HUMAN GENOME MAPPING COMPLETE
Scientists said Monday they have completed the final version of the human genome map that could spur major medical and genetic breakthroughs. "The Human Genome Project represents one of the remarkable achievements in the history of science," said Eric Lander, director of the Whitehead-MIT Center for Genome Research. "With knowledge of all the components of the cells, we will be able to tackle biological problems at their most fundamental level." The first draft, released in 2000, covered 90 percent of the gene-containing part of the sequence and contained 150,000 gaps. The final version, completed by The International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium, includes 99 percent of the gene-containing part of the sequence and cuts gaps to 400. The missing parts have unusual structures that current technology cannot quite figure out. But researchers suspect these regions contain very few genes.
FUSION RESEARCH ADVANCES
Scientists finally have been able to concentrate a huge amount of energy on a tiny target, a success that could make nuclear fusion feasible. To accomplish this promising step, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories used their 120-foot diameter Z machine to shoot X-rays at a BB-sized deuterium capsule. When it hits the capsule, the X-ray energy produces a shock wave that compresses the deuterium, which fuses and produces neutrons. This achievement could be an important step toward realizing self-sustaining nuclear fusion, the process scientists borrowed from the stars to try to produce clean energy and revolutionize the energy industry.
NANOTECH CAUTIONS EMERGE
Some researchers are questioning the safety of nanotechnology, the science of more-than-microscopic machines and particles. The ETC Group, which wants researchers to step slowly rather than leap into nanotechnology, has released a report on the possible toxicity of nanoparticles. "There is considerable evidence that (ultrafine nanoparticles) are toxic and therefore potentially hazardous," said study author Vyvyan Howard of the University of Liverpool. In his report, Howard concluded when normally harmless materials become nanoparticles, they become electrically charged, reactive and toxic.
TODAY'S TECH CONFIRMS ANCIENT HISTORY
Hebrew University archeologists in Jerusalem have used radio carbon dating to support disputed accounts of kingly reigns from the 10th century B.C. Excavations at Tel Rehov, Israel, revealed strata that give researchers a glimpse of life from the 12th century to the 8th century B.C. Researchers tested charred grain and olive pits from the different levels and found two of them date back to the 10th century B.C., the time of the monarchies of Solomon and David, according to the Bible's Old Testament. Authors suggest the findings could resolve earlier debate about when certain monumental structures were built, including the city gates of Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. The archeologists' findings were released April 11 in Science.
(Editors: For more information on GENOME, contact Geoff Spencer at 301-402-0911. For FUSION, Neal Singer at 505-845-7078 or [email protected]. For NANO, Kathy Jo Wetter at 919-960-5223 or [email protected]. For ARCHAEOLOGY, Jerry Barach in Israel at +972-2-588-2904 or [email protected])
