This Breast Cancer Information Core has been established to facilitate the detection and characterization of breast cancer susceptibility genes. It has been set up to be a repository for all mutations and polymorphisms in these genes. More importantly, it is meant to provide help in the form of techniques, primers, and support to those carrying out the lab work. By having access be through membership it is hoped that it will be a place where mutations found yet not necessarily already published can be accessible to others working in the field.

American Heart Association journals online

The American Heart Association, one of the world's premier health organizations, is committed to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

owns his own WWW page (including TOC and abstracts). This service is part of the FASEB information services. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biologyhics is the largest coalition of life sciences societies in the United States, and represents over 42,000 biomedical and biological scientists.

November 8, 1995

To: Members of the Congressional Liaison Committee
From: Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy
Re: NIH Funding Letter-Immediate Action Needed

THE ISSUE

In response to the current budget impasse, the co-chairs of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter on the NIH budget situation. The letter was circulated by Reps. George Gekas (R-PA), Bill Richardson (D-NM), and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and asks that the NIH be a top priority during budget negotiations and be funded at the highest possible level for FY'96.

ACTION NEEDED

CLC members are asked to contact their Representatives now through December 1 to ask that they sign the "Dear Colleague" letter in support of increased funding for the NIH. Please call the Capitol switchboard (tel: 202/224-3121) to connect to your Representative's office. Ask that the Congressman/woman contact Seth Johnson in Congressman Gekas' office at 202/225-4315.

The following Members have already signed the "Dear Colleague" letter: Porter (R-IL), Coyne (D-PA), Nethercutt (R-WA), Klug (R-WI), Fowler (R-FL), Clayton (D-NC), Pallone (D-NJ), Bentsen (D-TX), Morella (R-MD), Cunningham (R-CA), Clayton (D-NC), Davis (R-VA), Fox (R-PA), Olver (D-MA), Maloney (D-NY), Hall (D-OH), DeFazio (D-OR), Frank (D-MA), Markey (D-MA), Dellums (D-CA), McDermott (D-WA), Meehan (D-MA), and Dingell (D-MI).

Dear Colleague:

We are deeply concerned that the 5.7% FY'96 funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) passed by the House may be permanently delayed by the application of an across the board funding formula in any Continuing Resolution for Appropriations (CR). Under the current operating CR until Nov. 13th, the NIH is now funded by a 5% decease in funds from the FY'95 funding level.

The NIH is a program that all parties in the budget negotiations-- the Administration, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees- -agreed was among the highest funding priorities for FY'96. It is foreseeable that the NIH may continue to be funded at the reduced level of 95% of last year's funds throughout FY'96. This would seriously jeopardize our progress in biomedical research and produce a result that no one supported.

We are asking you to join us in the attached letter to President Clinton, Speaker Gingrich, Chairman Livingston, Senate Majority Leader Dole, and Chairman Hatfield. Please contact Seth Johnson at 225-4315 if you would like to sign on to the letter.

(Signed)
George Gekas, Bill Richardson, Cliff Stearns

Excerpts of the letter to be signed by your Member of Congress follow:

Dear____:

We are concerned about the current funding situation for the NIH. The NIH. The NIH is a world leader in biomedical research. Its programs enjoy the broad bipartisan support of both the Congress and the American public. The Administration, as well as the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, all recommended FY'96 funding increases for the NIH, but the current CR reduces NIH funding to 95% of the FY'95 funding level. This reduction is unnecessary to achieve a balanced budget since both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees recommended the NIH increase in the context of a seven-year balanced budget plan.

If the current CR's funding reduction for the NIH were to be continued beyond the November 13th expiration date in any future budget agreements, there will be serious consequences for the progress of biomedical research in the United States. The unintended consequences of across-the-board funding formulas with no budget priority decisions threaten future research efforts. Disease costs the nation billions every year in health care costs. As we strive to achieve a balanced budget, we must adopt policies and funding priorities that make the most of scarce federal dollars. Federal funding for biomedical research should be a top priority because without new strategies to prevent, intervene and treat diseases, health care costs will continue to spiral out of control.

For example, last year the nation spent $90 billion on the care of the Alzheimer's patients. Significant progress through biomedical research to delay the most debilitating aspects of a disease requiring around the clock nursing care would save billions of Medicare and Medicaid dollars every year. An investment of one billion dollars in NIH research wuld be a bargain to save approximately $40 billion in federal health care costs. Currently, we fund only $300 millioon for NIH research on Alzheimer's disease. Adequate funding for the NIH not only saves scarce federal health care dollars, but also provides hope and solutions to the victims of diabetes, heart, stroke, and other chronic diseases.

We strongly urge you to fund the National Institutes of Health in any budget agreement at the highest possible level for FY'96, consistent with the funding priorities set by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the Clinton Administration.

Sincerely,
(signed Member of Congress)

* * *

For more information, contact Jim Bernstein at the ASCB at 301/530-7153, or Pete Farnham at the ASBMB at 301/530-7147.
ASCB
ASBMB
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GSA
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ASCB ANNUAL MEETING ADDRESSES SCIENCE, POLICY

National leaders in science, science policy, and Congress, including National Cancer Institute Director Richard Klausner, NIH Director Harold Varmus, fellow Nobel Laureate Paul Berg, Chiron Corporation CEO Edward Penhoet, and Congressman John Porter (R-IL) will be featured at the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting. This 35th ASCB Annual Meeting will be held at the Washington, DC Convention Center from December 9-13. Some of the issues of special interest to members of the scientific community include:
Educating the Public: Ideas for Scientists as Advocates, will be moderated by Robert Goldman of Northwestern University on Saturday, December 9 from 2:00-4:00 PM. Panelists will include Washington Post science writer Boyce Rensberger, Harold Silverman of Interscience Communications Ltd, Ellen Stoval of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, and Congressional Representatives. The seminar will focus on how scientists can more effectively address some common misperceptions the public has about medicine, and how they might become more effective advocates to the press and public at-large.
Richard Klausner, NCI Director, will give the Policy Keynote Address on Saturday, December 9 at 6:00 PM. Klausner will discuss The New NCI: Opportunities and Responsibilities. Eric Kandel of Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons will give the Science Keynote on Genes, Synapses, and the Cell-Term Memory.
The E.B. Wilson Medal Presentation and Lecture by Bruce Nicklas of Duke University will take place on Sunday, December 10, at 6:15 PM. Nicklas' lecture is Needling the Chromosomes in Mitosis.
The E.E. Just Award Presentation and Lecture by James R. Gavin III of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute will be held on Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 PM. Gavin will discuss Cellular Calcium Dysregulation in Insulin-resistant Diabetes Mellitus: Role in Disease Pathophysiology.
ASCB President Ursula Goodenough of Washington University will address local high school students on Sunday, December 10 from 12:30-4:00 PM. Students and members of the press will have the opportunity to ask questions following the presentation entitled Why do Cells Have Sex, and How Does Sex Evolve?
Harold Varmus, NIH Director, will be the featured speaker at the first ASCB College Student Symposium on Sunday, December 10 from 2:00-5:30 PM. Following the presentation, students will be invited to ask questions as well as to listen to selected graduate students discuss their career options and decisions.
Congressman John Porter (R-IL) will receive the ASCB Public Service Award and address the ASCB Membership on Sunday, December 10 from 7:30-8:30 PM. Rep. Porter is Chairman of the House Labor, Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee and one of the NIH's strongest Congressional supporters.
Paul Berg of Stanford University School of Medicine will present The Scientific Enterprise: Entering the Next Millennium, on Monday, December 11, from 1:00-2:30 PM. Berg will discuss career options for graduate students and the future of the job market in the biological sciences.
The Congressional Liaison Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 12, from 9:30-10:30 AM. ASCB Congressional Education Liaison Peter Kyros, and Tom Pollard of Johns Hopkins University will discuss the ASCB's role in political advocacy. Members of Congress have been invited.
The Second Annual Practice of Science Session on Research in a New World: Practicing Science in an Era of Constrained Resources will be held on Tuesday, December 12 from 1:30- 3:00 PM. Edward Penhoet, CEO & President of Chiron Corporation, will provide an industry perspective, and ASCB past-President J. Richard McIntosh of the University of Colorado will provide an academic perspective. Keith Yamamoto of the University of California, San Francisco will moderate the session.
Leland Hartwell is recipient of the Fourteenth Keith R. Porter Award and will give his award presentation on Tuesday, December 12 at 7:30 PM. Hartwell will speak on The Cell Cycle.
For general information, contact ASCB Public Affairs Director Jim Bernstein at 301/530-7153. To register for the Annual Meeting by e-mail, write jbernste@ascb.faseb.org. Provide your name, business affiliation/address, phone, fax. Write "Press Registrant" in your reply. A confirmation will be mailedto you.

Since October 19th, 1995 Nature maintains a WWW site including What's new in Nature, Catalogue of Nature's Journals and Job descriptions.

a new journal from CSHL Press including an online supplement. The journal focuses on genome studies in all species, including genetic and physical mapping, DNA sequencing, gene discovery, informatics, statistical and mathematical methods and genome structure and function, as well as technological innovations and applications. New data in these areas are published as research papers, review articles, short reports, and summaries of physical mapping and large-scale sequencing projects.

The Resource for Molecular Cytogenetics at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the University of California, San Francisco, funded by the Department of Energy, has been created to facilitate the application of molecular cytogenetics in clinical and biological studies. Work is being pursued in three areas: Development and application of improved hybridizaton technology, selection of probes optimized for the use in situ hybridization (FISH), and development of digital imaging microscopy.

An international listing of ongoing clinical trials actively recruiting patients. Use this listing to search for clinical trials by therapeutic area and geographic region.

AIDS. Arthritis. Cancer. Diabetes. Heart Disease. Herpes.
Fight back by supporting medical research, and help discover the prevention and cure for these and other diseases.

is providing a public service to qualified research organizations who are conducting or are planning to conduct Clinical Trials which are IRB or FDA approved. Referring physicians or patients considering enrolling into a Clinical Trials Program should contact the designated individual(s) listed in the Informational Announcement.

The tables of contents and abstracts for Cell, Immunity, and Neuron are now available. To facilitate communication with authors, Cell Press has attached to each article the corresponding author's telephone and fax numbers and, where available, email address.

is a database offered as a public service to help locate laboratories performing various biochemical genetics tests.

• 
  
• List of Diseases and Tests
  
• List of Tests by Type
  
  • 
    
  • Metabolite Assays
    
  • Enzyme and Functional Assays
    
  • DNA Tests
    
• List of Laboratories, Tests and Addresses
  
• List of Tests and Labs Performing Them
  

is a new Genetic Counseling Students' Network of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at Indiana University (54 subscribers / October 9th '95).

You can join this group by sending the message "sub PZANDQZ your name" to listserv@indycms.iupui.edu

is is a database covering genes physically mapped to chromosomes in the laboratory rat and kept by the Department of Genetics in Gothenburg. The service contains