SCIENCE NEWS
1. RESEARCHERS STRETCH DNA
ON CHIP, LAY TRACK FOR FUTURE COMPUTERS: Researchers are making it easier
to read life's genetic blueprint by precisely placing strands of DNA on a
silicon chip and then stretching it out so that the strands and their encoded
information might be read more clearly. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/031007.Ivanisevic.DNA.html
2. TEAM SOLVES STRUCTURE OF
WEST NILE VIRUS: Biologists have determined
the structure of the West Nile virus, a development that could greatly augment
our understanding of the virus' life cycle. Using cryoelectron
microscopy and advanced imaging techniques, they have determined the orientation
of the major surface proteins in a West Nile viral particle. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/031009.Kuhn.westnile.html
3. COMPUTER SCIENCE COMPLETES
FUNDRAISING FOR NEW BUILDING: All private funds have been raised for construction
on a new $20 million facility that will allow the Department of Computer Sciences
to concentrate its classrooms, faculty offices and laboratories into two buildings
rather than the five currently used. Construction on the 100,000-square-foot
building is tentatively scheduled to begin next year, with completion in time
for classes in fall 2006. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/031001.Hambrusch.compsci.html
4. BIOLOGIST SPOTLIGHT SOLVES
MYSTERIES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS, METABOLISM: A complete molecular-scale picture
of how plants convert sunlight to chemical energy has been obtained, offering
potential new insights into animal metabolism as well. Using advanced imaging
techniques, a team of Purdue biologists has determined the structure of the
cytochrome, a protein complex that governs photosynthesis
in a blue-green bacterium. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/031002.Cramer.photo.html
5. CHEMIST DIVIDES AND CONQUERS
FOR HIGH-THROUGH-PUT ANALYIS: Chemical-oriented industries from pharmaceuticals
to petroleum are dependent on fast, efficient analysis of molecules to remain
competitive. Those businesses may find their day-to-day operations easier
with a technique under development in the chemistry department. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/031002.Raftery.NMR.html
PURDUE NEWS
6. PURDUE'S ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT
BEST AMONG U.S. UNIVERSITIES: Purdue has the best university work environment
in the country, according to a survey of researchers in the October 20 issue
of The Scientist magazine. According to the responses of approximately tenured
faculty at U.S. institutions, Purdue offers
its faculty the best combination of research support, infrastructure and other
benefits. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/031023.Purdue.best.html
7. GROUNDBREAKING FOR BIOSCIENCE CENTER: Purdue celebrated the start
of construction on September 29 on the Bindley Bioscience Center, an interdisciplinary facility
that will enable scientists and engineers to collaborate on research contributing
to the Indiana economy. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/030929.Bindley.grndbrk.html
8. PURDUE TO PROVIDE LIFETIME
E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO ALUMNI: The Purdue Alumni Association will start making
it easier for former students to contact each other via e-mail. Starting immediately
students who graduated in May or August 2003 can sign up for lifetime e-mail
forwarding at http://www.purdue.edu/alumniemail.
The service will be expanded to other alumni during 2004. http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/031002.Alumni.email.html
PEOPLE NEWS
9. ROBERTO COLELLA, PROFESSOR,
PHYSICS, SYMPOSIUM: A one-day symposium to celebrate Professor Colella’s contribution to the fields of diffraction physics,
condensed matter science and x-ray crystallography. http://erl.chess.cornell.edu/Colella_day.htm
10. ERNEST AGEE, PROFESSOR,
EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES: Honored at the recent annual
meeting of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) held
in Boulder, Colorado, October
6-8, 2003,
as a Science Advocate for legislative policy and budgetary affairs of the
federally-funded science programs.
11. DANIELA BORTOLETTO, PHYSICS,
ELECTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE DIVISION
OF PARTICLES AND FIELDS OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY: The Executive Committee
is the highest level elected committee in the US Elementary Particle Physics
Program. The committee provides critical analysis and input to the Government
on setting future directions of the field both nationally and internationally.
In addition they have a major role in expanding Outreach and Education programs
including K - 12 and the general public.
12. EUGENE SPAFFORD, PROFESSOR,
COMPUTER SCIENCES AND DIRECTOR OF CERIAS: Received
the "Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Medal" from the Secretary
of the Air Force for his service on the Scientific Advisory Board. In addition,
Spafford was promoted from Director to Executive
Director of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance
and Security (CERIAS). This title recognizes
the leading role and expanding responsibilities of CERIAS in information security
education and research.
13. DOUGLAS COMER, PROFESSOR,
COMPUTER SCIENCES: Selected as a Fellow of the Purdue Teaching Academy, based on his outstanding
record of distinguished teaching. http://www.teachingacademy.purdue.edu/ http://www.cs.purdue.edu/feature/comer-academy.shtml
CALENDAR
14. PHILIP FUCHS, CHEMISTRY,
TO RECEIVE MCCOY AWARD: On November
4, 2003
Dr. Fuchs will be honored with the Herbert Newby McCoy Award for his work
in the area of organic chemistry. He is the 11th Chemistry Professor to receive
this prestigious award. http://www.chem.purdue.edu/images/news/mccoyposter.qxd.pdf
15. JAMES LECTURE ANNOUNCED:
John D. Barrow, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge, England, will present the 15th annual Hubert
M. James Lecture on Wednesday, March 31, 2004. The topic of his talk will
be "The Constants of Nature".
16. DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS COMMUNITY
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2003, 10 a.m. – 4:00
p.m.,
in the Physics Building. 60+ hands-on activities allowing
folks of all ages to explore the nature of the world around you. FUNFEST Demo Show at 10:30 and 1:00. Tour PRIME Lab, Particle Physics
Lab and the Nanophysics Lab.
17. OCTOBER RESEARCH FUNDING
W. G. Bayley,
Chemistry, from Indiana Department of Education, $20,000, September 1, 2003
through September 30, 2004, "Scientific Instrumentation."
J. L. Bennetzen
and P. J. Sanmiguel, Biological Sciences, Horticulture
and Landscape Architecture, from University of Arizona, $338,036, August 1,
2003 through August 31, 2004, "Technologies for Efficient Finishing and
Physical Linkage of Gene-Enriched Shotgun Sequences."
B. Bhargava,
Computer Science, from National Science Foundation, $45,000, October
1, 2003
through September 30, 2004, "ITR: Scalable Edge
Router for Differentiated."
R. G. Cooks, Chemistry, from
Thermo Finnigan, $20,267, July
1, 2002
through June 30, 2004, "Research into Ion Trap
Mass Spectrometry."
R. G. Cooks, Chemistry, from
Thermo Finnigan, $25,000, July
1, 2002
through June 30, 2004, "Research into Ion Trap
Mass Spectrometry."
R. G. Cooks, Chemistry, from
Thermo Finnigan, $50,666, July
1, 2002
through June 30, 2004, "Research into Ion Trap
Mass Spectrometry."
W. K. Cui, Physics, from National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, $14,960, October
1, 2003
through September 30, 2004, "Probing Correlated
Variability of MRK 421 in Tev, X-Ray, Optical, and
Redio Wavelengths."
M. J. Dark, E. H. Spafford and P. C. Meunier, Computer
Science, Center:ED & Rsrch:Information
Assurance & Security, from National Science Foundation, $39,641, January
1, 2002 through July 31, 2004, "A Summer Workshop for Beginning InfoSec Educators."
R. W. Doerge, Statistics, from
University of California - Davis, $71,225, September 1, 2001 through August
30, 2004, "Functional Genomics of Quantitative Traits: Expression Level
Polymorphisms of Qtls Affecting Disease Resistance
Pathways in Arabidopsis."
R. W. Doerge, Statistics, from
University of Wisconsin System, $100,001, September
1, 2000
through August 31, 2005, "Functional Genomics
of Plant Polyploids."
D. S. Franklin, Biological Sciences, from
American Cancer Society, $720,000, July 1, 2003 through June
30, 2007,
"Mechanisms of Tumorigenseis Using CDK Inhibitor-
Deficient Mice."
A. Gabrielov,
Mathematics, from National Science Foundation, $41,094, October
1, 2003
through September 30, 2004, "Cmg
Collaborative Research: Cellular Automata, Directed Graphs, and the Modeling
of Earthquakes and Landforms."
S. B. Gelvin,
Biological Sciences, from Iowa State University, $191,406, October
1, 2001
through September 30, 2004, "Establishment of Robust
Maize Transformation Systems for the Public Sector."
A. L. Hosking, Computer Science,
from University of Massachusetts, $57,683, September
1, 2000
through August 31, 2004, "ITR/SW: Dynamic Cooperative
Performance Optimization."
S. Jagannathan
and A. Y. Grama, Computer Science, from National
Science Foundation, $549,635, September 15, 2003 through August
31, 2006,
"Plethora: a Wide-Area Read-Write Object Repository for the Internet."
R. J. Kuhn, J. Chen, J. L.
Smith, M. G. Rossmann and T. S. Baker, Biological
Sciences, from PHS-NIH National Institute Allergy Infectious Dis, $2,008,464, September 1, 2003 through February 29, 2004,
"Structure-Function Studies of Alpha and Flaviviruses."
R. J. Kuhn, Biological Sciences,
from National Institutes of Health, $277,008, September
1, 2003
through August 31, 2004, "Molecular Basis of
Alphavirus Assembly."
L. M. Lipshitz
and M. E. Bock, Mathematics, Statistics, from National Science Foundation,
$540,624, August 15, 2000 through July
31, 2005,
"A Proposal for Vertical Integration of Research and Education in Mathematics
and Statistics at Purdue University."
M. C. McCann, Biological Sciences,
from U.S. Department of Energy, $219,999,
September 1, 2003 through August
31, 2005,
"The Role of Pectin in Cell Elongation."
A. M. McGough,
Biological Sciences, from Washington University, $50,000, August
1, 2002
through July 31, 2004, "Understanding the Protein-Protein
Interactions Underlying Actin Based Cell Motility."
M. D. Raftery,
Chemistry, from PHS-NIH National Center for Research Resource, $227,000, September
22, 2003 through July 31, 2004, "Multi-Coil, Multi-Sample Magnetic Resonance."
P. B. Shepson, Chemistry, from
Western Michigan University, $3,178, June
1, 2002
through July 31, 2002, "Biosphere-Atmoshpere Research and Training Bart/Igert."
P. B. Shepson, Chemistry, from
Western Michigan University, $22,733, June
1, 2002
through July 31, 2003, "Biosphere-Atmoshpere Research and Training Bart/Igert."
P. B. Shepson, Chemistry, from
Western Michigan University, $29,736, June
1, 2002
through July 31, 2004, "Biosphere-Atmoshpere Research and Training Bart/Igert."
P. B. Shepson, Chemistry, from
Western Michigan University, $145, June
1, 2002
through July 31, 2002, "Biosphere-Atmoshpere Research and Training Bart/Igert."
E. H. Spafford,
Computer Science, from National Science Foundation, $428,986, June
1, 2001
through May 31, 2005, "A Dual-Track Masters
Degree Program for InfoSec Specialists."
J. Vitek,
Computer Science, from National Science Foundation, $400,000, September
15, 2003
through August 31, 2006, "Assured Software Composition
for Real-Time Systems."
J. Vitek,
Computer Science, from Stevens Institute of Technology, $85,364, September
1, 2002 through August 31, 2003, "Collaborative Research on Secure Distributed
Programming."
J. S. Vitter, Computer Science,
from Army Research Office, $88,567, September
15, 2003
through January 14, 2005, "External Memory Algorithms:
Dealing with Massive Data."
A. Wei,
Chemistry, from PHS-NIH National Institute Biomed
Imaging/Bioeng, $420,471, September 15, 2003 through
July 31, 2004, "Plasmon-Resonant Nanorods as Multifunctional Contrast Agents for Optical Coherence
Tomography."
Previous issues of Science@Purdue may be viewed on the School of Science Web Site. http://www.science.purdue.edu/publications.htm
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