To Expand Forever?

NSF Telescope Sheds Light on Fate of Universe
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, using a National Science Foundation (NSF) microwave telescope in Antarctica, have made a crucial measurement of cosmic background radiation that may help science to settle a fundamental question of whether the universe will expand forever or collapse back upon itself. Scientists measured the dimensions of extremely distant gas clouds with the Viper Telescope, operated by the Center for Astrophysical Research (CARA) in Antarctica at NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.    More...

Serendipity: Cell Structure Study Uncovers Taxol's Secrets
Scientists funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) have learned exactly how the anti-cancer drug Taxol kills tumor cells. Their new insight into Taxol, happened upon during a study of molecular structures related to cell division, may aid researchers in developing more advanced cancer-fighting drugs. "It's a two-pronged attack against cancer cells," said biophysicist Lee Makowski. "Taxol keeps cells from dividing, which halts cell growth, but then it also binds to molecules of the Bcl-2 protein, which causes cell death."    More...

Image:   This is a model for Bcl-2 based on the structure of the homologous protein Bcl-XL. The residues in space filling format are those with sequences showing significant similarity to the peptides selected for affinity to Taxol. The residues colored in red represent the 4 sites found to be phosphorylated in cells treated with Taxol (including two -70 and 74 - that appear contiguous here). The residue rendered in blue is a hot spot for mutations that render Bcl-2 resistant to phosphorylation by Taxol. The proximity of sequences expected to have high affinity for Taxol with those that are affected in cells treated with Taxol suggests that the phosphorylation and inactivation of Bcl-2 is mediated by direct interaction with Taxol.

New, Low-Cost "GPS" Can Monitor Volcanoes, Faults and Storms
The Global Positioning System (GPS), which gives geologists the ability to measure ground motions of less than an inch, has proven to be an important tool for both geophysical and atmospheric research. The high cost (about $20,000) of GPS installations, however, has limited their number, making it harder to study rapidly-changing phenomena like volcanoes, faults, and weather. Now researchers at the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO), an international organization of more than 80 universities and other research institutions, have developed a new high-precision GPS system. The system's cost is low enough for it to be deployed in large numbers.    More...

NSF-Funded Research Heads Science Magazine's Top Ten Advances of 1998
National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported research led to the two most important scientific advances in 1998, according to a new Science magazine summary of the ten discoveries it considered the most important of the year. The list was released in the December 18th edition. Two independent teams of NSF-supported astronomers who concluded that the expansion of the universe is accelerating were cited by Science as having made the top scientific research advance of 1998. The magazine also cited research in circadian rhythms, the built-in mechanism most organisms on Earth use to keep track of the 24-hour cycle between night and day, as the second most important discovery in 1998.    More...