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 Recent evidence
shows that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
Furthermore, the data strongly suggest that an unidentified form of energy
is the cause of the accelerating expansion. This "dark
energy" has been deemed perhaps "the most fundamentally
mysterious thing in basic science." Light from distant
exploding stars carries telltale clues that can resolve this enigma.
Scientists propose to launch a satellite named SNAP on a mission to discover the
nature of the dark energy.
 With
the completion of a "working draft" of the human genome,
scientists now are busy identifying the genes within the sequences of
those three billion DNA bases. Next, they must determine the purpose of
those genes, which means determining the molecular and cellular functions
of the proteins for which they code. Proteins are the building
blocks of living cells and control many vital biochemical processes.
Thus, a "Protein Structure Initiative" has been launched with
researchers here part of this national project to identify
and create an inventory of all the protein structure families that exist
in nature.
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