TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Eric S. Lander A2 - Michael S. Waterman TI - Calculating the Secrets of Life: Contributions of the Mathematical Sciences to Molecular Biology SN - DO - 10.17226/2121 PY - 1995 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2121/calculating-the-secrets-of-life-contributions-of-the-mathematical-sciences PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - As researchers have pursued biology's secrets to the molecular level, mathematical and computer sciences have played an increasingly important role—in genome mapping, population genetics, and even the controversial search for "Eve," hypothetical mother of the human race. In this first-ever survey of the partnership between the two fields, leading experts look at how mathematical research and methods have made possible important discoveries in biology. The volume explores how differential geometry, topology, and differential mechanics have allowed researchers to "wind" and "unwind" DNA's double helix to understand the phenomenon of supercoiling. It explains how mathematical tools are revealing the workings of enzymes and proteins. And it describes how mathematicians are detecting echoes from the origin of life by applying stochastic and statistical theory to the study of DNA sequences. This informative and motivational book will be of interest to researchers, research administrators, and educators and students in mathematics, computer sciences, and biology. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/9638 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9638/size-limits-of-very-small-microorganisms-proceedings-of-a-workshop PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - How small can a free-living organism be? On the surface, this question is straightforward-in principle, the smallest cells can be identified and measured. But understanding what factors determine this lower limit, and addressing the host of other questions that follow on from this knowledge, require a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and ecology of cellular life. The recent report of evidence for life in a martian meteorite and the prospect of searching for biological signatures in intelligently chosen samples from Mars and elsewhere bring a new immediacy to such questions. How do we recognize the morphological or chemical remnants of life in rocks deposited 4 billion years ago on another planet? Are the empirical limits on cell size identified by observation on Earth applicable to life wherever it may occur, or is minimum size a function of the particular chemistry of an individual planetary surface? These questions formed the focus of a workshop on the size limits of very small organisms, organized by the Steering .Group for the Workshop on Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms and held on October 22 and 23, 1998. Eighteen invited panelists, representing fields ranging from cell biology and molecular genetics to paleontology and mineralogy, joined with an almost equal number of other participants in a wide-ranging exploration of minimum cell size and the challenge of interpreting micro- and nano-scale features of sedimentary rocks found on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system. This document contains the proceedings of that workshop. It includes position papers presented by the individual panelists, arranged by panel, along with a summary, for each of the four sessions, of extensive roundtable discussions that involved the panelists as well as other workshop participants. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Inspired by Biology: From Molecules to Materials to Machines SN - DO - 10.17226/12159 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12159/inspired-by-biology-from-molecules-to-materials-to-machines PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Scientists have long desired to create synthetic systems that function with the precision and efficiency of biological systems. Using new techniques, researchers are now uncovering principles that could allow the creation of synthetic materials that can perform tasks as precise as biological systems. To assess the current work and future promise of the biology-materials science intersection, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation asked the NRC to identify the most compelling questions and opportunities at this interface, suggest strategies to address them, and consider connections with national priorities such as healthcare and economic growth. This book presents a discussion of principles governing biomaterial design, a description of advanced materials for selected functions such as energy and national security, an assessment of biomolecular materials research tools, and an examination of infrastructure and resources for bridging biological and materials science. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Safeguarding the Bioeconomy SN - DO - 10.17226/25525 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25525/safeguarding-the-bioeconomy PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Research and innovation in the life sciences is driving rapid growth in agriculture, biomedical science, information science and computing, energy, and other sectors of the U.S. economy. This economic activity, conceptually referred to as the bioeconomy, presents many opportunities to create jobs, improve the quality of life, and continue to drive economic growth. While the United States has been a leader in advancements in the biological sciences, other countries are also actively investing in and expanding their capabilities in this area. Maintaining competitiveness in the bioeconomy is key to maintaining the economic health and security of the United States and other nations. Safeguarding the Bioeconomy evaluates preexisting and potential approaches for assessing the value of the bioeconomy and identifies intangible assets not sufficiently captured or that are missing from U.S. assessments. This study considers strategies for safeguarding and sustaining the economic activity driven by research and innovation in the life sciences. It also presents ideas for horizon scanning mechanisms to identify new technologies, markets, and data sources that have the potential to drive future development of the bioeconomy. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Search for Life's Origins: Progress and Future Directions in Planetary Biology and Chemical Evolution SN - DO - 10.17226/1541 PY - 1990 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1541/the-search-for-lifes-origins-progress-and-future-directions-in PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The field of planetary biology and chemical evolution draws together experts in astronomy, paleobiology, biochemistry, and space science who work together to understand the evolution of living systems. This field has made exciting discoveries that shed light on how organic compounds came together to form self-replicating molecules—the origin of life. This volume updates that progress and offers recommendations on research programs—including an ambitious effort centered on Mars—to advance the field over the next 10 to 15 years. The book presents a wide range of data and research results on these and other issues: The biogenic elements and their interaction in the interstellar clouds and in solar nebulae. Early planetary environments and the conditions that lead to the origin of life. The evolution of cellular and multicellular life. The search for life outside the solar system. This volume will become required reading for anyone involved in the search for life's beginnings—including exobiologists, geoscientists, planetary scientists, and U.S. space and science policymakers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Biomolecular Self-Assembling Materials: Scientific and Technological Frontiers SN - DO - 10.17226/5502 PY - 1996 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5502/biomolecular-self-assembling-materials-scientific-and-technological-frontiers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Biology and Life Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Evaluating the Biological Potential in Samples Returned from Planetary Satellites and Small Solar System Bodies: Framework for Decision Making SN - DO - 10.17226/6281 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6281/evaluating-the-biological-potential-in-samples-returned-from-planetary-satellites-and-small-solar-system-bodies PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - For the first time since the Apollo program, NASA and space agencies abroad have plans to bring samples to Earth from elsewhere in the solar system. There are missions in various stages of definition to gather material over the next decade from Mars, an asteroid, comets, the satellites of Jupiter, and the interplanetary dust. Some of these targets, most especially Jupiter's satellites Europa and Ganymede, now appear to have the potential for harboring living organisms. This book considers the possibility that life may have originated or existed on a body from which a sample might be taken and the possibility that life still exists on the body either in active form or in a form that could be reactivated. It also addresses the potential hazard to terrestrial ecosystems from extraterrestrial life if it exists in a returned sample. Released at the time of the Internationl Committee on Space Research General Assembly, the book has already established the basis for plans for small body sample retruns in the international space research community. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Opportunities in Biotechnology for Future Army Applications SN - DO - 10.17226/10142 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10142/opportunities-in-biotechnology-for-future-army-applications PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Conflict and Security Issues AB - This report surveys opportunities for future Army applications in biotechnology, including sensors, electronics and computers, materials, logistics, and medical therapeutics, by matching commercial trends and developments with enduring Army requirements. Several biotechnology areas are identified as important for the Army to exploit, either by direct funding of research or by indirect influence of commercial sources, to achieve significant gains in combat effectiveness before 2025. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics: The Science of the World Around Us SN - DO - 10.17226/11967 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11967/condensed-matter-and-materials-physics-the-science-of-the-world PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The development of transistors, the integrated circuit, liquid-crystal displays, and even DVD players can be traced back to fundamental research pioneered in the field of condensed-matter and materials physics (CMPP). The United States has been a leader in the field, but that status is now in jeopardy. Condensed-Matter and Materials Physics, part of the Physics 2010 decadal survey project, assesses the present state of the field in the United States, examines possible directions for the 21st century, offers a set of scientific challenges for American researchers to tackle, and makes recommendations for effective spending of federal funds. This book maintains that the field of CMPP is certain to be principle to both scientific and economic advances over the next decade and the lack of an achievable plan would leave the United States behind. This book's discussion of the intellectual and technological challenges of the coming decade centers around six grand challenges concerning energy demand, the physics of life, information technology, nanotechnology, complex phenomena, and behavior far from equilibrium. Policy makers, university administrators, industry research and development executives dependent upon developments in CMPP, and scientists working in the field will find this book of interest. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Seeing the Future with Imaging Science: Interdisciplinary Research Team Summaries SN - DO - 10.17226/13110 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13110/seeing-the-future-with-imaging-science-interdisciplinary-research-team-summaries PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Imaging science has the power to illuminate regions as remote as distant galaxies, and as close to home as our own bodies. Many of the disciplines that can benefit from imaging share common technical problems, yet researchers often develop ad hoc methods for solving individual tasks without building broader frameworks that could address many scientific problems. At the 2010 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Conference on Imaging Science, researchers from academia, industry, and government formed 14 interdisciplinary teams created to find a common language and structure for developing new technologies, processing and recovering images, mining imaging data, and visualizing it effectively. The teams spent nine hours over two days exploring diverse challenges at the interface of science, engineering, and medicine. NAKFI Seeing the Future with Imaging Science contains the summaries written by each team. These summaries describe the problem and outline the approach taken, including what research needs to be done to understand the fundamental science behind the challenge, the proposed plan for engineering the application, the reasoning that went into it, and the benefits to society of the problem solution. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Capturing the Full Power of Biomaterials for Military Medicine: Report of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/11063 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11063/capturing-the-full-power-of-biomaterials-for-military-medicine-report PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Conflict and Security Issues KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Recent results in biomaterials R&D suggest that there are exceptional opportunities for these emerging materials in military medicine. To facilitate this possibility, the National Research Council convened a workshop at the request of the Department of Defense to help create a technology development roadmap to enhance military R&D into biomaterials technology. The workshop focused primarily on identifying useful near- and mid-term applications of biomaterials including wound care, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and physiological sensors and diagnostics. This report presents a summary of the workshop. It provides a review of biomaterials and their importance to military medicine, the roadmap, and a discussion of ways to enable biomaterials development. Several important outcomes of successful capture of potential benefits of these materials are also discussed. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences SN - DO - 10.17226/12809 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12809/research-at-the-intersection-of-the-physical-and-life-sciences PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior--concepts familiar to physicists and chemists--are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior. Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment. This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions--and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Joe Alper A2 - Steven Moss A2 - Andrew Bremer TI - Successes and Challenges in Biomanufacturing: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief DO - 10.17226/26846 PY - 2023 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26846/successes-and-challenges-in-biomanufacturing-proceedings-of-a-workshop-in PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Engineering and Technology AB - The use of living organisms and biological components in manufacturing processes is increasing across manufacturing sectors. However, biomanufacturing faces several bottlenecks and challenges to continued growth. To share practices and potential solutions, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop titled Successes and Challenges in Biomanufacturing on October 24-25, 2022. The workshop brought together biomanufacturing stakeholders across industry, academia, and government with expertise across diverse fields, including U.S.-based and international speakers. Discussions spanned the breadth of biomanufacturing contexts and applications, including bioindustrial and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief provides a high-level summary of the topics addressed at the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Mathematics and 21st Century Biology SN - DO - 10.17226/11315 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11315/mathematics-and-21st-century-biology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - The exponentially increasing amounts of biological data along with comparable advances in computing power are making possible the construction of quantitative, predictive biological systems models. This development could revolutionize those biology-based fields of science. To assist this transformation, the U.S. Department of Energy asked the National Research Council to recommend mathematical research activities to enable more effective use of the large amounts of existing genomic information and the structural and functional genomic information being created. The resulting study is a broad, scientifically based view of the opportunities lying at the mathematical science and biology interface. The book provides a review of past successes, an examination of opportunities at the various levels of biological systems— from molecules to ecosystems—an analysis of cross-cutting themes, and a set of recommendations to advance the mathematics-biology connection that are applicable to all agencies funding research in this area. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System SN - DO - 10.17226/11860 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11860/exploring-organic-environments-in-the-solar-system PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The sources, distributions, and transformation of organic compounds in the solar system are active study areas as a means to provide information about the evolution of the solar system and the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe. There are many organic synthesis processes, however, and ambiguity surrounds the relative effectiveness of these processes in explaining the distribution of organic compounds in the solar system. As a consequence, NASA directed the NRC to determine what processes account for the reduced carbon compounds found throughout the solar system and to examine how planetary exploration can advance understanding of this central issue. This report presents a discussion of the chemistry of carbon; an analysis of the formation, modification, and preservation of organic compounds in the solar system; and an assessment of research opportunities and strategies for enhancing our understanding of organic material in the solar system. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Physics of Life SN - DO - 10.17226/26403 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26403/physics-of-life PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Biological physics, or the physics of living systems, has emerged fully as a field of physics, alongside more traditional fields of astrophysics and cosmology, atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, and plasma physics. This new field brings the physicist's style of inquiry to bear on the beautiful phenomena of life. The enormous range of phenomena encountered in living systems - phenomena that often have no analog or precedent in the inanimate world - means that the intellectual agenda of biological physics is exceptionally broad, even by the ambitious standards of physics. Physics of Life is the first decadal survey of this field, as part of a broader decadal survey of physics. This report communicates the importance of biological physics research; addresses what must be done to realize the promise of this new field; and provides guidance for informed decisions about funding, workforce, and research directions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering From the 2000 NAE Symposium on Frontiers in Engineering SN - DO - 10.17226/10063 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10063/frontiers-of-engineering-reports-on-leading-edge-engineering-from-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - In 1995 the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) initiated the Frontiers of Engineering Symposium program, which every year brings together 100 of the nation's future engineering leaders to learn about cutting-edge research and technical work in different engineering fields. On September 14-16, 2000, the National Academy of Engineering held its sixth Frontiers of Engineering Symposium at the Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California. Symposium speakers were asked to prepare extended summaries of their presentations, and it is those papers that are contained here. The intent of this book, and of the five that precede it in the series, is to describe the content and underpinning philosophy of this unique meeting and to highlight some of the exciting developments in engineering today. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - John C. Wooley A2 - Herbert S. Lin TI - Catalyzing Inquiry at the Interface of Computing and Biology SN - DO - 10.17226/11480 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11480/catalyzing-inquiry-at-the-interface-of-computing-and-biology PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Computers and Information Technology KW - Math, Chemistry, and Physics KW - Surveys and Statistics AB - The remarkable growth of both computer science and biology in recent decades has drawn attention to their areas of intersection. Both fields have much in common; they are among the most rapidly changing fields of science, they both deal with very complex systems, and they both have profound implications for science and society. To examine the potential for greater interaction between the two fields, the National Research Council undertook a study looking at ways computational science can aid the development and understanding of biology and how the biological sciences might facilitate new and more powerful computational methods. This book presents an analysis of the potential synergies at the interface of the two fields and of ways to develop new collaborations between researchers in both areas to exploit those synergies. The book provides a large sample of well-documented examples of these interactions. The study concludes that the impact of computing on biology will be deep and profound and span virtually all areas of life science research. Computational biology will ultimately become part of the biological sciences. The impact of biology on computing is less certain, but could be substantial and should be pursued. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Microbiomes of the Built Environment: A Research Agenda for Indoor Microbiology, Human Health, and Buildings SN - DO - 10.17226/23647 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23647/microbiomes-of-the-built-environment-a-research-agenda-for-indoor PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Engineering and Technology AB - People's desire to understand the environments in which they live is a natural one. People spend most of their time in spaces and structures designed, built, and managed by humans, and it is estimated that people in developed countries now spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. As people move from homes to workplaces, traveling in cars and on transit systems, microorganisms are continually with and around them. The human-associated microbes that are shed, along with the human behaviors that affect their transport and removal, make significant contributions to the diversity of the indoor microbiome. The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environments—such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materials—in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. The factors that affect the environments within buildings, the ways in which building characteristics influence the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, and the ways in which these microbial communities relate to human health and well-being are extraordinarily complex and can be explored only as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem by engaging the fields of microbial biology and ecology, chemistry, building science, and human physiology. This report reviews what is known about the intersection of these disciplines, and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. It offers a research agenda to generate the information needed so that stakeholders with an interest in understanding the impacts of built environments will be able to make more informed decisions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States SN - DO - 10.17226/13437 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13437/sustainable-development-of-algal-biofuels-in-the-united-states PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Energy and Energy Conservation KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources. Continued research and development could yield innovations to address these challenges, but determining if algal biofuel is a viable fuel alternative will involve comparing the environmental, economic and social impacts of algal biofuel production and use to those associated with petroleum-based fuels and other fuel sources. Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels was produced at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy. ER -