Signaling news
Here we present recent news items specially selected from Nature, Nature Medicine and Nature Biotechnology.
January 2003
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News | News in brief | News Features
News
Gates ploughs millions into plan for assault on killer diseases
Microsoft founder Bill Gates is to provide US$200 million for basic biological research into the treatment and control of killer diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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UK cell biologist takes pole position at Rockefeller
Paul Nurse, the head of Britain's largest cancer-research organization, is crossing the Atlantic to take charge of Rockefeller University in New York.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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TB medic wins global health post
Jong Wook Lee, a South Korean physician, is set to succeed Gro Harlem Brundtland as director-general of the World Health Organization.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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Taiwanese institute causes upset by degrees
Taiwan's premier research institute is facing dissent from local universities over its planned involvement in the country's graduate education programme.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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Italians riled by science reforms
Top Italian researchers have lambasted the research ministry for what they call an unconstitutional effort to grab direct control of the CNR, the country's leading basic-research organization.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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Mozambique prime minister tipped for global health post
An African official is emerging as the front-runner to succeed Gro Harlem Brundtland as director-general of the World Health Organization in May.
Nature (23 January 2003)
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Second cancer case halts gene-therapy trials
The world of gene therapy had their hopes dashed with the emergence of a second, almost identical case of leukaemia that could jeopardize the future of gene therapy.
Nature (23 January 2003)
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US officials urge biologists to vet publications for bioterror risk
Biologists need to devise a better process for handling the publication of unclassified research that bioterrorists could use, senior US government officials said last week.
Nature (16 January 2003)
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Paris university blasted over Israel motion
The governing board of France's largest research university is facing a hail of protest from researchers both at home and abroad over its demand that the European Union sever its most important formal scientific link with Israel.
Nature (16 January 2003)
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Prospect of human cloning poses dilemma for journals
The media circus that has greeted the Raelian sect's claim to have produced two cloned babies raises an ethical dilemma. Should the scientific community help to verify any future similar claims? Or would this be condoning what most biologists agree is an unethical practice?
Nature (16 January 2003)
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US societies unite in plea for boost to research budgets
Science lobbyists have launched a last-ditch attempt to win funding increases for research in President Bush's 2004 budget proposal.
Nature (9 January 2003)
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Biologists seek blueprint for international stem-cell effort
Scientists and policy-makers from around the world were recently set to lay the foundations of an international collaboration in human stem-cell research.
Nature (9 January 2003)
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Human cloning claim sparks fear of Senate backlash
Concern is mounting that unconfirmed reports of the birth of cloned babies could force through legislation that will outlaw any cloning of human embryos, even for research purposes.
Nature (2 January 2003)
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Law sends laboratories into pathogen panic
When unknown parties mailed anthrax spores to several US addresses in the autumn of 2001, plant researchers at a herbarium at Harvard University began to get nervous.
Nature (2 January 2003)
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Biotech critic tries to sew up research on chimaeras
Scientists who are seeking to meld human embryonic stem cells with mouse embryos have been warned that they could be sued if they pursue the idea.
Nature (2 January 2003)
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Biotech meets NIH to discuss poor disease markets
The diseases that have the biggest impact on global public health receive relatively minuscule amounts of government and corporate funding for research into new therapies.
Nature Medicine (January 2003)
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Test panels no better than internal review
A three-year pilot project set up by the National Cancer Institute offers many answers as to whether it is best to use external or internal reviewers to assess concepts ready to move to phase III clinical trials.
Nature Medicine (January 2003)
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NCI to focus on clinical trial speed
The newly released budget proposal of the National Cancer Institute reveals that the organization is planning to speed the approval process of new therapies to treat cancer.
Nature Medicine (January 2003)
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Microarray to be used as routine clinical screen
The Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam is to become the first institution in the world to use microarray techniques for the routine prognostic screening of cancer patients.
Nature Medicine (January 2003)
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Drug costs threaten patent protection
News that prescription medicines have become the fastest-growing sector of healthcare outlay in the US will add strength to proposals by the Bush Administration to ease regulations on generic production of brand-name drugs.
Nature Medicine (January 2003)
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Antisoma–Roche deal — a new kind of buyout?
The $500 million strategic alliance between biotech Antisoma and pharma giant Roche suggests the conventional model for pharma-biotech partnering deals could be changing.
Nature Biotechnology (January 2003)
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New products highlight ambiguity of orphan drug law
When researchers, clinicians, and the FDA gather to review two new products to treat Fabry disease, the discussion will of course center on important scientific issues. But investors are paying as much attention to the legal drama surrounding the drugs.
Nature Biotechnology (January 2003)
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News in brief
Russian researchers hail move to bring salaries up to scratch
| Bacteria researcher plagued by fallout from security scare
| University of California faces wave of budget cuts
| Applied Biosystems blames staff layoff on lack of demand
| Free-access group secures deal to publish journals
| Belarus seeks recompense for poached scientists
| Canada rejects oncomouse
News Features
Polish science: Poles apart, or together with Europe?
With Poland about to join the European Union, some of its scientists are eager to be part of the international mainstream. But others still cling to Eastern-bloc traditions.
Nature (30 January 2003)
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Beyond the double helix
The world of science is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's seminal paper. But there's more to DNA than the pair's iconic structure. Helen Pearson profiles a truly dynamic molecule.
Nature (23 January 2003)
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