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The face of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genetics is set to change with the imminent genome sequence delivered by a triagency group [National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Department of Energy (USDOE), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)]. The approaches and alacrity with which scientists will be able to solve biological questions and advance breeding lines will be dramatically enhanced. Questions remain though. How and in what form will the genome be sequenced? How will the genome sequence be linked to genetic and physical mops and how will all this information be accessible for biologists and breeders? In this article, we show haw the genome is being sequenced and how various groups and agencies are working together to ensure that the sequence is immediately available and of use to soybean researchers. Abbreviations: BAC, bacterial artificial chromosome; BES, bacterial artificial chromosome end sequences; EST, expressed sequence tog; FPC, fingerprinted contig; JGI, Joint Genome Institute; LIS, Legume Information Service; MY, million years; NSF, National Science Foundation; QTL, quantitative trait locus; RFLP, restriction fragment length polymorphism; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism; SSR, single sequence repeat; STC, sequence tag connector; USB, United Soybean Board; USDA, United States Department of Agriculture; USDOE, United States Department of Energy; WGSS, whole-genome shotgun sequencing.

Increasing concentrations of C[O.sub.2] and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the Earth's atmosphere have the potential to enhance the natural greenhouse effect, which may result in climatic changes. The main anthropogenic contributors to this increase are fossil fuel combustion, land use conversion, and soil cultivation. It is clear that overcoming the challenge of global climate change will require a combination of approaches, including increased energy efficiency, energy conservation, alternative energy sources, and carbon (C) capture and sequestration. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring the development of new technologies that can provide energy and promote economic prosperity while reducing GHG emissions. One option that can contribute to achieving this goal is the capture and sequestration of C[O.sub.2] in geologic formations. An alternative approach is C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystsems through natural processes. Enhancing such natural pools (known as natural sequestration) can make a significant contribution to C[O.sub.2] management strategies with the potential to sequester about 290 Tg C/y in U.S. soils. In addition to soils, there is also a large potential for C sequestration in above and belowground biomass in forest ecosystems. A major area of interest to DOE's fossil energy program is reclaimed mined lands, of which there may be 0.63 x [10.sup.6] ha in the U.S. These areas are essentially devoid of soil C; therefore, they provide an excellent opportunity to sequester C in both soils and vegetation. Measurement of C in these ecosystems requires the development of new technology and protocols that are accurate and economically viable. Field demonstrations are needed to accurately determine C sequestration potential and to demonstrate the ecological and aesthetic benefits in improved soil and water quality, increased biodiversity, and restored ecosystems. The DOE's research program in natural sequestration highlights fundamental and applied studies, such as the development of measurement, monitoring, and verification technologies and protocols and field tests aimed at developing techniques for maximizing the productivity of hitherto infertile soils and degraded ecosystems.

The research of Rebuild America Partnership program established by the United States Department of Energy for identifying key influences associated with successful operations is presented. The research includes the quantitative analysis of the relationships between program results and the characteristics of the partnership.

The nuclear industry is biding its time. Amid all the hullabaloo about climate change, rising prices of natural gas, dwindling oil stocks, and the environmental impact of wind farms, the [...]

A conductor development program has been initiated by the High Energy Physics (HEP) program in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

A history of the federal government's SBIR/STTR programs is presented, and an overview of HEP research is provided.

An analysis is presented on geological research being conducted by the US Dept of Energy to establish the suitability of Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a repository for nuclear waste. The repository would be dependent on two geologic barriers: the saturated zone barrier, or the alluvium and volcanic rock below the water table, and the unsaturated zone barrier, or the volcanic rock located above the water table.

Researchers from the Department of Energy and the Los Alamos Laboratory, New Mexico discovered Tc, U, and Np isotopes in the Snake River Plain Aquifer at the National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and their presence in basalts is compared to those of Cl and I isotopes.

Twelve national research organizations joined forces on a 30-day, 6800 n mi survey of the Central and Tropical Western Pacific on NOAA's Research Vessel Discoverer. The Combined Sensor Program (CSP), which began in American Samoa on 14 March 1996, visited Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, and ended in Hawaii on 13 April, used a unique combination of in situ, satellite, and remote sensors to better understand relationships between atmospheric and oceanic variables that affect radiative balance in this climatically important region. Besides continuously measuring both shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes, CSP instruments also measured most other factors affecting the radiative balance, including profiles of clouds (lidar and radar), aerosols (in situ and lidar), moisture (balloons, lidar, and radiometers), and sea surface temperature (thermometers and Fourier Transform Infrared Radiometers). Surface fluxes of heat, momentum, and moisture were also measured continuously. The Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program used the mission to validate similar measurements made at their CART site on Manus Island and to investigate the effect (if any) of large nearby landmasses on the island-based measurements.

In October 1995, the Energy Department announced a series of experiments to study the impact that aging plutonium and new methods of producing replacement warhead components will have on the [...]

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a major new program of atmospheric measurement and modeling. The program is intended to improve the understanding of processes that affect atmospheric radiation and the description of these processes in climate models. An accurate description of atmospheric radiation and its interaction with clouds and cloud processes is necessary to improve the performance of and confidence in models used to study and predict climate change. The ARM Program will employ five (this paper was prepared prior to a decision to limit the number of primary measurement sites to three) highly instrumented primary measurement sites for up to 10 years at land and ocean locations, from the Tropics to the Arctic, and will conduct observations for shorter periods at additional sites and in specialized campaigns. Quantities to be measured at these sites include longwave and shortwave radiation, the spatial and temporal distribution of clouds, water vapor, temperature, and other radiation-influencing quantities. There will be further observations of meteorological variables that influence these quantities, including wind velocity, precipitation rate, surface moisture, temperature, and fluxes of sensible and latent heat. These data will be used for the prospective testing of models of varying complexity, ranging from detailed process models to the highly parameterized description of these processes for use in general circulation models of the earth's atmosphere. This article reviews the scientific background of the ARM Program, describes the design of the program, and presents its status and plans.

Recent advances in wind turbine technology have enabled several utilities to install wind power generation systems capable of producing clean electricity at competitive costs. The government, through the US Dept of Energy, is also sponsoring similar projects that could provide electricity at a cost of five cents per kilowatt-hour. These programs are aimed at the commercialization of wind power through extensive government and utility cooperation.

The U.S. Department of Energy and the People's Republic of China's Academy of Sciences signed an agreement on 19 August 1987 to carry out a joint research program on the study of global warming due to enhanced greenhouse effect. The joint study is a first step toward providing opportunities for scientists in both countries to share climate information leading to a better understanding of the earth's climate system and to reliable regional climate prediction. The joint program has four tasks--analysis of general circulation models (GCMs), preparation and analysis of proxy and instrumental data, the study of the relationship between large- and regional-scale climates, and measuring and analyzing methane emissions from rice paddy fields in China. Significant progress is being made, and this paper summarizes the research progress since 1985, including two years of scientist-to-scientist collaboration. Overall, there are over 120 publications documenting project research. Highlights of the accomplishments are described and future collaborative work is outlined.