At Boston University

2001 Research at Boston University 2001

ON THE COVER The Boston University Photonics Center,with its Research 80-foot “photonics mast,”an extended source of at Boston University Gene Hunting Examining Society uniform linear light.The center accelerates the 2 26 transition from research to the development and The successful mapping and sequencing of the human Boston University social scientists examine the many faces commercialization of new products and compa- of society to discover the socioeconomic impact of factors nies based on the technology of light.With a genome has yielded bountiful information. Researchers at strong focus on creating new telecommunica- Boston University are taking a multitude of promising ranging from globalization to urbanization. tions and biomedical technologies,the center approaches to use this new knowledge to prevent and cure develops future industry leaders by engaging disease. Bridging Academia and Industry 2001 students in a challenging and relevant learning 30 environment and involving them directly in the Boston University turns the results of its research to the dynamic process of high-tech innovation that Contributing to Our Health drives today’s world economy. 6 benefit of society, forging strong links with industry to Research in the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, and facilitate the transition of ideas to real-world applications. Dental Medicine contributes to some of the most important health discoveries of our time. New Directions Research at Boston University is published annually PHOTOGRAPHY 34 by the Office of the Provost.The publication draws Principal photography: Researchers at Boston University are leading a host of new from the enormous range of current research at Boston University Photo Services The Body’s Dynamics Boston University,comprising diverse projects Additional images: 10 multi-institutional, multidisciplinary endeavors encom- supported by more than $200 million in funding DNA model,courtesy of Thomas Tullius (page 2) Using innovative approaches, Boston University scientists passing business, industry, and community to address some in FY 2000.Opinions expressed do not reflect the Photo of Charles DeLisi and President Bill Clinton, are coming to radical new understandings about how we of the major issues of our technologically advanced era. official views of the University.Use of trade names courtesy of the White House Press Office (page 3) think, move, and perceive. implies no endorsement by Boston University.For Laura MacLatchy and Uganda team,courtesy of permission to reprint text from Research at Boston John Kingston,Anthropology Department,Emory 38 Students Investigating University, contact the Office of the Associate University (page 12) Creating New Technologies Provost for Research and Graduate Education at Antarctica photos,courtesy of David Marchant 14 Boston University students—both graduate and under- 617/353-6851, [email protected], or 143 Bay and Mark Dubois;Satellite image of vegetation From quantum optics to DNA computing, researchers are graduate—significantly contribute to important discoveries State Road,Boston,Massachusetts 02215. coverage,courtesy of Ranga Myneni;Wildflowers, creating the tools, techniques, and products that are shap- in an array of disciplines. by Richard Primack;Tiputini photos,courtesy of For more information about research at Boston Thomas H.Kunz and Carlos Klein (pages 18–21) ing our future. University,please see www.bu.edu/research. Milky Way Galaxy,by Jason Cook;Super-K image, 44 Research by the Numbers courtesy of ICRR (Insitute for Cosmic Ray Exploring the Planet UNIVERSITY PROVOST Research),University of Tokyo;Aurora,by Frank 18 Dennis D.Berkey Sienkiewicz;Aurora,by Matrix;Galaxy cluster,Abell Boston University biologists, earth scientists, and ecologists 2218,courtesy of NASA and the Hubble Heritage investigate around the globe to increase understanding of ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH Team (STScl/AURA) (pages 22–25) AND GRADUATE EDUCATION Photo of Glenn Loury,by Len Rubinstein (page 29) our environment. Carol Simpson BioSquare,courtesy of Educational Media Center/BUSM (page 31) Understanding the Universe EDITOR Entangled photon,courtesy Bahaa Saleh;Linea 22 Jean Hennelly Keith Australis,by Deborah Cornell (pages 35–36) SPECTRE launch photos courtesy of NASA,Wallops Physicists and astronomers are making enormous strides in SENIOR WRITER Flight Facility (page 41) unlocking the very nature of our universe and how it Joan Schwartz affects life on Earth. Boston University’s policies provide for equal CONTRIBUTING WRITERS opportunity and affirmative action in employ- Ryan Asmussen,Georgiana Cohen,David Craig, ment and admission to all programs of the Lesleigh Cushing,Brian Fitzgerald,Hope Green, University. Eric McHenry Produced by the Office of Publications Production COPY EDITOR and the Publications Group of the Office of Cynthia K.Buccini Development and Alumni Relations. PV H01 648771 1 Gene Hunting

The successful mapping and sequencing of the human genome has put unprecedented quantities of biological information in the hands of scientists. The enormous task of learning how best to use this information to prevent and cure disease has really just begun. Researchers at Boston University are employing a variety of promising approaches to unravel the mystery of genetics for the benefit of humanity.

Bioinformatics—where biology and computation meet

Bioinformatics involves the application of advanced mathematical and computational methods to questions of biology and genetics, focusing on the molecular biology and physics of the cell. With an innovative program in bioinformatics and the recent acquisition of an IBM RS/6000 SP supercomputer, Boston University is exceptionally well prepared to analyze, understand, and apply that information. Drawing principally upon the faculty and resources of three departments and four interdepartmental centers, the new Bioinformatics Graduate Program is thoroughly interdisciplinary. Charles DeLisi, Arthur G. B. Metcalf Professor of Science and Engineering and one of the founders of the national Human Genome Project, codirects the program with Geoffrey Cooper, chairman of biology, and Thomas Tullius, chairman of chemistry. The program was established with a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National ➤ Science Foundation. Chemistry professor Thomas Tullius The bioinformatics program has full access to a wealth checks experimental results with doctoral of computational resources worldwide through the University’s student Betty Blanco.Tullius explores partnership in the National Computational Science Alliance and ways to make images of DNA structure, its direct connection to the Alliance’s Access Grid. To learn more, see www.bu.edu/bioinformatics. ➤ such as using ionizing radiation to pro- In January 2001 Dean Emeritus Charles DeLisi received the duce a hydroxyl radical within a living cell Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton for his and yield a high-resolution image of a visionary work in outlining the feasibility, goals, and parame- protein bound to a site on the cell’s DNA. ters of the Human Genome Project, and for his help in galva- nizing an international team of researchers to pool resources, ➤ create new technologies, and launch the monumental task of The colored areas on this model of DNA gene mapping and sequencing. surfaces represent hydrogen atoms detected 2 Research at Boston University 2001 3 using hydroxyl radical chemistry. Gene Hunting

Closing in on Crohn’s disease Mapping the genetics of Alzheimer’s

Recently, Salomon Amar, of the Goldman School of Dental Alzheimer’s disease is as complex as it is devastating. Lindsay Medicine, discovered a gene that may be involved in the onset Farrer, chief of the genetics program and professor of medicine, of a variety of inflammatory diseases, including periodontal dis- neurology, and public health, is making significant contributions ease, septic shock, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, diabetes, and to understanding the genetic underpinnings of the disease Crohn’s disease. alongside other variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, and a The gene, LITAF, controls production of Tumor range of exposure and lifestyle factors. He is principal investiga- Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF), a protein the human body pro- tor of the MIRAGE Project, a multicenter study of Alzheimer’s duces when it needs to clear itself of viral infections and abnor- disease funded by the National Institute on Aging that examines mal cell growth, including some cancers. When TNF is some 2,000 Alzheimer’s patients. overproduced, however, the results can be harmful and even Farrer and his collaborators identified and mapped the deadly, as the body literally attacks itself. presenilin-1 gene, which may be responsible for up to 70 per- Experts believe that the identification of the trigger cent of early-onset, classically inherited Alzheimer’s. They have gene LITAF is an important step in understanding why TNF recently localized another gene, implicated in late-onset behaves differently in different people. Amar’s work may lead to Alzheimer’s. For further information, see biochem1.bumc.bu. new treatments for pernicious diseases caused when TNF doesn’t edu/polgarlab/farrer.htm. know when to stop pumping out its genetic code. For more information, see www.bu.edu/features/special/sciencecoalition/ gene.html. Bioinformatics faculty member Zhiping Weng develops new computational tools to discover the complex mechanisms that govern protein folding, docking, and design. ➤ ➤ Professor Lindsay Farrer’s discoveries have significantly enhanced the understanding of the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease as well as the role of other factors, such as gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle.

4 Research at Boston University 2001 5 School of Medicine professor David Center and postdoctoral fellow Contributing to Our Health Kevin Wilson examine the pattern of gene expression in T-cell lympho- From directing the renowned Framingham Heart Study to exploring cytes treated with Interleukin-16. ➤ the genetics of disease, researchers at Boston University’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine are in the vanguard—contributing to some of the most important discoveries in our time for fighting disease and improving health.

Harnessing the body’s resources

While studying the behavior of white cells in fighting disease, David Center, professor of pulmonary medicine at the School of Medicine, identified a protein that was later determined to be one of several natural suppressors of HIV infection in long-term survivors. His findings changed the way the migration and accumulation of T-cells was viewed—with profound implications for HIV research. An expert in T-cell biology, Center has worked since 1978 to characterize how T-cell lymphocytes migrate from the bloodstream and accumulate in organs and tissues to fight disease. Center hypothesized that the migration of T-cells is an active process, initiated by the production of certain chemi- cals—known as chemotactic factors—that attract the lymphocytes to an organ. This new viewpoint became firmly established by 1990, when Center and his longtime colleague, Professor

William Cruikshank, characterized and cloned the chemotactic ➤ factor for T-cell lymphocytes, the first of more than twenty such Epidemiologist Ann Aschengrau, of the School of Public factors subsequently identified and studied by a large number of Health, investigates the correlation between contaminated laboratories around the world. drinking water and breast cancer. The factor they discovered, named Interleukin-16 (for “between leukocytes”), is implicated in asthma reactions and in the unregulated cell growth leading to tumors in the lymph Exploring environmental factors in nodes. breast cancer Center’s research currently is focused on determining the precise role of Interleukin-16 in cell growth, HIV infection, The incidence of breast cancer is exceptionally high for women lymphomas, and lung diseases, and the development of thera- on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Ann Aschengrau, epidemiologist peutic options. at the School of Public Health, has been seeking environmental clues to explain why. Teaming up with the Silent Spring Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to women’s health, Aschengrau recently surveyed a large population of women on the Cape regarding their exposure to pesticides, pharmaceuticals,

6 Research at Boston University 2001 7 Contributing to Our Health

personal care products, household cleaning agents, and drinking ply and instituted a program to bring the level of PCE to below 40 Hypertension research: a BU legacy At the heart of the matter water tainted by wastewater. parts per billion, the permissible level at that time. More recently, how- In a separate study, funded by the National Institute of ever, the allowable level for PCE has been lowered to 5 parts per billion. A pioneer in the study of hypertension, Aram Chobanian, now In the late 1960s, the Boston University School of Medicine Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Aschengrau explored The PCE studies are part of an NIEHS Superfund program provost of the medical campus and dean of the School of assumed stewardship of the Framingham Heart Study from the a possible link between breast cancer and exposure to drinking led by David Ozonoff, professor and chairman of Boston University’s Medicine, founded the University’s Whitaker Cardiovascular National Institutes of Health. Now, more than three decades water contaminated with PCE, an industrial solvent commonly department of environmental health. To learn more, see Institute in 1974. Chobanian and his colleagues introduced later, the study is more vital than ever. used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing. Water distribution benson.niehs.nih.gov/sbrp/Program/proj.cfm?onum=1. many of the medications to control high blood pressure that are Considered by many to be the definitive epidemiologi- pipes installed on the Cape in the late 1960s had an interior still used today. Joseph Loscalzo, the Institute’s current director, cal study of the last century, Framingham is credited with con- vinyl liner containing the chemical; it was not until 1980 that heads the Center for Ischemic Heart Disease in African tributing to a dramatic decline over the past forty years in death state officials discovered the solvent leaching into the water sup- Americans, a Specialized Center for Research of the National rates due to heart disease. It demonstrated clear links between Institutes of Health’s Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. With cardiovascular disease and an array of factors, including smok- $8.6 million in federal funding, Loscalzo and his colleagues are ing, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inac- investigating the role of nitric oxide in cardiovascular disease tivity, obesity, diabetes, and menopause. among African Americans. For fifty-two years, doctors affiliated with the study The Institute is also home to an active program in have given biennial examinations to a large group of Framingham, women’s cardiovascular health. Professor Alice Jacobs and her Massachusetts-area residents, amassing extensive medical records, associates use research methods ranging from molecular biology including a half-million chest X-rays and cardiograms, 5,000 to clinical epidemiology in order to better understand the role blood samples, and DNA samples. Today, by applying new hormones play in protecting women’s health and to develop knowledge of the human genome to the study’s exceptional improved diagnostics for coronary artery disease. The Whitaker data, investigators hope to reveal the complex relationship Institute also includes the NIH-funded Specialized Center of between genes and heart disease. For more information, visit Research in the Molecular Genetics of Hypertension. Headed www.framingham.com/heart. by Haralambos Gavras, it has contributed to significant understanding of the role of the renin-angiotensin system in hyper- Building better biomaterials tension and heart disease. For more information about the Whitaker Institute, see www.bumc.bu.edu/Departments/ Dan Nathanson, professor of dental medicine and chairman of HomeMain.asp?DepartmentID=106. the Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s department of restorative sciences and biomaterials, is using novel technologies to solve an age-old problem: how to restore teeth and supporting bone structure that have deteriorated through illness, acci-

dent, or advancing age. Nathanson and his colleagues Russell ➤ Researchers at BU’s School of Medicine and Giordano, Laisheng Chou, and Richard Pober, are developing a the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute have bioengineered scaffolding to support and guide the growth of new bone in the face and jaw. The team employs computer- played a leading role in defining the con- aided, three-dimensional printing processes to custom design nections between heart disease and high the scaffolding to fit individual bone structures. And they are blood pressure. From left, Aram Chobanian, creating new approaches to seed the scaffolding with a patient’s provost of the medical campus and dean of cells. For more information about the department of restorative the School of Medicine; Alice Jacobs, profes- sciences and biomaterials, see dentalschool.bu.edu/departments/ biomaterials/research_list.htm. sor of medicine; Haralambos Gavras, director of the NIH-designated Specialized Center of Research in the Molecular Genetics of Hypertension; and Joseph Loscalzo, director of the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute.

8 Research at Boston University 2001 9 The Body’s Dynamics

Boston University researchers are thinking about the body and mind in original ways and using innovative approaches to better understand

the bases of how we think, move, and perceive. ➤

Eric Schwartz, a faculty member in the department of cognitive and neural sys- The mathematics behind the neurons tems, and graduate student Joshua Richardson Under the interdisciplinary guidance of James Collins, professor adjust vision sensors on a of biomedical engineering, and Nancy Kopell, the William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of Mathematics and Science, the miniature intelligent vehi- Center for BioDynamics (CBD) uses dynamical systems theory cle. Robots like this one, and other advanced forms of mathematics, biology, and engi- based on neural networks, neering, to better understand how physiological systems func- also provide insight into tion and to develop new clinical devices and techniques. how humans and animals Collins is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking research in developing genetic applets—genetic mechanisms organize information that can be implanted in a patient and programmed to treat dis- sequentially. ease (see description on page 39). He is also working on a How the mind works device that uses mechanical vibrations to enhance tactile sensi- tivity in people with elevated sensory thresholds. Diabetic or Professor Stephen Grossberg, chairman of the department of elderly people who have trouble feeling their feet, for example, cognitive and neural systems, is leading an interdisciplinary might be aided by a vibrating insole in their shoes. He is also effort to understand how humans learn and create. In associa- developing a novel approach to prevention of falls in the frail tion with Judith Schickedanz, a professor in the School of elderly and in people suffering from diseases such as Parkinson’s Education, Howard Eichenbaum, professor of psychology, and or cerebral palsy. Called galvanic vestibular stimulation, the sys- two MIT professors, Grossberg is investigating how humans tem involves controlled stimulation of the nerves to the organs and animals organize information sequentially during high- in the inner ear that control balance. This body of work led to order activities such as planning and reasoning. The work is Collins being honored by Technology Review as one of the based on neural networks, a construct he has used to create “TR100,” one hundred young innovators for the year 2000 robots that can see, hear, and learn. They adapt to their envi- “who will shape the future of technology.” ronment by learning patterns of sensor readings to predict The complex functioning of the nervous system is impending impacts and by suppressing movements that would driven by signals from a huge number of neurons. Kopell wants lead to collisions. In other words, like people, they acquire to understand how the properties of individual cells and the knowledge by experience. patterns they create contribute to our ability to learn, recall, make Eichenbaum investigates how rats learn to solve

➤ coordinated movements, and transform sensory input into per- sequentially organized spatial problems. Schickedanz’s studies of Professors Nancy Kopell and James Collins, codirectors of the Center ceptions. Currently she is studying rhythms in the brain associ- how children learn to solve sequential problems utilizing touch- for BioDynamics, working with students in the applied biodynamics ated with attention, perception, and memory; pathologies in screen computers is expected to lead to better educational soft- lab.The CBD is a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental center that these rhythms are seen in a variety of diseases, including schizo- ware. Grossberg is creating mathematical models of brain phrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. Her work has earned her elec- focuses on nonlinear dynamics and its applications in biology and function based on the group’s research. All of these approaches tion to the National Academy of Sciences and appointment as a are contributing to a better understanding of the human mind. engineering. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow. For more information, visit www.cns.bu.edu. For more information about the Center for 10 Research at Boston University 2001 BioDynamics, see cbd.bu.edu. 11

The Body’s Dynamics ➤ Anthropologist Laura MacLatchy’s research on the evolution of ape locomotion involves collecting specimens Without fear of falling at Moroto Volcano in Karmoja District, Fear of falling is a significant health problem for older adults. Uganda. Here, she examines a baboon Studies show that senior citizens who live independently but skull in her lab. restrict their daily activities to avoid falls actually increase their risk of falling by not keeping their muscles in shape. In the Boston area and beyond, seniors are finding help through Fear of Falling: A Matter of Balance, an intervention program spear- headed by Sharon Tennstedt, associate director of the Boston University Center for Enhancement of Late-Life Function. The Evolution of biped locomotion focus of this NIH-funded Center, directed by Dean Alan Jette at Sargent College, is to identify risk factors that lead to disable- How did humans evolve to walk on two legs instead of knuckles ment in older people and to develop programs to help them to the ground? What changes in bone structure led to upright improve their quality of life. posture in our closest relatives, the apes, and what can this Fear of Falling participants gain confidence through knowledge teach us about our own development as a species? exercise training, lectures, videotapes, discussions, role-playing, Anthropologist Laura MacLatchy is exploring these and homework assignments. They also receive assertiveness and other enigmas of Homo sapiens’ history through innovative training to encourage them to ask for help when they are in methods of anatomical research in collaboration with scientists hazardous situations. For more detailed information on the at Harvard Medical School and the State University of New Fear of Falling research, see www.bu.edu/roybal/research/ York at Stony Brook. Comparing fossils with living primate falling-desc.html. For the video and manual, see www.bu.edu/ species, MacLatchy is investigating the microstructure of bones roybal/products. involved in locomotive activities such as walking and climbing. MacLatchy also directs a multidisciplinary paleonto- logical project in Eastern Uganda, where scientists have unearthed the remains of Morotopithecus bishopi—the only African fossil ape with an upright torso and suspensory behavior like that of modern apes. MacLatchy’s team is focusing on the locomotive behavior, dietary habits, and environmental context of several species found at the fossil sites, which are more than 20 million years old. The fieldwork in Uganda is supported by a grant from the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, while the National Science Foundation is funding her laboratory work. For further information, see bio.bu.edu/cecb/Faculty/maclatchy.html. Fear of Falling participants gain confi- ➤ dence and decrease their risk of injury through exercise training, lectures, videotapes, discussions, and role-playing.

12 Research at Boston University 2001 13 Creating New Technologies

From quantum optics to DNA computing to lightbulbs that never burn out, researchers at Boston University are creating the tools, techniques, and products that are shaping our future.

Watching the brain at work

Engineering faculty Malvin Teich, Bahaa Saleh, and Alexander Sergienko have teamed up with Kristen Harris and Sergei Kirov of the biology department to create a radically different kind of microscopy. Based in quantum physics, entangled-photon fluorescence microscopy will allow us to see what happens at brain synapses—the tiny, densely packed connections where neurons communicate with one another. The innovative technique will, for the first time, produce high-resolution images of neurons in action without damaging them in the process. With support from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the interdisciplinary team expects to use this new tool to better understand how our brains function in crucial operations such as learning and memory. For more information about neuronal synapses, see synapses.bu.edu; for information about entangled-photon imaging, see www.bu.edu/qil.

Securely illuminated

Chemistry professor Guilford Jones has developed a new class of high-performance photochemicals with unique photoluminescent properties. They form the basis for revolutionary systems to protect public health and safety by detecting key pathogens in food and water, detecting biological warfare agents, and identi- fying adulterated or counterfeit products. In concert with the Photonics Center, Jones has creat- ➤

➤ Chemistry professor ed PhotoSecure, Inc., a company that is developing commercial In the Synapse Structure and Function products based on this technology. With a million dollars in Guilford Jones examines Lab, biology faculty Kristen Harris and venture funding, PhotoSecure is developing its first product—a the optical path of a Sergei Kirov work at the new Zeiss multi- family of specialized inks that create invisible “unique spectral photoluminescent signal. photon microscope, which images living signatures.” They emit light of a specific wavelength or color brain cells. Researchers can view post- that disappears within a designated time. The dyes can be applied to manufacturers’ labels, packaging materials, products, synaptic changes in structure that corre- and security documents. The company supplies hand-held late with the cellular bases of learning detectors to recognize these signatures. For more information, and memory. see www.photosec.com. 14 Research at Boston University 2001 15 Creating New Technologies

Seeing the light Tiny machines

Innovations at Boston University’s Photonics Center come in Palm-sized computers and ever-smaller cell phones have trans- many colors. Engineering professor Fred Schubert’s new semi- formed our way of life as we have learned to put more power conductor light source—a light-emitting diode (LED)—com- and functionality into smaller and smaller devices. Nanotech- bines two or more discrete colors to create light in a multitude nology promises to shrink things even further. Thomas Bifano, of hues, including white. A winner of the 2000 Discover maga- chairman of manufacturing engineering, has developed arrays of zine award for new energy technologies, it potentially will save tiny mirrors, up to 200 of them on a chip only three milli- towns and cities millions of dollars in street lighting and traffic meters across, each of which can be moved independently and signals alone, because LEDs use only a fraction of the electricity precisely. With this ability to manipulate reflected light, the needed by conventional lightbulbs. And, because LEDs almost mirror arrays can be used to substantially improve the resolution never burn out, they also hold the promise of someday eliminat- of Earth-based telescopes. They can also be used by physicians ing the need ever to change a lightbulb! For more information, to see the retina more clearly through the eye’s normally cloudy see people.bu.edu/efs. vitreous liquid; and they can improve the quality of wireless Engineering professor Theodore Moustakas, a pioneer communication. in the development of ultraviolet, blue, and green LEDs and Also under way in Bifano’s lab is a multidisciplinary lasers, is now developing a powerful new laser, the Vertical program to develop chips holding high-density protein arrays Cavity Surface Emitting Laser—or VCSEL. This device, thou- for basic research, drug discovery, and medical diagnosis. For sands of which can be placed on a single two-inch wafer, will more information, see www.bu.edu/ame/n_projects.html. have an enormous impact on information storage and local-area computer network technology. Capable of storing and reading even more data than laser devices currently in use, VCSELs will also power the next generation of CD and DVD players. Professor Thomas Bifano demonstrates ➤ Greater bandwidth for global how mirrors are flattened for increased communication optical quality, improved resolution, and greater image accuracy by the Ion With an eight-meter optical draw tower as its centerpiece and a new modified chemical deposition system, Boston University’s Machining System that he co-designed new Laboratory for Lightwave Technology at the Photonics and constructed with his former advisee Center gives researchers and students alike the tools to make at the College of Engineering, Paul specialty optical fibers—the fine strands of glass approximately Bierden.The system was developed at the diameter of a human hair that make possible the Internet Boston University by Bifano’s group and and today’s telecommunications industry. Under the direction of Theodore Morse, professor of electrical and computer engi- is in the patenting process.The mirrors it neering, this laboratory was established with grants from the Air refines have applications in astronomi- Force Office of Scientific Research, the Polaroid Corporation, cal imaging, ophthalmologic instru- and Lucent Technologies. It contains everything needed to ments, and laser communications. develop and produce the next generation of specialty optical fibers capable of amplifying telecommunications signals and enhancing device performance. Research at the lab will support the development of such technologies as wavelength division multiplexing (carrying information on several different wave- lengths at the same time) and optical switching—paving the way for lower cost and even more efficient global communications. For more information, see www.bu.edu/photonics/ html/februarynewsletter2.pdf.

16 Research at Boston University 2001 17 Exploring the Planet

From Antarctic fossil ice records to the latest satellite observations, from the lush rainforest to abandoned lots in urban America, Boston In the Dry Valleys region of University scientists are investigating the factors crucial to shaping our Antarctica, earth scientist David Marchant examines sedi- environment. ment at the ice-sheet margin for clues to climate evolution.

From Antarctica—implications of climate past

Understanding how global climate has shifted in the past provides important insights to predicting future climatic change, including the potential effects of global warming in our own era. Earth scientist David Marchant studies the oldest terrestrial record of continuous glaciation on Earth for evidence of how climate has evolved. Annually he brings Boston University students to the Dry Valleys of eastern Antarctica to examine the stratigraphy there, map landforms, and collect sediment samples at the ice-sheet margin for further study. Ice sheets, the often mile-thick frozen rivers that cover much of the Antarctic conti- nent, are good indicators of climate because they record both short-term changes in local climate and long-term fluctuations

in global climate. ➤ A discovery by Marchant’s team of the oldest fossil gla- Satellite image of vegetation coverage on Earth. cier ice in the world, formed earlier than 8.1 million years ago in the Dry Valleys region, helps determine the magnitude of climate warming and cooling over the last several million years. Tracking climate shifts With support from the National Science Foundation, he is comparing Miocene-age atmosphere trapped within bubbles in Ranga Myneni employs data from satellite observations to study the glacial ice with today’s atmosphere to see how atmospheric climate changes on Earth. The Terra satellite, launched by chemistry, at least over Antarctica, has evolved. NASA, has been collecting data since 1999. It carries special In October 2000, Marchant received the W. S. Bruce instruments designed by a team including Myneni, Alan Award from the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his research Strahler, and their colleagues in the department of geography. contributions. To learn more about Marchant’s research, see These instruments comprehensively monitor vegetation cover- www.bu.edu/es/Faculty/Marchant/index.html. age of Earth, the amount of solar energy absorbed by vegetation, and visible and infrared light emitted from the land, oceans, and atmosphere. The scientists use the data to track weather systems and create models that reveal the long-term effects of human activity on weather patterns. They also model the impact of terrestrial ecosystems on the global distribution of carbon dioxide. These studies, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, will help to determine reasonable goals for the reduction of fossil fuel emissions, a critical factor in global warming. For more information, see cybele.bu.edu/index.html. 18 Research at Boston University 2001 19 Exploring the Planet

Conserving aquatic biodiversity Primack’s studies of the growth rates of trees and volume of tim- ber production in tropical forests have led to improved methods An evolutionary ecologist, conservation biologist, and tropical for managing and conserving tropical rainforests. He is current- ichthyologist, Les Kaufman is working to preserve the biological ly studying rainforests in Malaysia with support from the diversity of aquatic animal species and maintain fishery National Science Foundation, and he has embarked on a com- resources. parative study of rainforests in different areas of the world under Lake Victoria, East Africa, is home to a remarkably a Bullard Fellowship from Harvard University. varied organism—the haplochromine cichlid—the fastest- For more information, see bio.bu.edu/Faculty_Staff/ evolving fish on Earth with, at one time, more than 600 native primack.html. species. In recent years, human influence through a combination of eutrophication (or choking off of the lake’s oxygen sup- Exploring the rainforest ply), overfishing, and the introduction of non-native fish species, has devastated the lake’s ecosystem, killing off about half Located in the midst of one of the last unexplored areas of rain- of the cichlid species. Kaufman has secured funding to draw forest, the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Ecuadoran together scientists, fishermen, and government representatives Amazon region was established by Boston University’s Center from the lake’s three neighboring countries to collaborate on for Ecology and Conservation Biology (CECB) in cooperation returning stability to the lake and reviving its native fishes. with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. It offers an In New England, Kaufman is investigating the impact extraordinary resource for research and education in biodiversi- of human activity on the depletion of fishing resources, includ- ty. This undisturbed area of the rainforest is home to more than ing the effects of dragging and trawling on the Stellwagen Bank 500 species of birds, 230 species of mammals, several hundred bottom. By working to protect the aquatic habitat of juvenile species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, and thousands of groundfish, such as cod, he is also playing a vital role in the eco- fungi, plants, and insect species. A six-hundred-foot-long elevat- nomic survival of the fishing industry of the region. For more ed walkway weaving through and above the rainforest canopy information, see bio.bu.edu/CECB/Faculty/kaufman.html. gives researchers a rare, close-up view of plants and animals that live in this rich environment. Preserving plant diversity Professor of biology Thomas Kunz, who directs the Center, is also an international authority on the ecology, behav- Biology professor Richard Primack’s studies take him to such ior, and conservation biology of bats. With funding from the A walk through the ➤ exotic locations as the tropical forests of Borneo, India, and National Science Foundation and the National Geographic canopy: Professor of biol- Central America, but he is equally at home in the meadows, Society, he has studied bat species in such diverse locations as forests, and odd patches of urban land in his native New North America, Ecuador, Malaysia, India, Puerto Rico, and ogy Thomas Kunz gets a England. As a specialist in conservation biology he examines Trinidad. Among his discoveries are tent-making and midwifery close view of Ecuadoran human impact on natural systems to learn how to better protect behaviors among bats and an unusual species in which male rainforest plants and and restore biological diversity among plant populations. bats nurse their young. He is currently using advanced infrared animals at the Tiputini thermal imaging to investigate temperature regulation and behavior in free-ranging bats. To learn more about the Tiputini Biodiversity Station.The Biodiversity Station, see bio.bu.edu/CECB/tiputini.html. photo below shows the For more information about Kunz’s research on bats, see Tiputini River (Rio Tiputini).

bio.bu.edu/CECB/BATS/batfacts.html. ➤ Biologist Richard Primack's concern with preserving biodiversity has led him to study the wildflowers of New England, such as the bloodroot pictured here, as well as more exotic species in the tropical forests of India, Borneo, and Central America. 20 Research at Boston University 2001 21 Understanding the Universe

What is the “stuff” of the world? Of living creatures? Of the stars? At Boston University physicists and astronomers are working in large multi-institutional research efforts to uncover the nature and function of the most fundamental particles of matter — and are moving toward a better understanding of the very nature of our universe and how it affects life on Earth.

Tracking the elusive neutrino

The physics department’s high-energy experimental research group, led by Chairman Lawrence Sulak, has been deeply involved in tracking the neutrino—a tiny electrically neutral particle that is extraordinarily difficult to detect. Sulak and his colleagues tracked the first neutrinos from a supernova in 1987 in a large underground water detector in Ohio. More recently they played a leading role in the multinational effort at the Super- Kamiokande detector in Japan that produced the first evidence that neutrinos have mass. This finding, which calls into question the Standard Model, a construct that physicists use to explain subatomic particles and the forces that govern them, may contribute to the debate over whether the universe has enough mass to halt, or even reverse, the outward expansion that began with the “Big Bang.” For more information, see hep.bu.edu/~superk/.

Questioning the Standard Model

Another finding that calls into question the Standard Model was announced recently by a team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. Boston University physicist Lee Roberts, who has been a co- spokesman for the team since 1989, reported on experiments that precisely measured the effect of a magnetic field on the spin of a muon, a subatomic particle that is like a heavy electron. The experiments yielded results that deviate from those predicted by the Standard Model at a statistically significant but not

yet conclusive level, perhaps opening up a whole new world of ➤ exploration for physicists interested in such new theories as This photograph, taken inside the Super-Kamiokande detector “supersymmetry” and “string theory.” The Milky Way galaxy, before it was filled with water, shows some of the 11,146 photo- photographed with a tubes that line its walls.The detector is roughly the size of an “fisheye” lens at eleven-story office building. 22 Research at Boston University 2001 Newfound Lake, New 23 Hampshire, 1997. Understanding the Universe

Hunting for Higgs boson In the 1989 solar maximum, electrical transmission equipment from Montreal to as far south as New Jersey was almost instantly Physics faculty Meenakshi Narain, John Butler, and Ulrich burned out, blacking out power to Montreal for nine hours. Heintz, members of the Fermilab team that discovered the top To better predict space weather, and prepare for its quark in 1995, are playing a leading role in the hunt for the effects, astronomer Harlan Spence and his colleagues at the Higgs boson—the last unobserved subatomic particle predicted Center for Space Physics are building a nanosatellite about the by the Standard Model and necessary to current theories for the size of a four-inch-thick Frisbee. It will be deployed as one of origin of mass in the universe. With support from the National hundreds of nanosatellites orbiting high above the Earth, Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, they engi- recording the effects of solar coronal mass ejections and tracking neered a “silicon track trigger” for Fermilab’s DØ [D-zero] experi- storms in space as they happen. For more information, see ment, which uses the Tevatron, the world’s highest energy www.bu.edu/csp/mmm/index-flash.htm. particle accelerator. An ultra-fast data processor incorporated into the trigger identifies, within fifty microseconds, the trail of Measuring galaxy halos a top quark and possibly the Higgs boson decaying into a bottom quark, from the multitude of other reactions occurring in Astronomer Tereasa Brainerd and her colleagues and students the background. For more information, see physics.bu.edu/D0. are using a technique known as gravitational lensing, based on Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, to directly measure the Forecasting space weather extent and shapes of dark matter halos that extend beyond the visible region of a galaxy. ➤ Galaxy clusters, such as Abell Although not yet a regular feature, space weather reports may Their results suggest that for typical spiral galaxies the 2218 pictured here in a Hubble soon join terrestrial weather reports on the nightly news. dark matter extends to distances on the order of two to four During solar maxima, huge spumes of electrified gases and times the visible radius of the galaxy. This valuable new astro- Space Telescope image, are magnetic fields are periodically ejected toward Earth. These nomical tool can be applied to all galaxies and is more effective used as gravitational lenses by solar storms buffeting Earth’s magnetic field—or magneto- for larger galaxies than is any other known method. It is an theoretical cosmologist Tereasa sphere—produce the magnificent northern light shows we call excellent way to obtain very basic knowledge about the structur- Brainerd and other astronomers aurora borealis, but they also can damage or disable communi- al parameters of galaxies—what Brainerd calls “the luminous cation satellites, bring down power grids on Earth, and expose bricks out of which the universe is assembled and that define to create accurate maps of the passengers on high-flying aircraft to high levels of radiation. the visible structure of the universe.” For more information, distribution of mass within

see bu-ast.bu.edu/~brainerd/res.html. more distant galaxy clusters. ➤ The aurora borealis, or “northern lights,” photographed in Topsfield, Massachusetts, when the strongest magnetic storm of 1999 brought the aurora as far south as Washington, D.C.

Aurora photographed in Manitoba, Canada. ➤ ➤ At the Coit Observatory, from left, Ph.D. candidate Candace Wright with her mentor, theoretical cosmologist Tereasa Brainerd. Wright’s dissertation focuses on a way to resolve the shape of the dark matter distribution around galaxies. 24 Research at Boston University 2001 25 Examining Society

Boston University researchers across the campus examine the many faces of society. They develop new approaches to reintegrate people with mental illness and study the coping strategies of inner-city families to reveal the enormous vitality of our cities.

Economics—the human factor global culture that draws primarily on Western sources, is heavily English-speaking, and embraces both elite and popular groups. The work of economists at Boston University sheds light on a This trend is balanced in some non-Western countries by wide range of contemporary issues, from the national debt to hybrid cultural movements that combine Western elements race relations. with a revitalized indigenous culture. Economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff, an expert in With funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the public finance and Social Security, has long been a leader in the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and others, study of how national debt will affect future generations. the Institute also studies the development of civil and social Kotlikoff considers how current policies affect resource distribu- institutions in Southeast Asia, sources for tolerance and democ- tion and how the burden of paying the government’s bills is racy in the three monotheistic religions, and tensions between allocated across generations. His conclusion, that many coun- American and native identities in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. For tries operate with policies that will materially reduce the eco- more information about ISEC, see www.bu.edu/isec. nomic well-being of future generations, has implications for government policy makers worldwide. Beyond mental illness Economics professor Glenn Loury directs Boston University’s Institute on Race and Social Division, bringing While miracle drugs can now control symptoms of the most together scholars of economics, politics, and the humanities to debilitating psychiatric illnesses—schizophrenia, severe depres- study crucial issues of race, economic inequality, and social con- sion, and bipolar disorder, there is a gap between being asympto- flict. He explores the division of racial and ethnic groups along matic and functioning normally. The Center for Psychiatric economic, cultural, and political lines globally. As the author of Rehabilitation (CPR) at Sargent College is widely recognized for numerous scholarly articles, and popular essays in such publica-

research directed toward developing novel recovery strategies. ➤ tions as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Loury At the CPR’s new Recovery Center, patients learn has had a significant voice in the conversation about race rela- Under the leadership skills that promote re-entry to the work force and financial self- tions and equality of opportunity in the United States. of Director Peter sufficiency as well as physical fitness and emotional well-being. Berger, the Institute for With a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability A global view and Rehabilitation Research, a team of investigators led by the Study of Economic Dorothy Hutchinson is assessing the Recovery Center’s effec- Culture is engaged in Established in 1985, the Institute for the Study of Economic tiveness in developing new knowledge, tools, and services for an in-depth study of Culture (ISEC) has been examining the interaction between the field of mental health. For more information about the the impact of global- socioeconomic change and culture. Under the leadership of Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, see www.bu.edu/sarpsych ization on indigenous ISEC Director Peter Berger, the Institute engages in research or www.bu.edu/cpr. projects that investigate the consequences of globalization on cultures in ten coun- indigenous cultures. A recent study has revealed an emerging tries around the world.

26 Research at Boston University 2001 27 Joyce West Stevens of the Examining Society School of Social Work and her

team of community-based researchers➤ hope to identify differences in the dynamics between mothers and daugh- Aiming at the roots of substance abuse Capitalizing on women-led businesses ters in drug-using and non- drug-using families. Researchers at the School of Social Work are trying to identify Women are at the helm of 40 percent of new businesses created factors that push teens in minority groups into substance abuse. in the United States, but receive only 6 percent of all venture Professor Melvin Delgado is studying Dominican and Puerto capital investment. These are among the findings of the Diana Rican gang members in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to determine Study, a multi-institutional research endeavor co-authored by what role drugs and alcohol play in their lives. Candida Brush in the School of Management. Brush and her Also at the School of Social Work, Joyce W. Stevens colleagues attribute the discrepancy to three factors: male leads a team of researchers studying African-American women domination of the venture capital network; women’s unwilling- in Boston and their daughters to discover how substance abuse ness to cede significant control of their companies to venture cap- may be passed on from one generation to the next. Stevens italists; and a tendency of women to own service and retail hopes to learn how some families manage to remain drug free businesses, which yield a slower return on investment. even in high-risk environments. The results of both NIH-funded studies will be used A sense of community in American cities to develop treatment and intervention programs for local social service agencies. For more information, see www.bu.edu/ssw/ Sociologist Daniel Monti challenges the myth that cities are urban.html. lonely and dysfunctional places. Monti’s research convinced him that urban residents are more adept at building community than most people appreciate. Participation in small social groups, such as churches, and identification with broader points of reference, such as professional sports teams, help maintain a sense of community in cities. He also concludes that ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods tend to retain their character even when waves of newcomers move in. For more information, see Sociologist Daniel Monti finds a sense of systest2.bu.edu/sociology/faculty/faculty_bios.html#dmonti. community in the nation’s cities. ➤

The Institute on Race and ➤ Social Division, founded and directed by economics professor Glenn Loury, examines issues of race, economic inequality, affirmative action and welfare policies, and manifesta- tions of social division.

28 Research at Boston University 2001 29 The Photonics Center ➤

Bridging Academia and Industry

Boston University forges strong links between academia and industry,

The Photonics Center, dedicated to turning the results of its research to the benefit of society and attuning building new products and businesses research and educational programs to the needs of the marketplace. using light-based technologies, is also home to a growing collection of light- Many centers and departments across the University actively encourage based art.The Center’s collection includes this dynamic sculpture which the transition of ideas to real-world applications. uses thin film materials to project an ever-changing ”sun drawing“ on the walls of the Center’s three-story atrium. ➤ Building the future with light their groundbreaking discoveries in the treatment of heart disease, hypertension, cancer, arthritis, pulmonary diseases, dia- Photonics—the technology of light—is a $100 billion industry betes, and skin disorders. worldwide with an annual growth rate of 18 percent. Fueled by The Boston University Medical Center and its Office demands for higher performance products in a wide range of of Clinical Research provide facilities and expertise for con- industries, including telecommunications, entertainment, ducting clinical studies. Companies located in BioSquare optics, and health care, photonics is radically transforming the include NitroMed, Inc., which is developing new nitric oxide- way we live and work. Boston University’s Photonics Center, a based drugs to treat cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, bold new model for university-industry collaboration, provides and MassMEDIC, the business organization that coordinates venture capital, incubator infrastructure, technical expertise, the affairs of medical device manufacturers throughout and management for emerging photonics-based companies. Massachusetts. For more information about BioSquare, see Working directly with entrepreneurs, investors, and industrial www.biosquare.org. partners, it turns promising concepts into commercial products by providing the resources to refine original ideas, build working prototypes, and launch new ventures. Companies that have recently graduated from the Photonics Business Incubator include PhotoDetection Systems, which is developing advanced, low-cost, three-dimensional medical imaging systems, and Mosaic Technologies, which produces a highly sensitive fiber- optic-based instrument to rapidly screen the blood supply for pathogens such as AIDS and hepatitis-C. For more information about new light-based technologies, see pages 15–16; for more information about the Photonics Center, see www.bu.edu/photonics.

Space for medical and business innovation

tion of new products and technologies in the life sciences. ➤ BioSquare tenants also have access to investigators renowned for BioSquare provides corporate tenants with sophisticated research facilities, cardiovascular imaging facilities, transgenic services, and other biomedical core services.

30 Research at Boston University 2001 31 This fully automated winder for optical fiber was developed at the Bridging Academia and Industry Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation for production of the sensitive gyroscopes used in spacecraft and missile include PhotoDetection Systems, which is developing advanced, Building the future with light guidance systems. low-cost, three-dimensional medical imaging systems, and Photonics—the technology of light—is a $100 billion industry Mosaic Technologies, which produces a highly sensitive fiber- worldwide with an annual growth rate of 18 percent. Fueled by optic-based instrument to rapidly screen the blood supply for demands for higher performance products in a wide range of pathogens such as AIDS and hepatitis-C. industries, including telecommunications, entertainment, ➤ optics, and health care, photonics is radically transforming the way we live and work. Boston University’s Photonics Center, a bold new model for university-industry collaboration, provides From left, Mark Crovella and Azer Bestavros credit venture capital, incubator infrastructure, technical expertise, and management for emerging photonics-based companies. the Community Technology Fund’s New Ventures Working directly with entrepreneurs, investors, and industrial Program with helping them build a company based partners, it turns promising concepts into commercial products on their research, while at the same time allowing by providing the resources to refine original ideas, build work- them to continue teaching.Their company, ing prototypes, and launch new ventures. Companies that have Commonwealth Network Technologies, Inc., was recently graduated from the Photonics Business Incubator acquired by WebManage Technologies, Inc., which

➤ was later acquired by Network Appliance, Inc.

For more information about new light-based technologies, see pages 15–16; for more information about the Photonics Center, see www.bu.edu/photonics.

Space for medical and business innovation

BioSquare, a $700 million, 2.5 million-square-foot biomedical research and business park at Boston University Medical Center, offers corporate tenants access to a wide array of biomedical facilities and services for the development and commercialization of new products and technologies in the life sciences. BioSquare tenants also have access to investigators renowned for their groundbreaking discoveries in the treatment of heart disease, hypertension, cancer, arthritis, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and skin disorders. The Boston University Medical Center and its Office of Clinical Research provide facilities and expertise for con-

ducting clinical studies. Companies located in BioSquare ➤ include NitroMed, Inc., which is developing new nitric oxide- Fraunhofer’s “manufacturing floor under laboratory conditions” based drugs to treat cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, provides an ideal situation for the development of new manufactur- and MassMEDIC, the business organization that coordinates ing technologies.The facility offers a fully equipped electromechani- the affairs of medical device manufacturers throughout cal machine development laboratory, a 9,000-square-foot Massachusetts. For more information about BioSquare, see www.biosquare.org. machining and testing center, laser-assisted milling, a scanning electron microscope, an advanced metrology laboratory, a rapid prototyping facility, and a videoconferencing facility. 32 Research at Boston University 2001 33 New Directions

Advances in science and technology are revealing the complexity and interconnectedness of systems, both natural and man-made. Encompassing business, industry, and the community as part of its educational and research missions, Boston University has generated a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to research that is yielding rich results.

Managing complexity

Researchers in the department of manufacturing engineering are leading a multi-institutional consortium to develop innovative techniques for managing complex systems. With funding through the National Science Foundation’s Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence initiative, they are creating new computational tools to manage such multidimensional systems as modern manufacturing facilities, global communication networks, and worldwide economic systems. They will also contribute to solving complex problems in computational physics. The research team will be testing the new tools in the factories of two industrial collaborators, ALCOA and Pratt Whitney. For more information, see www.bu.edu/pcms/kdi.

Looking beneath the surface

Scientists at Boston University are playing a major role in the ➤ ➤ Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS), BU’s Knowledge and Distributed a new NSF Engineering Research Center funded by a five-year Entangled-photon fluorescence microscopy Intelligence team uses a “Lego car factory” grant potentially amounting to $16.2 million. As deputy direc- (see page 15), schematically pictured here, is to demonstrate the stochastic dynamic tor of CenSSIS, Bahaa Saleh is leading the effort to develop one of the new technologies being devel- revolutionary technologies to detect and image objects and con- nature of manufacturing systems. From left, oped by engineers at Boston University as ditions underground, underwater, or embedded within living part of the Engineering Research Center for faculty members Francis Alexander, from tissue or man-made structures. These applications range from BU’s Center for Computational Science, and mapping pollution plumes underground to detecting a tumor Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems Michael Caramanis, Ioannis Paschalidis, and under the skin to locating unexploded land mines. (CenSSIS). Christos Cassandras from the department The multi-institutional, multidisciplinary engineering research effort has a strong focus on education and curriculum of manufacturing engineering. development and will establish dynamic industrial partnerships to create new technology products.

34 Research at Boston University 2001 35 New Directions

Increasing computational power Supporting innovation

The Center for Computational Science (CCS), under the lead- Boston University actively encourages students and faculty to ership of professors Claudio Rebbi and Roscoe Giles, designs explore avenues for the commercialization of new technologies cutting-edge computational solutions for complex problems in in areas as diverse as biotechnology, computer science, and med- the sciences, engineering, arts, and humanities. Working with icine. The University helps nurture the creation of new compa- the Scientific Computing and Visualization group and the nies in partnership with venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and Office for Information Technology, CCS supports high- industry in such settings as the Photonics Business Incubator performance computing and visualization systems. and BioSquare (see page 31 for descriptions). It continues to Boston University was the first academic institution in aggressively invest in new faculty and facilities to support its the world to install the RS/6000 SP, a scaled-down version of commitment to the growth of education and research in engi- IBM’s ASCI White, the most powerful supercomputer ever built. neering, science, and mathematics. The machine, with the ability to process 96 billion calculations The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and per second, effectively doubles the University’s supercomputing Graduate Education provides a range of services that keeps the capacity, providing a powerful new tool for researchers working University at the forefront of research and scholarly activities. on projects in fields from quantum physics to genome research. This office helps plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research, The University plays a key role as a partner in the represents the University in research matters related to inter- National Computational Science Alliance. With its Access Grid University consortia, and coordinates with the Office of Conference Facility, Boston University is a primary point of Sponsored Programs, the Undergraduate Research Oppor- contact on the Alliance Grid, an experimental suite of hardware tunities Program (UROP—for a related article, see page 40), and software tools that facilitates scientific collaboration over and the various graduate programs. the Internet. Giles also heads the Institute for African-American ECulture, funded by the National Science Foundation to support research on the involvement of African Americans in the development of new technologies, thereby addressing issues of the “digital divide.” ➤ Viewers gear up with three-dimensional goggles and control wands to explore Linea Australis, a virtual environment created by Deborah Cornell, with ➤ ➤ sounds by Richard Cornell, both members of the Start-up photonics companies, creating new products in the Corporate tenants are developing and commercializing School for the Arts faculty.The environment is part telecommunications and medical-device sectors using light- new products in the life sciences with the help of sophisticated of “Spirited Ruins,” a collaboration of artists and based technology, have access to a wide range of expertise, laboratories and biomedical facilities at BioSquare. computer scientists hosted by the Scientific Computing state-of-the-art research facilities, business and technical ser- 36 Research at Boston University 2001 37 and Visualization group. vices, and venture capital at the Photonics Business Incubator. Students Investigating

Students are the heart and soul of any university, and at Boston University, students—both graduate and undergraduate—are strongly encouraged to undertake research and are clearly recognized for their important research endeavors and achievements.

Applets: artificial gene networks Collaborating for endangered species

As a doctoral student in biomedical engineering, Timothy Jesse Schwartz has been ecologist Les Kaufman’s junior colleague Gardner worked with researchers at the College of Engineering at Lake Victoria, East Africa, in recent summers, studying to create a biological device capable of turning gene activity on endangered species of haplochromine cichlids, fishes that have and off with the flip of a switch. The mechanism is viewed as evolved into hundreds of new species. Schwartz and Kaufman an important step toward developing safe and effective gene collaborate on studies of the functional importance of species therapies. diversity in fish communities and on understanding what the Working with his professors, James Collins and Charles loss of species might mean for human beings. Cantor, Gardner constructed a genetic toggle switch using DNA While researching Lake Victoria’s cichlids in Kenya, from a common bacterium, Escherichia coli. The technology Schwartz met William Ojwang, who grew up nearby and could make it possible one day to turn cells into tiny computers wondered at the disappearance of the local cichlid species. that police our metabolism. By contrast, current therapies often Supported by World Bank funding, he came to Boston require a drug to be administered in a constant flow—and too University’s Marine Program to earn a master’s degree with much medication can cause unwanted side effects. Future projects Kaufman and intends to return to Kenya to help solve some also include an early-warning alert to signal infection by a biolog- of Lake Victoria’s problems. (For more information about ical warfare agent and trigger the production of an antidote. Kaufman’s research, see page 20.) The research team envisions the combination of various genetic toggles and sensors into a “genetic applet,” an artificial gene network that could be implanted in a patient and programmed to control cell function. Collins and Gardner recently launched a company to commercialize genetic applet technology. For more information, see cbd.bu.edu/~tsg/

➤ genetic-applets.html. In the lab where the world’s first genetic toggle switch was designed, James Collins, professor of biomedical engineering, at left, and Timothy Gardner, recent Ph.D. and author of the project.

From left, graduate students Jesse ➤ Schwartz and William Ojwang, and their professor, Les Kaufman, examine a rope covered with sea squirts and sponges.

38 Research at Boston University 2001 39 Students Investigating Schematic drawings and launch photos of the student-built SPECTRE rocket. On the launch pad, below, in June 2000, from left, David Nghiem, who, as an undergraduate in biomedical engineering managed the Undergraduates in the lab Recently, four Boston University undergraduates— program from its inception; Valerie Maher, engineering student Carissa Bellardine and College of Arts and astronomy graduate student; Valerie The underlying philosophy of the Undergraduate Research Sciences students Catherine Cormier, Hau Le, and Mindy Taylor, mechanical engineer at the Center Opportunities Program (UROP) is that excellence in under- Markowitz—won Beckman Scholars grants from the Arnold graduate education includes experience beyond the classroom. and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Boston University was one of for Space Physics; Jay Hancock and Tibor UROP links students with faculty members who mentor stu- only sixteen selected out of 116 invited colleges and universities Trunk, undergraduate engineering students in research across the University. It sponsors projects and receiving a grant, which enabled the four students to conduct dents; and Michael Ruane, electrical and offers a range of support services, including workshops on such research during one academic year and two summers. computer engineering faculty member. topics as grant funding, poster presentation, academic publish- “UROP is one of the best things I’ve seen happen at More than sixty undergraduates par- ing, and research ethics. UROP students present their work at this University,” says Thomas Gilmore, who was Cormier’s pro- an annual University-wide conference. fessor and mentor. “The undergrads have allowed me to investi- ticipated in building and launching the “Research is a vital part of the educational process,” gate areas I normally wouldn’t have investigated.” To learn SPECTRE rocket. says UROP Executive Director Sharon Prado. “Many students more, see www.bu.edu/urop. report that by doing research, the laboratory techniques that they have read about in textbooks suddenly come alive and become relevant.” Participation in research through UROP gives students Mending hearts—growing cardiac tissue a head start toward graduate school, teaching them skills they might otherwise not learn until much later. Faculty members While earning his Ph.D. under the tutelage of Solomon also benefit from the fresh perspective undergraduate researchers Eisenberg in the department of biomedical engineering, Nenad bring to the process. Funding agencies that value the integration Bursac helped identify critical parameters for growing func- of research and undergraduate education have recognized the tional cardiac tissue outside the body. His work won him the University’s commitment to UROP with increased support and Dr. Williams Watch Award for Excellence in Bioengineering institutional grants. from Advanced Tissue Sciences in La Jolla, California. Bursac collaborated with a multi-institutional team of researchers who engineered the tissue by seeding living cardiac cells from animals onto a three-dimensional polymer scaffold that slowly degrades as the cells develop into full tissue. Student-built rocket takes flight Bursac’s contribution was to characterize the electro- for NASA physiological properties of the engineered tissue and compare them to tissue excised from normal animal ventricles. The engi- Five years ago Supriya Chakrabarti, director of the Center for neered tissue is being developed as an alternative to animal test- Space Physics, presented a choice to five undergraduate stu- ing of new drugs and treatments. In the long term, this research dents: take a final exam in an introductory astronomy class, or could lead to the development of cardiac tissue for use in repair- develop a NASA grant proposal for a rocket experiment. In ing damaged heart tissue inside the body. June 2000, a team of students and faculty watched that proposal take flight. SPECTRE, or the Student-run Program for Exoatmospheric Collecting Technologies and Rocket Experiment, was launched successfully from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. The rocket traveled in space sixty-two miles above Earth’s surface for five minutes and fell into the Atlantic Ocean, as planned. The payload—instru- mentation to measure X-ray, ultraviolet, and visible radia-

tion—was designed to observe the way different types of ➤ radiation are absorbed by various atmospheric constituents at Catherine Cormier (CAS ’01) examines different altitudes. the role of the v-Rel protein in the NASA, which selected SPECTRE as part of its Student growth of cancerous tumors in Professor Launch Program initiative, funded the project and furnished a Thomas Gilmore’s Tumor Virology lab. Nike-Orion sounding rocket for the experiment. To learn more, see www.bu.edu/csp/uv/spectre.

40 Research at Boston University 2001 41 Students Investigating

Developing new materials

New Zealander James Downes, a Ph.D. candidate with physicist The astronomy department’s Coit ➤ Kevin Smith, has become a veteran researcher at Brookhaven Observatory on the Charles River National Laboratory, on Long Island. His work with Smith is Campus has been a proving ground exploring the electronic properties of novel materials—or newly for astronomy students over the discovered solids—focusing particularly on the physics of their years. Boston University astronomers surfaces. Some of this research requires the use of very intense X-ray radiation synchrotrons available at facilities like and students also use the 72-inch Brookhaven. Downes is working with Smith on a project to Perkins Telescope at the Lowell develop thin films of organic conductors. Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and a 20-inch telescope at the McDonald Observatory in Texas.

Engineering students at Boston University mentor students from high schools in greater Boston in a robotics laboratory on campus. Together they develop and test new approaches to the design and construction of robots that will compete in national

➤ tournaments. ➤ Ph.D. student James Downes, at right, and physicist Kevin Smith use the X-ray emission spectrome- ter in the Metcalf Science Building.

42 Research at Boston University 2001 43 Research by the Numbers From the President In 1854, Sir Richard Burton, the intrepid nineteenth-century English explorer, disguised himself as an Arab merchant and ventured into the forbidden Somali city of Harar. When bandits attacked his base camp on the coast, Burton was speared through the jaw. He escaped death, however, to return home — and write up his research. Today’s scholarly researcher is more likely to be masked in Tyvek coveralls Sponsored Programs Revenue: 1971–2000 or to explore by means of satellite photographs, but the audacious curiosity that prompted Burton to venture into the unknown lives on at Boston University. The sciences comprise the great intellectual enterprise of our age and Boston University researchers $ 250,000,000 have helped to expand their frontiers. Much of this work is interdisciplinary: mathematics meets biology, nanotechnology intersects with astronomy. Professor Fred Schubert figures out how to make a lightbulb from an LED. Biology professor Kristen Harris uses quantum physics to study how neurons communicate. Research in the humanities and social sciences also thrives at Boston University. The wealth of $ 200,000,000 nations, material and otherwise, is the intellectual quarry sought by Professor Peter Berger, who directs the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture. Economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff studies the intergenera- tional transfer of wealth: not a bad description of how the humanities contribute to a university education. $ 150,000,000 Burton’s forbidden city of Harar is a real place, but Harar is also the metaphorical destination for all audacious researchers who wish to touch the walls, to pick up a handful of sand, and to see the stars burning in the desert sky over the ancient city. Boston University offers a sustaining oasis for travelers on that journey.

$ 100,000,000 Jon Westling, President

$ 50,000,000 Boston University at a Glance ADMINISTRATION COMPUTING FACILITIES $ 0 John Silber, Chancellor Supercomputers 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 • IBM RS/6000 64-processor SP Jon Westling, President • SGI 192-processor Origin2000 Dennis D.Berkey, Provost and Dean of Specialized High Performance Computer Laboratories Arts and Sciences • Computer Graphics Laboratory Aram Chobanian, Provost of the Medical • LIVE:Laboratory for Virtual Environments Campus and Dean,School of Medicine High Performance Networking • Northern Crossroads (NoX) Distribution of Research Revenues: 1999/2000 DEANS • Internet2 Abilene Brent Baker,College of Communication • Access Grid Conference Facility David Campbell,College of Engineering • HiPPI (High Performance Parallel Ronald A.Cass,School of Law Interconnect) MED School of Medicine Edwin Delattre,School of Education Computing Labs SMG <1% John Ebersole,Metropolitan College CAS/GRS College and Graduate School Spencer Frankl,Goldman School of Dental Medicine • UNIX,Mac,and PC systems clusters MED 56% SED 1% of Arts and Sciences SSW 1% Alan Jette,Sargent College of Health and • Residential Computer Resource Centers Centers/Institutes 2% ENG College of Engineering Rehabilitation Sciences • More than thirty additional departmental Louis Lataif,School of Management computer laboratories SAR 3% SDM Henry M.Goldman School of Walt Meissner,School for the Arts (Acting) SDM 3% Dental Medicine LIBRARIES Robert Meenan,School of Public Health 17 libraries and special collections SAR Sargent College of Health Robert Neville,School of Theology (2.1 million volumes,28,535 periodicals, Other 7% and Rehabilitation Sciences Wilma Peebles-Wilkins,School of Social Work 3.9 million microform units) SSW School of Social Work James T.Stamas,School of Hospitality Administration Claudio Véliz,The University Professors (Director) RESEARCH SED School of Education Linda Wells,College of General Studies Sponsored Programs Revenue: ENG 8% 1999/2000—$203,512,808 SMG School of Management STUDENTS 15,305 undergraduates,10,131 graduate students FINANCIAL RESOURCES CAS/GRS 19% Endowment:$930.2 million FACULTY AND STAFF Total assets:$2.6 billion 2,377 full-time faculty,944 part-time faculty,5,217 staff THE CAMPUS 44 Research at Boston University 2001 132 acres,343 buildings,457 classrooms, *Figures as of Fall 2000 1,602 laboratories