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After hundreds of years, the most common, basic microscopes still operate by means of the same old hardware: the lens. But what if you could do away with that lens and create a microscope that fits on a cell phone? That’s what researchers led by Aydogan Ozcan at U.C.L.A. have developed. Ozcan recently won an NSF (National Science Foundation) Early Career Development award for his work [see http://bit.ly/d98kXu ].

Normal microscopes image cells themselves. But Ozcan’s team is imaging their shadows. Tissue cells and bacteria are semi-transparent--light penetrating through cells causes shadings and reveals texture. Ozcan uses an LED as his light source, creating cellular shadows. An algorithm turns those shadows into an image of the cells.

Since its passage in 1983, the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) has led to the approval of 357 drugs for rare diseases and a pipeline of more than 2,100 additional products. Before the ODA, just 10 such drugs existed. Considering that some 7,000 rare diseases affect 20 million to 30 million Americans, federal overseers and patient advocates are anxious to ramp up efforts even more.

But finding a way to give the act a second wind is kicking up dust both scientific and financial. The U.S. passed the ODA as a way to encourage pharmaceutical firms to develop treatments for uncommon illnesses--those affecting no more than 200,000 Americans. The act hinges on financial incentives, including federally funded grants and contracts for clinical trials, a 50 percent tax credit on trial costs and, above all, seven years of market exclusivity starting from the date of drug approval. (Nonorphan drugs receive patent protection, a more cumbersome and potentially less profitable arrangement.) The law has enabled researchers and manufacturers to invest in drugs otherwise unlikely to turn a profit because of the limited need.

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - An overhaul of world farming and more vegetarianism should be top priorities to protect the environment, along with curbs on fossil fuel use, a U.N.-backed study said on Wednesday.

By Janelle Weaver

Freeloading crows start to contribute to group efforts when hardworking birds become handicapped, a study shows.

Carrion crows ( Corvus corone ) form stable groups that share the responsibilities of breeding and caring for the young. [More]