Private Spaceflight Success a 15-Month Shutdown to Spacex (Space Exploration Technologies Roughly 800 Kilometres West of Mexico

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research eX Crop catalogue C pa A global search to gather the s wild relatives of essential food crops such as wheat, barley and rice has been launched Thompson/ C. by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, based in Rome. The ten-year initiative, announced on 10 December, aims to increase food security by finding genetic traits that might be suited to future climates. Samples of wild plants will now be conserved alongside existing stores of domesticated seeds (such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen). See go.nature. com/l8mgn2 for more. Higgs hunt extended Private spaceflight success A 15-month shutdown to SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies roughly 800 kilometres west of Mexico. NASA upgrade the Large Hadron Corporation) has become the first private firm expects the craft to ferry astronauts, supplies and Collider is set to be delayed to launch a spacecraft into orbit and return it research materials to the International Space by a year to the end of 2012. to Earth. On 8 December, its reusable ‘Dragon’ Station when its shuttle fleet retires next year. The extended run will be used capsule was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, California, hopes by scientists at the particle- from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Completing two to dock Dragon with the station during its next physics laboratory CERN orbits, it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean demonstration launch, scheduled for 2011. near Geneva, Switzerland, to hunt for the elusive Higgs particle at the collider’s current existing regulatory frameworks — to outside investigators. 12 others suggested that they collision energies. The plan is inhibit innovation, the papers The Scientific Management would join the proposal. Italy likely to be agreed by CERN’s say. See go.nature.com/py46rh Review Board on 7 December and Spain voted against the management and council in for more. recommended extramural scheme, but countries invoked January. See page 876 for more. scientists be given access to an ‘enhanced cooperation’ Venus probe flop the facility, where roughly provision, which allows them African innovation In a bitter disappointment 1,500 patient studies are in to progress without attaining Africa is struggling to turn for Japan’s space agency, its progress at any given time (see unanimous agreement. A local discoveries into drugs and Akatsuki spacecraft failed to Nature 466, 172; 2010). The common European patent other health-care inventions, enter orbit around Venus on same board voted to establish a could be in place by the end of according to papers produced 6 December. The probe was translational-medicine centre next year; a formal decision is by the McLaughlin-Rotman intended to monitor the hot at the NIH (see page 877 for expected in March. Center for Global Health in planet’s atmosphere, but must more). Toronto, Canada. The reports, now wait six years for another Anthrax report published by BioMed Central chance to reach orbit. See page European patent The US National Academy of on 13 December, identify 882 for more. Countries in the European Sciences has delayed releasing 25 ‘stagnant technologies’ Union (EU) have broken a long-awaited report on languishing in African Policy through a decade-long impasse the investigation into the health-care institutions, over establishing a low-cost 2001 anthrax attacks, after a including several drug NIH access single European patent request by the Federal Bureau candidates and a dipstick A key panel of advisers to system. At a meeting of the of Investigation (FBI). The test for schistosomiasis. the US National Institutes of EU competitiveness council report examines the scientific Scientists have no incentive to Health (NIH) voted last week on 13 December, 11 countries evidence used by the FBI commercialize results, there to open the Clinical Center agreed on a plan to translate to accuse microbiologist is scant institutional support — the agency’s huge research EU patents into English and Bruce Ivins of the attacks, for knowledge transfer, and hospital in Bethesda, Maryland one of French or German; which killed five people.

Ivins committed suicide in — who has frequently sequencers, the first of a new 2008. After seeing a draft supported environmental wave of affordable machines y Images y TT

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n/ more pages of previously House Committee on Energy developed by start-up firm I undisclosed documents and Commerce. Ion Torrent in Guilford, . Zakl . s should be considered by the Connecticut, which was investigation, which will now NASA chief scientist bought by Life Technologies in continue until February 2011. Waleed Abdalati will be August. Current sequencing NASA’s chief scientist from technologies label nucleotides Cancún climate deal 3 January, the agency’s with dyes, but the new machine United Nations climate talks in administrator Charles Bolden uses semiconducting chips to Cancún, Mexico, ended with announced on 13 December. He had moved to Virginia detect hydrogen ions released an agreement by developed A researcher on polar ice Commonwealth University in as nucleotides are added to a and developing countries who worked at NASA for a Richmond in 1994. DNA strand. Life Technologies to reduce greenhouse-gas decade until 2008, Abdalati is also announced three out of emissions — largely approving currently director of the Earth Business seven $1-million prizes that commitments made in last Science and Observation it will award for solving key year’s Copenhagen Accord. Center at the University of Biotech bid challenges in low-cost DNA See page 875 for more. Colorado at Boulder. He is On 8 December, US sequencing. See go.nature.com/ NASA’s first chief scientist pharmaceutical giant Johnson mbhs6a for more. PeoPle since James Garvin, who & Johnson issued a long- served in the post during awaited public offer to buy TB diagnosis 2004–05. Crucell, a biotechnology firm The World Health

y Images y headquartered in Leiden, Organization (WHO) said on TT e Nobel chemist dies the Netherlands. Johnson & 8 December that a test that can g ly/ John Fenn (pictured), who Johnson, in New Brunswick, rapidly diagnose tuberculosis R e

RT shared the 2002 Nobel New Jersey, offered to pay (TB) was a ‘major milestone’ Prize in Chemistry, died on €1.75 billion (US$2.3 billion) for disease control. The DNA- 10 December aged 93. In for Crucell, which specializes based ‘Xpert MTB/RIF’ test, onal Qua onal I the late 1980s, he developed in vaccines and antibody developed by the non-profit ess R electrospray ionization, a way therapies. Crucell’s board Foundation for Innovative to gently separate clumped of directors unanimously New Diagnostics in Geneva, Committee chairs proteins into a fine spray of supports the deal, and Switzerland, and the company ell/Cong

RR Ralph Hall (Republican, individual molecules. This shareholders will vote on the Cepheid, based in Sunnyvale,

. J. Fe J. . Texas) was on 8 December method, when combined matter on 8 February. California, can detect TB s confirmed as the new with mass spectrometry, gave in around 100 minutes. chairman of the US House scientists a tool to quickly Cheap sequencing Traditional tests, based on Committee on Science identify proteins via their mass Research-services giant Life sputum-smear microscopy, and Technology. Hall and helped to launch the field Technologies of Carlsbad, can take up to three months to (pictured) has made it clear of proteomics. In 2005, Fenn California, announced yield results, the WHO said. that he will take a hard line lost a legal battle over the patent on 14 December that it The new test is costlier, so will against attempts to regulate rights to Yale University in New is now selling benchtop need donor funding, although greenhouse gases. Fred Upton Haven, Connecticut, where DNA sequencers to labs for Cepheid will cut prices by 75% (Republican, Michigan) he developed the technique. less than US$50,000. The for poorer nations.

FI correctioN s TI/ e TrEND wATch IRELAND’S SCIENCE BUDGET The story ‘synchrotron cuts’ e: D e: Despite cutting €6 billion (US$8.1 billion) from its budget, (nature 468, 736; 2010) RC After last year’s drop in Ireland maintained its science funding. incorrectly gave the three- ou s 450 year budget of the european research-grant funding, the Irish Research infrastructure funds (PRTLI) synchrotron Radiation government kept a promise to 400 spare researchers further pain in Facility as €86.8 million. 350 PRTLI transferred to the That number is the facility’s its austerity budget for 2011–14, Department of Enterprise, announced on 7 December. Total 300 Trade and Innovation annual budget. The brief also (DETI) through 2010 said that cuts to “operating funding for basic science has and 2011 flatlined, not including inflation, 250 time” would be made. To since 2008. But the Department of 200 DETI’s science budget clarify, two existing beam lines will be closed, but the Enterprise, Trade and Innovation 150 Budget (€ million) (€ Budget Science Foundation announced a 12.5% increase in Ireland (a basic accelerator will continue to its science and technology budget 100 science funding run on its normal schedule. agency, part of DETI) compared with 2010. The basic- 50 science funding body Science 0 Foundation Ireland saw a 7% 2008 2009 2010 2011 Nature.com increase in its share. For daily news updates see: www.nature.com/news