BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
10
SEPTEMBER
2014
Public Affairs
In an effort to collect new stories showcasing how
fundamental biophysics research can result in out-
comes that make a positive impact on the world,
the Biophysical Society solicited the community
to submit one minute videos or one page essays
highlighting one such advancement.
Judges from the Society’s public affairs committee,
which sponsored the contest, reviewed the entries
and selected 4 winners. They are:
Daniela Dalm
, a member and postdoctoral fellow
at the University of Texas, Medical Branch at
Galveston, for her video on fighting cancer;
Ryan Hoffman
, Scripps Research Institute, for his
video on fighting the flu;
Rishabh Kumar
, Carmel High School, working in
the lab of BPS member Horia. Petrache, Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis, for his
essay entitled Galvani’s
Powerful Discovery; and
Keir Neuman
, NHLBI, NIH, for his essay on a
new treatment for toe nail fungus infections.
View the winning entries by going to
-
physics.org and clicking 'Awards & Funding' and
then 'Society Contests'.
BPS Raises Concern over the
Secret Science Reform Act
The Biophysical Society joined 43 other science-
minded organizations in sending a letter to the
leaders of the US House of Representatives and
the Senate’s Environmental and Public Works
Committee on a piece of legislation passed June
24 by the House Science, Space, and Technology
Committee entitled the Secret Science Reform Act.
In late July eight Senators, including Environment
and Public Works Committee Ranking Member
John Barrasso
(R-WY), introduced a companion
bill to the House bill. If it were to become law, the
Secret Science Reform Act would prohibit the EPA
from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regu-
lations or assessments unless all underlying data
were made publicly available and reproducible.
While the bill targets an agency not directly tied
to biophysical research, the Society’s public affairs
committee was concerned about the impact the
legislation would have on individual scientists
whose work may become drawn into the midst of
political/legal battles and the precedent it would set
for research conducted at other federal agencies.
To read the letters go to
.
org/AboutUs/NewsRoom/tabid/2243/Default.
aspx.
America Competes Act
Reauthorization
Just before the Senate recessed for the month
of August, Senator
John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, IV
,
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation, along with
Senators
Dick Durbin
(D-IL),
Bill Nelson
(D-FL),
Mark Pryor
(D-AR),
Chris Coons
(D-DE), and
Ed
Markey
(D-MA), introduced the America COM-
PETES Reauthorization Act of 2014. Rockefeller,
a long- time supporter of research and develop-
ment, STEM, and innovation related issues, is
retiring at the end of the year.
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of
2014 would authorize stable and sustained increas-
es in federal research and development (R&D)
funding for the National Science Foundation
(NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and
Biophysics:
Changing Our World
CONTEST WINNERS
