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 Across the
panoply of species spawned by evolution, many of the DNA sequences used in
genes to code for proteins or that control gene expression have been
conserved. This has made comparisons of genome sequences between
species a powerful means of finding new genes. Popular genome models
for gene hunters include those of the mouse, fruit fly, yeast, and
nematode. Now, scientists have launched a new project focusing
on the Fugu fish. With a genome eight times more compact than a
human, the Fugu should be a very cost-efficient new model.
 As
future silicon-based microelectronic systems continue to be reduced in
size, ultimately down to nanometer scale, the atoms with which silicon
must be doped will eventually begin to move about. The results will
be poor and uneven performances. Nanoscale sizes should not pose a
problem for devices based on single large molecules of carbon because the
atoms in these molecules are covalently bonded and firmly locked in place.
Now, Berkeley
scientists have fashioned the first transistors from a molecule of carbon.
 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.
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