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Reports on the status of legislation affecting coral reef research. The issue and concerns; Two bills before Congress; Funding for a research plan; Some controversial provisions; Chances of approval.

Reports on the processing of high-profile scientific misconduct investigations. The US system considered seriously flawed; Efforts by the Danish Medical Research Council; Response by Scandinavian and other European research agencies.

Reports on a controversy over the NIH's long-running investigation of AIDS researcher Robert Gallo. Views of Frederic Richards; Charges and countercharges on the issue; Apparent end of the Richards panel.

Reports the efforts of the National Health Institutes to end its misconduct investigation of Robert Gallo. Actions and charges of Director Bernadine Healy; Case details and questions; Pro and con arguments.

Discusses the National Research Council's (NRC) plans to give virtual reality a serious research agenda. Status of virtual reality; Issues to be addressed in study; Potential funding sources.

Announces that six federal agencies plan to sponsor a public meeting in Washington, D.C. May 21-22 to discuss whether genome research should be patented. Problems with patenting genome; Criticisms of patents.

Reports that David Baltimore may take a position in the molecular biology program at Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center. Baltimore's present position; Comments from Sloan Kettering President Paul Marks.

Comments on news leaks concerning the scientific misconduct investigation of AIDS researcher Robert Gallo, this time made by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Bernadine Healy. Healy's crusade against leaks at NIH; Details of Healy's comments; Previous leaks from upper echelons of NIH.

Reports on new radiation data from the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), which appears to support the big bang theory. Initial evidence of smooth microwave background; Recent data showing lumps in cosmic background; Potential controversy over new data.

Looks at a reorganization plan for the research programs of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA). Protection under National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed by the President George Bush administration; Initial opposition from Representative John Dingell (D-Mich.); How reorganization was saved.

Reports on expected changes in British science policy following the recent general election, in the form of a new Office of Science and Technology. Control of British science budget; How science office was created.

Discusses efforts by the Agency for International Development (AID) to make vaccines a public relations issue for United States drug companies. Details of AID document on subject; Part of AID project supporting children's vaccine initiative.

Looks at the potential impact of budget cuts and House investigation on high energy physics programs. Budget report's tradeoffs for the Department of Energy's (DOE) high-energy physics program, particularly the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC); Claims by House oversight subcommittee of DOE's poor project management of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC).

Reports on the personnel turnover expected at the House subcommittee that appropriates funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and most of the other Public Health Service (PHS) agencies. Retirees; Members facing tough reelection fights; Potential impact of changes.

Announces that the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany will be losing its director, astronomer Harry van der Laan, this summer. Refusal of ESO's governing council to renew van der Laan's contract for a number of reasons; Difficult jobs ahead of ESO.

Reports on advances in research on higher `critical' temperatures in high-temperature superconductors. Claims are coming from Japan which state that a new compound has been found that remains superconducting at 180 degrees Kelvin. Description of new material; Chances claims will turn out to be true.

Reports on plans for a major new epidemiological study on farm chemicals and health, financed by the government. Agencies participating in program; Higher than normal rates of several cancers in farmers; Potential carcinogens to which farmers are exposed.

Reports on the current status of the misconduct investigation of AIDS researcher Robert Gallo. The `Richards committee' investigating Gallo has reportedly unanimously charged Gallo with `intellectual appropriation' of a French viral isolate in his search for the cause of AIDS. Claims of Gallo's `pattern of misrepresentation'; Committee's criticisms of National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) handling of the investigation; Responses.

Looks at allegations of a United States `coverup' of evidence that contradicts the US claim in the 1987 Franco-American patent on the AIDS blood test. Investigation by the General Accounting Office, the Health and Human Services inspector general and the Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Reports on United Nations (UN) efforts to determine the steps needed to save six plant gene banks in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, formerly the Soviet Union. Work of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN; Importance of plant germ plasm; Fao's role in plant gene banks; Possible remedy in increased funds.

Reports on the continuing controversy over the actions of the manufacturer of the Patriot missile, the Raytheon Corp. and the editor of the Harvard journal `International Security,' Steven Miller, over a paper published by Patriot critic Ted Postol, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Removal of post hoc `secret' classification of Postol's paper; Comments by Postol's supporters.

Looks at the impact changes in rules regarding federal regulations related to field-release experiments of bioengineered animals, plants and insects may have on industrial research. Concerns about field-release experiments; US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposals.

Presents the results of a survey conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which questioned researchers and administrators in universities, industry and government on their attitudes toward and experiences in handling scientific misconduct. Statistics on encounters with scientific misconduct; How cases of misconduct were handled; Resolution of small number of cases; Willingness to accept responsibility for collaborators' scientific misconduct.

Reports on the controversy between National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Bernadine Healy and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) over a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) probe into leaks of confidential documents from NIH's Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI). Criticisms of leaks made by Healy and other scientists; Possible role of Suzanne Hadley, former OSI deputy director; How FBI became involved; Hadley's comments on case; Dingell's claims of `harassment.'

Announces the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plans to begin assessing ecological risk through its Risk Assessment Forum. Reasons for ecological risk assessment; Description of Risk Assessment Forum group.

Reports on a restriction introduced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into the `Federal Register,' which requires that products eligible for the `Made in America' labels on equipment supplied to NASA must meet stringent requirements concerning their production. Restriction originally introduced by Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio); NASA official's comment.

Announces plans of the National Institute of Health (NIH) to hold two meetings in the near future to help officials determine NIH's strategic plan for helping improve United States economic competitiveness. Details of meeting; Obstacles NIH still has to overcome.

Reports on the investigation being conducted on the sources of an article written by Patriot missile critic Ted Postol, professor of science, technology and national policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Army's retroactive classification of `secret' on Postol's critical article of Patriot's effectiveness; Defense Investigative Services (DIS) inquiry.

Describes a recently-developed transgenic mouse that carries disabled copies of a critical tumor-suppression gene, which can be used in testing for potential human carcinogens. Functional and disabled copies of the p53 gene in the mouse; Benefits of the p53 mouse.

Reports on plans for a new, dramatically curtailed B factory at the Standard Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), proposed by SLAC director Burton Richter. Earlier plans by Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF) to kill project; Details of proposal to DOE's High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP).

Reports on funding problems facing researchers of zebra mussels and similr aquatic `biological invaders,' due to disinterest from the Bush administration. Mussels' danger; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's (NOAA) claims of more pressing funding needs than studying zebra mussels.

Looks at efforts of Senator Albert Gore (D.-Tenn.) and some scientists to get research information from classified spy satellites. Types of information; Scientists' criticisms of secret classification of information.

Reports on Public Health Service (PHS) officials' plans to carry out reforms at the Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI), the misconduct investigation arm of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New level of bureaucracy hierarchy; Investigation procedure changes; Policies review process.

Looks at the status of the fight between the Bush Administration and Congress over the use of fetal tissue in research. House vote to lift ban on federal funding of transplant research using tissue from induced abortions; Growing Senate support for lifting ban.

Looks at Congressional efforts to break down the budgetary `fire wall' between defense and domestic spending, which could increase available spending for research and development programs. Intention of wall, passed in 1990; Role of House Budget Committee in Congressional move.

Reports on potential competition for the prestigious Gordon Conference, held in New Hampshire each summer, to be offered by scientists in Santa Cruz, Calif. Reasons for competing conference; Plans for first summer conference.

Announces that plans for a `B factory,' a high-energy physics experiment to be funded through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have been put on hold until at least 1997. Research budget problems at both agencies; Details of experiment; How B factory proposal could be revived.

Reports on criticism of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by an advisory panel, commenting on EPA's lack of a coherent policy for acting on radiation and chemical risks. How radiation risks are assessed; Use of more stringent chemical standards in assessing radiation risks; No solutions recommended.

Announces that a laboratory at Novosibirsk in the former Soviet Union will manufacture nonsuperconducting magnets for the Superconducting Super Collider's (SSC), Low Energy Booster. Foreign contribution by lab.

Discusses the retraction of a transgenic mouse model used for the study of excess beta-amyloid, implicated as a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease. Objections to second transgenic mouse model; Why first mouse model was retracted.

Discusses an upcoming hearing called by Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio) to investigate and possibly regulate pollutant residues in Great Lakes fish. Description of toxic chemicals levels in some Great Lakes fish; Possible reproductive and developmental problems in consumers of contaminated fish; Sen. Glenn's previous investigations of reproductive toxicity.

Reports that the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) has eliminated its gene therapy subcommittee, thereby shortening human gene therapy experiment approval process. New protocols review process; Support for new role of RAC in approval process.

Reports on Navy whistle-blower Paul Biddle's resignation as government accounts officer at Stanford University and his plans to run for Congress. Reasons Biddle decided to run for Congress; Why Biddle resigned from job at Stanford; Biddle's comments on his Congressional race.

Reports on a White House document that will simplify the regulatory process of federal agencies' jurisdiction over biotechnology products and may require some changes in new pesticides and chemicals monitoring. Prohibition of special regulations for some biotechnology products; Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) concerns.

Examines the impact President George Bush's `90-day moratorium' on new regulations is expected to have on the biotechnology industry in the area of biopesticides. Stalled rules making manufacture of biopesticides easier; Expected confrontation between Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and White House over additional delayed regulations.

Reports on a draft `strategic plan' for Department of Defense (DOD) software technology which is expected to reduce development costs and improve qualities. Three major goals of cutting costs, defective software, and developing advanced software; How goals will be met; Increased funding needs; Drumming up support for plans.

Describes the possible use of the high-performance `supercapacitor,' formerly a part of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), as a key part of electric-powered vehicles. How supercapacitors work; Use with standard battery.

Reports on the undisclosed settlement reached in the case of Richard Driskill of Florida, who claimed he'd been infected with HIV by Florida dentist David Acer, and the insurance company CIGNA Dental Health of Florida. Plans for use of polymerasechain reaction (PCR) in trial; Conflict over PCR analysis by Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Reports on the results of a hearing held recently by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) at which auditors from the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and the inspector general's office at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) testified on `systemic' abuse of the indirect cost system used by universities in research grants. Plans for wider congressional probe; Focus on system under which universities allocate overhead cost.

Discusses a Department of Energy (DOE) advisory panel's report on the future of DOE's national laboratories. Need for continued nuclear defense research and development programs; Recommendations for overall laboratory system and central laboratory management.