S. HRG. 109–294 FUTURE OF SCIENCE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION NOVEMBER 18, 2005 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 25–880 PDF WASHINGTON : 2006 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 025880 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\25880.TXT JACK PsN: JACKF SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman CONRAD BURNS, Montana JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BARBARA BOXER, California GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARIA CANTWELL, Washington GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska JIM DEMINT, South Carolina MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana LISA J. SUTHERLAND, Republican Staff Director CHRISTINE DRAGER KURTH, Republican Deputy Staff Director DAVID RUSSELL, Republican Chief Counsel MARGARET L. CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel SAMUEL E. WHITEHORN, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel LILA HARPER HELMS, Democratic Policy Director (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 025880 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\25880.TXT JACK PsN: JACKF C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on November 18, 2005 ...................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Burns ................................................................................... 34 Statement of Senator Hutchison ............................................................................ 13 Statement of Senator Smith ................................................................................... 32 Statement of Senator Stevens ................................................................................ 1 WITNESSES Agre, Peter, M.D., Vice Chancellor, Science and Technology/Professor, Cell Biology and Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine ............................ 2 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Cornell, Eric, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, Department of Commerce ............... 9 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 11 Heath, James, Ph.D., Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology ........................................................................................ 14 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 15 Ting, Samuel C.C., Ph.D., Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Physics, Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology ......................................................................... 20 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 22 APPENDIX Inouye, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii, prepared statement ........... 37 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 025880 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\25880.TXT JACK PsN: JACKF VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 025880 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\25880.TXT JACK PsN: JACKF FUTURE OF SCIENCE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2005 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:15 a.m. in room SD–562, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TED STEVENS, U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA The CHAIRMAN. My apologies. It’s a strange morning over there on the floor, and I’m hopeful that some of our colleagues will join us. For the information of our guests and witnesses, we’ve had a little confrontation on the conference report on the Patriot Act, and also on being able to get the continuing resolution passed, which must be passed today and get to the President today. And he hap- pens to be overseas, so it’s a very interesting problem. But let me thank you all for coming. Through the years, we’ve been amazed by the results of our Na- tion’s scientific research. And because of these advancements, the United States has been able to capture and maintain its leadership position in science and technology. Our history clearly dem- onstrates our reliance on science, and will undoubtedly serve as the basis for our future growth and success. I’m really pleased to be able to discuss research, technology, in- novation, and education as the pillars of our success for the 21st century with these distinguished gentlemen who are at the table. Dr. Peter Agre, vice chancellor of science and technology, professor of cell biology, professor of medicine, at Duke University. Dr. Agre received the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discoveries con- cerning channels in cell membranes. Dr. Eric Cornell, senior sci- entist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Dr. Cornell re- ceived the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research leading to the landmark 1995 creation of the Bose–Einstein condensate and early studies of its properties. Dr. James R. Heath, Elizabeth Gilloon professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Tech- nology, was named by Scientific American as one of the top 50 vi- sionaries for his research in fabricating and assembling, utilizing nanocomputers. Dr. Samuel C. Ting, Thomas Dudley Cabot pro- fessor of physics at MIT. Dr. Ting received, in 1976, the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the charmed quark, one of na- ture’s basic building blocks. (1) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 025880 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\25880.TXT JACK PsN: JACKF 2 I do thank you for coming. I regret that this is the day it’s hap- pened, when we have so much going on out there that is so con- troversial. And we were in late last night. We left the floor last night at midnight. So, I don’t know how soon my colleagues will join us. I do know, however, that you are on national television, and you’re not only speaking to us, but you’re speaking to the coun- try. So, I appreciate your coming to testify today. I would hope that your comments will lead us to be actionary, rather than reac- tionary, in the fields that you represent. And I not only look for- ward to your testimony, but I look forward to Jim Heath joining me for fishing in Alaska again soon. And you’re all invited some- time. So, let me turn first to you, Dr. Agre. STATEMENT OF PETER AGRE, M.D., VICE CHANCELLOR, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY/PROFESSOR, CELL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Dr. AGRE. Good morning, Senator Stevens, staff members, guests. It’s a pleasure to be here to discuss the future of science. And although I have notes, and these are distributed, I’d like to make my comments informal. The CHAIRMAN. Whatever you all want to print in the record, we’ll print. I’ll be delighted to have you make the comments that you wish us to hear and understand, and the audience out there to understand, too, Doctor. Dr. AGRE. Yes, sir. Thank you. My laboratory was recognized for the discovery of how water is organized in biology. Water is often described as the solvent of life. Our bodies are about 70 percent water. This is shared by all life forms. Without water, there is no life. The organized distribution of water is something that goes on all of the time. We never think about it. While we’re sitting here, our brains are being coated with spinal fluid, our eyes are being filled with aqueous humor, water is being released into tears, sweat, sa- liva, and bile. Our kidneys are concentrating urine. The trees out- side are taking up water from the ground. It may be surprising at this late state in science that the discovery of how water is moved in biological tissues is very recent. This emerged from a discovery made in our laboratory 14 years ago. And it deals with a family of proteins, which we’ve termed the aquaporins. These are the water channel proteins that cause water to enter cells and leave cells. The discovery, itself, was sheer serendipity. We were pursuing another project. But it’s now led to potential clinical advances. These aquaporins are involved in many important disease states. Aquaporin 0 defects cause cataracts. Aquaporins 1 and 2 are how our kidneys can concentrate urine. And I think anybody who had a Venti Starbucks coffee at the station this morning, by the end of this hearing, is going to feel a sensation of fullness in his bladder. That’s Aquaporin 2 at work. Aquaporin 3 is important for the in- tegrity of our skin. Beauty products are now being marketed, be- cause of the induction of this protein. Aquaporin 4, in the brain, is very important. Oftentimes, individuals sustaining a stroke or a VerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:59