in Shake-Up of DOE Lab

The Department of Energy is replacing the contractor who ran the Brookhaven National Laboratory for 50 years, charging that it inappropriately favored science over safety.

Yeast make berry sweet sugar substitute

Researchers have genetically engineered yeast to produce a protein-based sugar substitute, making manufacture of this berry-derived sweetener practical.

Drug combo routs HIV from blood and tissue

A three-drug regimen banishes HIV from the lymphoid tissues of adults, where it tends to lurk, and aggressive treatment also appears promising for infants.

Chemical drivers for tiny Brownian motors

Changes in electric charge during chemical reactions can bias Brownian motion and drive particles and large molecules in a chosen direction.

Mammal birth signal cues tadpole to morph

The same brain hormone mediates the metamorphosis of a tadpole to toad and the delivery of a baby.

Language disorder tied to sound perception

Children exhibiting severe problems in using and understanding speech may have an impairment in their perception of the sounds that make up spoken expressions.

Greenland ice melts from the bottom up

Satellite radar images of northern Greenland reveal that the glaciers are melting from beneath.

Cosmic axis begets cosmic controversy

A flurry of papers criticizes the controversial new finding that the universe may have a special direction.

Research Notes:

Biology

Calamari choreography

Radio transmitters attached to squid reveal new details about their mating behavior.

Enology genealogy

DNA analysis reveals which grape cultivars are the ancestors of the popular cabernet sauvignon.

Earth Science

Warmth in north pushes spring forward

Earth's northern latitudes are growing greener these days, according to satellite measurements.

Springtime trouble for Arctic ozone

Chemical pollutants and unusually cool temperatures in the upper atmosphere combined to take a large bite out of the ozone layer above the Arctic early this spring.

Articles:

Eye-Opening Gene

How many times did eyes arise?

The discovery that a gene controlling eye development is shared by flies, squid, mice, and people challenges the notion that eyes evolved independently dozens of times.

Cystic Fibrosis Controversy

A new theory hints that gene therapy in the womb can cure the disease

Challenging the conventional wisdom that cystic fribrosis results from the ongoing loss of a protein in lung cells, one research group has found that mice with the cystic fibrosis gene can be cured by briefly providing the protein to fetuses.

Rough Times in Russia

Post-Soviet science faces a new crisis

After suffering through a difficult year in 1996, Russian science appears poised on a full-scale collapse.

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