T. Yabuta and Y. Sumiki and their coworkers. Japanese investigators came up with a compound they called gibberellin "A" as the culmination of attempts to unravel facts and contradictions in volved in the "Bakanae" rice disease problem. The chemical isolated was Gibberellins for Growth a colorless, crystalline, optically active acid with striking potency—1 p.p.m. Fungus extracts make plants g r o w t w o t o three times was enough t o stimulate growth of rice, wheat, barley, and tobacco. higher; research needed to e x p l o i t potential War interfered with further work, but in 1951 Stodola developed a fer mentation process for production of THERE WAS A TIME when a farmer were greatly increased by treatment could be justifiably proud of his ability with gibberellic acid. Such results are gibberellins. A nutrient medium con to out-grow and out-produce his neigh not possible with present day regula taining dextrose, potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and ammonium bors. State and local fairs awarded tors—indole acetic acid, for example. chloride was inoculated with the fungus prizes for best efforts. But this year :f dear growth is not the only adAfter three someone shows up with crops two or vantage. Additional preliminary work Fusarium moniliforme. three times normal size, he's apt to be shows that during the early stages of days of fermenting, the liquor was sep scrutinized thoroughly, particularly to growth, both the weight of fresh soy arated on a charcoal chromatographic ascertain if he used the latest aid to bean and snapbean plants and the column using acetone or ethanol as the agriculture, the gibberellins. amount of solid matter in them are in solvent. Two gibberellins were sepa Gibberellins are substances produced creased 3 0 to 40% by gibberellin spray rated and later identified as the "A" by Gibberella fujikuroi, an organism ing. Anton Lang of UCLA found form and a compound Stodola desig which causes elongation of rice shoots, flowering advanced by one to several nated the "X~ form. Yields average characteristic of what is called "Ba- weeks. But in other cases, flowering about 12 grams of crystals per 160 gallons of cultured liquor when pro kanae" disease (or "foolish seedling" was retarded. duced in 300-gallon aerated tanks. disease). When aqueous concentra All in all these results are encourag ί Difference of Opinion. Empiri tions of the chemical—ranging from 1 ing. But there are still a host of ques to 5 0 p.p.m.—are sprayed on plants or tions to be resolved, many of which cal identification showed the "A" to be trees, linear growth doubles and even will keep researchers busy for some C 1 9 H 2 4 O e with one double bond; the triples, within three to four weeks. time to come before full potential is "X" C 1 9 H 2 2 0 6 , with two double bonds So far, three chemically different realized. For example, what will be —at odds with the Japanese "A", compounds have been isolated and em the effect on the final plant or crop? C 2 2H 2 6 0 7 . Long range discussion and pirically identified through efforts of What happens t o cell structure of duplication of work followed, ending Japanese, English, and American plants? Will enzyme activity increase up with agreement on gibberellin researchers. or decrease? Will sugar content chemical forms mentioned earlier. Simultaneously, P. J. Curtis and B. change? What about selectivity? • Gibberellin Ax (also known as More research will learn whether E. Cross of Imperial Chemicals Indus "A"): C 1 9 H 2 4 0 6 these n e w regulators can stimulate tries in England came up with their acid. More • Gibberellin A 2 : C 1 9 H 2 6 0 6 elongation of plants giving them an gibberellin—gibberellic • Gibberellin A 3 ( also know as gib advantage over competing growths. long range discussion and research berellin "X" and gibberellic acid) : Some will look at the possibility of in proved the acid the same as the "X" crease in dry weight of crops at harvest form. C19H2206 • Synthesis Unlikely. British work time. Perhaps there will be increases • Vast Possibilities. All three forms in growth of trees that grow slowly but ers then started determining the struc have looked effective in preliminary are in great demand, such as pulp wood. ture of gibberellic acid. Acid treat crop testing by government and indus Big drawback has been lack of ex ment at 50° C . leads to allogibberic trial research workers. Treated with perimental quantities. Until last acid. Heating at 100° C. converts this gibberellic acid, either alone or in com month, only the Northern Utilization form to gibberic acid. Selenium degra bination, ornamentals such as gera Research Branch at Peoria, Ill., could dation ends up -with gibberene (1,7-diniums, sunflowers, and roses have supply gibberellins. Then, EH Lilly methylfluorene). From this work a grown from one-half to three times and Merck announced availability of tentative gibberellic acid structure has taller than comparable untreated plants. limited quantities, without cost, to agri been proposed with the points of at Heights of crop plants such as snap cultural stations and other interested tachment of t h e lactone group to the beans, peppers, and corn, in many parties. Both companies fully realize ring the only doubtful parts (in press, cases have been doubled or tripled by what these products can mean as an Chemistry and Industry). similar application of the chemical. article of commerce. This formula, some researchers point An Eli Lilly New growth of young forest trees such spokesman goes so far as to say the out, makes it appear chemical synthesis as willow oak, tulip poplar, and maple chemical may cause "a plant kingdom is not likely because of eight asymetric carbon atoms. Over 2 5 0 optical iso re volution. " mers exist. • International History. Initial re But this does not mean commercial search work in the U. S. was done bv production will be difficult. . Merck P. C. Marth and J. W. Mitchell of U. S. and Lilly are using fermentation proc Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, esses. Both agree that it would not be Md. and also F. H. Stodola, Northern difficult to scale up today's pilot plant Utilization Research Branch. Their methods to get higher yields. lead came from some nearly two dec For example, fermentation time can &3BgEEgiSSBZBSBiC+^?^ ades of work b y Japanese scientists be expanded from say three to 18 days
RESEARCH
4496
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YOU CAN BE A WINNING
Talent Scout FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS!
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VICTOR CHEMICAL WORKS GENERAL I55
OFFICES
NORTH WACKER
DRIVE
CHICAGO 6
TELEPHONE DEARBORN
CABLE ADDRESS: VICTACID - CHICAGO OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
You can help guide a student's future. We believe many of our friends-would welcome the opportunity to help a deserving young person and at the same time help our country maintain its position of leadership in engineering and scientific . development · We recognize that the cost of a college education prevents some of the nation's talented high school graduates from pursuing their chosen fields in the sciences- This is a great loss to the nation and endangers our security. Undoubtedly, many of you would like to be helpful and make it possible for some deserving young person to be selected for a four-year scholarship in science or engineering. Perhaps you know of several right now! Victor is happy to make a modest contribution to help relieve "this critical condition, and we are confident you will enjoy participating in this unusual opportunity to nominate someone of your choice. Yours very truly, VTCTOR CHEMICAL WORKS Rothe Weigel President RW/ep
2--4010
Four, $4,000.00,4-Year Science or Engineering Scholarship Awards ! Y o u can nominate a high school graduate of y o u r choice!
If yours is one of the 20 winning entries, some fortunate, deserving high school graduate can become your nominee and eligible for a $4,000.00, 4-year Victor scholarship award. If you send in a winning entry, you may nominate any 1957 high school graduate you wish. It may be your son, daughter, a relative or friend. It's easy to w i n !
Write, in a one-pagE letter (not over 500 words), the kind of a program you think industry should adopt to stimulate the interest of high school graduates in becoming scientists or engineers. Within a few minutes, you can probably think of several ideas which could be adopted by industry to help solve this acute problem. Just write a page letter giving
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your ideas for a program. Remember, writing ability is not necessary to win. Originality will count most in the final judging. That's all there is to do. The 20 winning entries will have the honor of nominating a 1957 high school graduate of their choice, according to the rules sent at the time winning entries are selected. Here's an opportunity for you to help maintain and strengthen the great American heritage of scientific and engineering leadership— possible only if each of us, in our individual way, does something to encourage the nation's talented young people. It's a chance for you to be a talent scout for the scientific and engineering leaders of tomorrow! Each of the 20 winning entries will also receive a personalized, genuine leather attaché case.
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See next page
for contest rules and
official entry blank
Here's all you do Write, in a one-page letter (not over500words), the kind of a program you think industry should adopt to stimulate the interest of high school graduates in becoming scientists or engineers. C O N T E S T RULES
1 All entries will be based upon originality and the basic ideas presented. Writing ability is not necessary to win. All entries should be typed and must be accompanied by a properly filled-out Official Entry Blank. 2 All residents of the continental United States are eligible to enter, except students, employees of Victor Chemical Works, their families, or members of their advertising agency. 3 Each contestant may enter the contest one time only. 4 Entries will be judged by The Reuben H. Donnelley Corporation. The decision of the judges will be final. In case of ties, duplicate prizes will be awarded. All entries and ideas presented become the property of Victor Chemical Works,
5 Contest closes midnight, November 30, 1956. All entries must be postmarked not later than that date and received not later than December 14, 1956. Entries must be mailed First Class to: Victor Talent Scout Contest, P. O. Box 5767, Chicago 77, Illinois. 6 Winners will be notified no later than March 1, 1957. 7 If you are one of the 20 winners, you will earn the right to nominate a 1957 high school graduate of your choice for a 4year, $4,000.00 scholarship in science or engineering. 8 Of the 20 graduates nominated, 4 will be elected for 4-year scholarships. 9 The 4 winning nominees will be selected by a committee appointed by the American Chemical Society. Nominees will be eligible on the basis of rules sent at the time the winning entries are selected.
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Company. Title Attach to your entry and mail to: Victor Talent Scout Contest, P. O . Box 5767,
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RESEARCH with increase in product formation. Companies involved a d d that some thought has been given to full scale commercial manufacture but caution there is simply too much research work to b e done before anyone goes off the deep end. • Gibberellinlike Too. Gibberellins have created a furor in agriculture, b u t the same might be predicted for a class of materials n o w being studied by C. A. West and B. O. Phinney of UCLA.
They say extracts of higher plant seed, such as corn, beans, and peas, will give a growth response to dwarf strains of corn—one which is indistinguishable from gibberellin response. Work is in progress on the chemical isolation of these substances in a pure form and identification of their chemical nature.
Research Center # 7 for UCC Chemical and solid state physics to b e emphasized a t National Carbon Divi sion's new laboratory THIS WEEK Union Carbide and Carbon
opened its seventh major research cen ter—a multimillion dollar laboratory in Parma, in suburban Cleveland. There 350 employees ( 1 5 0 technically trained) of its National Carbon Divi sion are working on basic research projects in chemical a n d solid state physics. The Parma lab is probably
one of the handful of industrial groups in the U. S. working in this field. To improve existing materials and to create new materials for the metal, electronic, power, chemical, and elec trochemical industries are che specific purposes of the n e w laboratory. The new research effort is a logical exten sion of National Carbon's earlier efforts. For example, it has long supplied ma terials such as carbon a n d graphite brushes for electrical motors. Through years of research it has accumulated an enormous amount of information on carbon and graphite which will be of increasing value in solid state research. This work has included extensive effort at high temperatures and pressures, which will stand it in g o o d stead in developing other materials for high temperature application. An unusual apparatus for the high temperature work is the lab's arc radia tion furnace. Only five feet long and two feet high, it contains an intense car bon arc operating at about 6000° F., between two focussing parabolic mirrors. Another important direction its solid state research will take is n e w nuclear plant materials. Current research is leading to development of high density graphite and graphite with improved oxidation resistance at high tempera tures. Future studies will also b e con cerned with effects of nuclear radia tion on the material. National Carbon hopes the result wall be more efficient moderators for atomic reactors.
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r e f i l l V< Pure Chromium Oxides
4 and
Hydrated Chromium Oxides
2
Most stable of the green pigments. Unaffected by acids, alkalis, vehicles, and solvents. Non-fading. The 4 pure chromium oxides will withstand ceramic temperatures. Use them in applications requiring permanency-enamels, emulsion-paints, rubber, plastics, floor cover ings, roofing granules, building materials, etc.
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Use the 2 hydrated chromium oxides for obtaining brilliant color and transparency in automotive finishes, high grade enamels and lacquers.
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Your nearest Williams representative will be glad to provide you with full technical data and samples.
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Tailor-made catalysts to speed up specific chemical and physical reactions in in dustrial processes are a possibility of research in solid state physics. Here at National Carbon's n e w Parma, Ohio, laboratory, a model of the tip of an ex tremely sharp tungsten needle is used to study surface phenomena
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