News
ATP a w a r d s to spur development of n e w technologies The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced 41 awards totaling $170 million for research and development in information technology for health care, diagnostic technology for DNA, component-based software, and computer-integrated manufacturing for the electronics industry under the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The goal of the ATP is to stimulate economic growth through the development of new industries. Administered by NIST, ATP makes the awards on the basis ofrigorousreview of the scientific and technical merit of each application and its potential benefits. Applicants must include a business plan for bringing the new technology to market once the technical obstacles have been overcome. The goal of the information technology for health care program is to create fully integrated medical information systems across the health care industry, which would reduce costs and errors in handling medical infor-
mation. Sixteen awards were made in this program for more than $72 million over five years, matched by more than $73 million in private-sector funds. The goal of the diagnostic tools for DNA program is to develop compact, low-cost, automated DNA analytical technologies and equipment for fast, inexpensive detection and diagnosis of human, animal, and plant diseases. Thirteen awards were made in this program for more than $56 million over five years, matched by more than $54 million in private-sector funds. The goal of the component-based software program is to develop reusable software elements suitable for automated assembly in a broad array of applications. Eleven awards were made in this program for more than $40 million overfiveyears, matched by more than $41 million in private-sector funds. The goal of the computer-integrated manufacturing for the electronics industry program is to develop a flexible, software-based framework to improve productivity, thereby allowing the electronics industry to easily
TJA to purchase Baird Analytical
Kratos and Fisons at odds over patent
Thermo Jarrell Ash Corp. (TJA, Franklin, MA), a subsidiary of Thermo Instrument Systems, has agreed to purchase the assets of the Analytical Instrument Division of Baird Corp. (Bedford, MA) for $13.5 million. Completion of the sale is expected this month. This arrangement is expected to make TJA a leading supplier in instruments for elemental analysis, not only because of the resulting size of the company (which also includes Hilger) but also because of the complementary nature of the product lines involved. The companies expect to continue their individual product lines and customer service structures for the near future.
Kratos Analytical Ltd. (Manchester, U.K.) and Fisons pic (Ipswich, U.K.) are involved in a patent dispute over magnetic lens technology used in a surface analysis instrument. Kratos claims that the Fisons VG Escalab instrument infringes on its European patent EP 0 243 060, granted in 1991. Fisons says that Kratos's patent is narrow because it describes a particular arrangement of diaphragms in the magnetic lens and claims that its arrangement in the VG Escalab is different.
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ARI makes grants for instrumentation, renovation The National Science Foundation's Academic Research Infrastructure (ARI)
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scale up and reconfigure its manufacturing operations. One award was made for more than $1.5 million over five years, matched by more than $1 million in private-sector funds. ATP provides cost-sharing support to industry to allow exploration of promising, high-risk technologies that may form the basis for new and improved products, manufacturing processes, and services. These awards are the first to be given as part of the multiyear programs.
program will award $52.8 million to 145 institutions to acquire or develop state-ofthe-art instrumentation and to renovate research facilities. State-of-the-art instrumentation is "crucial to achieving scientific discoveries which enhance the nation's well-being and help ensure future prosperity" says Nathaniel Pitts, director of the Office of Science and Technology Infrastructure. The ARI program was established by Congress as part of the Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act of 1988. More than 400 competitive proposals requesting nearly $175 million were submitted; only 43% received funding. Successful applicants are required to provide 30-50% in matching funds. The awards are targeted for institutions with
needs in the $100,000 to $2 million range, although smaller awards are made, such as the one granted to Indiana University for the acquisition of an electrochemical workstation. Awards generally are made for a maximum of three years; however, they may be extended to up to five years when new research instrumentation is being developed. Among the recipients are Yale University for the acquisition of a high-field nuclear magnetic spectrometer, Union College for the development of the Center for Advanced Spectroscopic Techniques, and Miami University for the acquisition of a laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometer. CAS and Dialog to cosponsor STAS To standardize procedures used for searching and retrieving technical information from databases, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), Dialog Information Services, the Clearinghouse for Networked Information Discovery and Retrieval, and FIZ Karlsruhe are cosponsoring the publication of the Scientific and Technical Attribute Set (STAS). STAS, a list of standard data elements, their names and abbreviations, and a unique data element ID number, is designed to improve interoperability among consumers and providers of technical information using the Z39.50 protocol. Before STAS was developed, there was no standard way to refer to a large number of searchable and retrievable fields within scientific and technical databases. CAS publishes Chemical Abstracts, operates the Chemical Registry System (with over 13 million entries), and produces a variety of online databases. Dialog Information Services, a Knight-Ridder company, produces more than 450 databases used by those in business, news, and scientific and technical fields. Brookhaven to build facility to study ultraffast reactions Brookhaven National Laboratory broke ground in October for the Pulse Radiolysis Facility (PRF), which will allow aca-
demic, industrial, and government researchers to study transient chemical species that live for only a few trillionths of a second. Previously, researchers used the 2 million eV Van de Graaff accelerator but were limited to species that live longer than one-millionth of a second. The facility will be used for basic research that is expected to eventually have practical applications in many areas. For example, as the process of electron transfer is better understood, so will the process of solar energy conversion. Funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the $3.6 million facility is based on a 10-million eV radio frequency photocathode electron gun housed in a reinforced underground concrete vault. The gun will be built by Northrop Grumman Corp., and the facility is expected to be completed by December 1995. Ignition facility to study fusion Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary has announced that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the preferred site for a new multipurpose laser, the National Ignition Facility, which will be used to further the knowledge of fusion energy (e.g., processes that occur at the center of the sun). The facility will consist of 192 lasers, focused on a ball bearing-sized capsule containing hydrogen. The goal of the project is to induce a fusion reaction that will produce more energy than it consumes. The hydrogen capsule could reach temperatures and pressures comparable to those found in stars. Alternative sites will be investigated, and a final decision will be made in about two years. The facility is expected to take seven years to build at an estimated cost of $900 million. Digital signature for security To encourage the use of digital signatures, NIST is seeking comments on a proposal for a pilot public key infrastructure program to implement the federal Digital Signature Standard (DSS). A digital signa-
ture allows the recipient of an electronic message or file to verify the sender's identity and the integrity of the file. DSS uses private digital keys, which are held by the user, and public keys, which are assigned and certified by a third party. In the future, a "public key infrastructure" will manage the certification of public keys on a large-scale basis. To reassure users of DSS that it does not infringe on other patents, the public key infrastructure contract will contain a clause stating that the government will assume liability for any patent infringement resulting from the performance of the contract, including use by private parties. Revised labeling requirements The American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) Board of Standards Review has approved revisions to ANSI Z29.1, the American National Standard for Hazardous Industrial Chemicals-Precautionary Labeling. The purpose of revising the standard is to assist label writers in developing more effective labels for use in a hazards communication program. The revisions were based on suggestions offered by the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), the general public, and other interested parties. The standard, last revised in 1988, includes labeling considerations for small packages, precautionary language that takes into account some industry practices that have become common since 1988, and updated definitions that reflect regulatory changes. An annex to the standard includes examples of label text, appropriate use of symbols, physical characteristics, a summary of the results of a label comprehension study, and environmental requirements. Until publication of the final standard by ANSI, approved draft copies can be obtained from CMA Publications Fulfillment, 2501 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20037 (202-887-1100; fax 202-887-1237). The cost is $12 for CMA members and $18 for nonmembers. For questions regarding content, contact Suzanne Croft at the address above (202-887-1292).
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