World food problem: research is one key "There is a clear opportunity for the U.S. to take the leadership in a massive world program to eliminate hunger from the earth. We believe this can be done . . . within the next quarter century," says Dr. Harrison S. Brown, summarizing the findings of a National Research Council report on the problems of world food and nutrition. Brown, professor of geochemistry at California Institute of Technology, chaired the steering committee that prepared the report, which was transmitted to President Carter last week. The problems of world nutrition will have to be tackled on many Critics hit use of rat tests, such as this, fronts, according to the report, including stabilizing food supplies, reto tie saccharin to human cancer ducing poverty, and lowering popuepidemiological study—making a lation growth. A major part of the efdirect saccharin-human cancer link fort, however, will go toward doubling for the first time—comes at a most world food production by the end of opportune time for FDA. FDA com- the century. The developed countries, missioner Donald Kennedy, who has including the U.S., will need to inread a draft copy, calls it "a very crease production the equivalent of convincing looking study," and says 250 million tons of grain, or the "it makes it virtually certain that amount that the U.S. produces now. By the end of the century, developing saccharin is a human carcinogen." The study was carried out by Can- countries, which have both greater ada's National Cancer Institute and food demands and greater potential three Canadian universities. A paper for improving production, will have to on it, just submitted last Tuesday to increase production one and a half Lancet, is authored by nine scientists, times current U.S. production. including Dr. Geoffrey R. Howe and Research will be a key component Dr. Anthony B. Miller of the insti- in meeting these goals, the report tute's epidemiology unit. finds. It recommends that much of Howe tells C&EN that the retro- the needed research be done in the spective study examined 480 men and developing countries, where under152 women who developed bladder standing of the specific problems to cancer in 1974-76, and equal control be overcome is greatest. U.S. particigroups without bladder cancer. Men pation should include capital to supusing artificial sweeteners—saccharin port this research; training—priand cyclamate—were found to have marily through the Agency for Inter60% more bladder cancer than non- national Development and U.S. users. No increased bladder cancer universities—for researchers in derisk was found among female users. veloping countries; and increased Furthermore, Howe says, the "great agricultural research in the U.S. majority" of men developing cancer The report singles out 22 research used saccharin only, and a dose-re- areas that appear particularly promsponse relationship was found: The ising within this century. One of these more saccharin used, the more can- is plant genetics, including recombicer. nant DNA research, which the study Supporters and opponents of a team believes will be done primarily saccharin ban did not yet have the in developed countries because of the complete Canadian paper at press expense involved in building contime. However, opponents express tainment facilities. Biological nitroskepticism. For example, Robert C. gen fixation, another priority area, Gelardi, staff director of the Calorie could increase food production in Control Council, a trade association, developing countries 200 million tons says the council has "serious ques- of grain per year—more than half tions" about data it has received so their current output (excluding far. At least nine different epidemio- China).The report says that improvlogical studies have found no link ing the efficiency of photosynthesis in between human bladder cancer and plants is another priority research saccharin, he notes, including a new area. study by Dr. Ernest Wynder of the To meet these research goals, the American Health Foundation. D report calls for a substantial increase
in research within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It calls for creating a new position—an assistant secretary of agriculture for research and education, to be filled by a prominent scientist. The budget for USDA's food and nutrition research should be increased immediately about 20%, or $120 million, with additional increases on the order of 10% for the next four years, the study recommends. About half of these increases should support USDA's currently established research programs. The remainder would be used to set up a new program of competitive grants for research on food and nutrition that would encourage participation of scientists outside of the land-grant university system. D
Peptide researchers discuss progress Glimpses of research progress toward analyzing peptide composition, structure, and sequence, and toward improvement in synthetic techniques were provided last week at the University of California, San Diego. The occasion was the 5th American Peptide Symposium. Dr. Murray Goodman, UCSD chemistry professor and symposium chairman, points out that before some of the newer, sensitive analytic techniques became available, certain highly active peptides were overlooked. Because they are often present in mixtures containing higher amounts of other similarly acting but significantly less potent peptides, these minority molecules are passed over easily. But, says Goodman, analytic sensitivity in the picomolar range helps to avoid such mistakes. Dr. Johannes Meienhofer of Hoffmann-La Roche Laboratories adds that increased analytic sensitivity also permits studies on tiny amounts of materials. For example, Roche Institute's Dr. Sidney Udenfriend describes how combining high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescamine 'tagging of amino acids now makes single animal hormone profiles possible. Thus, the pituitary gland from, say, an individual rat can be removed, its contents fractionated, and complete amino acid analyses done for each of the hormones. This new option of pinpointing individual differences undoubtedly will have enormous impact on physiological studies, Meienhofer says. Besides progress in purely analytic approaches, modeling to determine peptide conformation—how peptide molecules bend and twist in three dimensions—is increasingly sophisJune 27, 1977 C&EN 7
ticated, and occasionally surprising findings are emerging. For example, according to Cornell University's Dr. Harold Scheraga, there are many polar-polar interactions among amino acids buried within a protein structure. This finding runs contrary to the commonly held belief that such interactions are clustered on protein surfaces next to the polar solvent. Hence, Scheraga says, a protein interior is not the exclusively oily environment it was thought to be. Another new finding, according to Dr. Ettore Benedetti of the University of Naples, Italy, emerges from a survey of x-ray crystallographic data collected from many peptides. Looking at some 40 cyclic peptides, he finds that for the majority the peptide bond is not planar, as Dr. Linus Pauling predicted years ago, but instead is skewed out of the plane. Elsewhere, efforts to boost yields during chemical synthesis of peptides are meeting with some success, though many consider the problem an undiminished if not increasing challenge, particularly for gram amounts. But yields are increasing, and Dr. C. H. Li of the University of California, San Francisco, for example, reports a better than 30% overall yield for his synthesis of the peptide ^-endorphin, which is 34 amino acids long. D
Huge superconducting magnet sent to Soviets Argonne National Laboratory has shipped a large superconducting magnet to the Soviet Union. This is another U.S. contribution in a joint program to develop magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generation of electric power. When the magnet left Chicago's O'Hare field on board an Air Force C-5A, it weighed about 60 tons including the transport container. It was flown nonstop to Moscow where it will be installed in a specially constructed bypass loop at the Soviet Union's U-25 MHD facility. The magnet will generate a magnetic field of 50,000 gauss. According to Dr. William D. Jackson, head of the U.S. MHD program at the Energy Research & Development Administration, the binational R&D program eliminates the need to duplicate facilities and needless competition. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union began major MHD research programs after World War II, but the U.S. suspended its program with the advent of "cheap oil" in the 1950's. The current joint program was begun in July 1973. The $3.5 million magnet will re8
C&EN June 27, 1977
Superconducting magnet is loaded on C-5A for shipment to Moscow
main in service in Moscow for at least two years. Most of the 100 kw required to operate the magnet goes to maintain the liquid helium envelope around the core. This is the first known Soviet use of a superconducting magnet in the U-25 pilot plant. In April the plant operated at a record 250 continuous hours and in short test runs has produced more than 20 Mw of power. The next step after the U-25 pilot work is development of a commercial system of several hundred megawatts within the next 15 years. Most of the work at the U-25 pilot plant has utilized gas and oil feeds but the ultimate aim is to feed with coal. ERDA now is building an MHD test facility dedicated to coal near Butte, Mont. It is scheduled to go into service sometime in 1979. D
Gulf Coast to get big new polyethylene plant After getting its start in the Midwest, Northern Petrochemical is moving into the Gulf Coast region with a low-density polyethylene plant. The new facility, slated for the Houston area, will have an annual capacity of 220 million lb. The cost of the project will be more than $100 million, according to the subsidiary of Northern Natural Gas. This price includes plant construction and auxiliary facilities as well as the cost of 200 rail cars needed to transport the product. Construction of the plant will begin in 1978 with startup scheduled for early 1980. The plant is expected to employ about 100 people. Northern Petrochemical chose the Gulf Coast
site because of its proximity to ethylene feedstock supplies. The new plant will use only purchased feedstocks, according to C. J. McCoy, vice president of manufacturing. Indeed, many market researchers are predicting an oversupply of ethylene for the next several years. At the March meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in Houston, Arnold J. Cahil, marketing manager of Gulf Oil Chemicals, said that demand will be about 30 billion lb by 1980. However, supply will hit 39 billion to 40 billion lb in that year. Technology for Northern PetrochemicaPs plant will be provided by Imperial Chemical Industries of the U.K. According to Northern Petrochemical, this process is the latest ICI autoclave technology. Preliminary design work is under way in England under the direction of the British engineering firm Sin-Chem. Unlike Northern Petrochemicals Morris, 111., complex, which produces a wide range of products, the new plant will produce only low-density polyethylene. LDPE capacity at Morris is 600 million lb per year. Sam F. Segnar, president and chief operating officer of Northern Natural Gas, says, "Northern decided to expand its low-density polyethylene capabilities because of our confidence in the future market growth for this product. We anticipate the market for low-density polyethylene will continue to have an excellent growth rate through 1985." William J. Monahan, vice president of marketing for Northern Petrochemical, is a little more specific on the company's market estimates. "We project an annual growth rate of 7 to 8% compounded," he tells C&EN. D
