NEWS OF THE WEEK BIOMATERIALS
engineering; Annelise E. Barron, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering; and coworkers—enables the polymers to stick to a surface robustly while preventing proteins and cells from sticking to it. The polymer PMP1 is an example of the new class. Here, the anchoring peptide mimics an adhesive protein from marine mussels and is attached to a chain of western University Biofouling is 2 0 N-methoxyethylglycines, a serious problem in health care which provides resistance to and other arenas. It causes malprotein and cell fouling. function of medical implants and diagnostic devices, exposes paThe team demonstrated that tients to infections and complititanium surfaces coated with cations, and increases the cost of this polymer adsorbed signifitreatment. cantly less protein than did bare titanium. Trie coating maintained The new polymers consist of a its protein and cell resistance over short "anchoring peptide" and a several months. Coatings made variable-length N-substituted glycine oligomer ($.Am. Chem. Soc., from such polymers could help prevent fouling in physiological, published online May 13, cbcdoi. marine, and industrial environorg/10.1021/ja0522534).The dements, the researchers say — sign—by Phillip B. Messersmith, CELIA HENRY associate professor ofbiomedical
POLYMER RESISTS BIOFOULING Polypeptide mimics may offer longterm control of surface fouling
E Kr
IH
FFORTS TO CONTROL BIO-
fouling—the spontaneous and unwanted adsorption of proteins, cells, and bacteria on surfaces— may have another tool in the form of a new class of polymers that mimic polypeptides, according to a recent study by researchers at North-
DIVERSITY
TASK FORCE Radcliffe Institute's Drew Gilpin Faust (from left); Harvard's Evelynn M. Hammonds; and Radcliffe's Barbara J. Grosz led the review of the task forces' findings that resulted in the recommendations.
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C & E N / MAY 2 3 . 2005
PLEDGE BENEFITS HARVARD WOMEN Summers promises $50 million for women's issues, diversity in general
H
ARVARD UNIVERSITY PRES-
ident Lawrence H. Summers has pledged $50 million over the next decade to train, recruit, and support the advancement of women at the university The initiatives, recommended by two task forces, include creation of a senior vice provost position for diversity and faculty development;
salary subsidies; adjusting "tenure clocks" and leave policies for faculty with children or other family responsibilities; and improving mentoring and advising for female graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty The task forces were appointed three months ago in the wake of Summers, remarks suggesting that innate differences between the sexes might explain why fewer women than men have succeeded in math and science careers.
