This month, several new American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology council and committee members will start their terms on the Council, Nominating Committee, Public Affairs Advisory Committee and Publications Committee.

ASBMB members in the spotlight this month include Carolyn Bertozzi, Charleen T. Chu, Catherine C. Fenselau, Joanne Stubbe, Christopher T. Walsh and Alexander Varshavsky.

ASBMB recently was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Coordination Network Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE) grant supporting a five-year project that will bring hundreds of life scientists together to develop a rich central resource for biochemistry and molecular biology educators.

BY JENNIFER A. HOBIN AND KAREN R. MOWRER

A rundown of FASEB's latest advocacy efforts, including the annual Capitol Hill Day, a letter urging the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee to increase in the NIH budget and FASEB's involvement in promoting improvements in scientific training.

Fred Brewer of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine continues the discussion on the differences between basic and translational research.

Thoru Pederson of the University of Massachusetts Medical School praises ASBMB President Gregory Petsko's farewell message as well as his columns in general.

BY SUZANNE PFEFFER

Incoming ASBMB President Suzanne Pfeffer discusses one of her top goals for the next two years: addressing the needs of the society's youngest members.

BY JERARD HURWITZ

Leon A. Heppel, who carried out pioneering work in the areas of physiology and nucleic acid biochemistry, passed away on April 9 at the age of 97 in Ithaca, N.Y.

BY KYLE M. BROWN

On May 27, in response to the recent announcement that scientists had created the first microbe with a man-made genome, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee heard expert testimony on the scientific and ethical implications of synthetic biology. During the hearing, representatives sought to understand the emerging technology’s benefits and risks.