The holiday season is notorious for the emotional stress it evokes. Now, researchers have come up with a non-invasive way to see the effects of psychological stress in an area of the brain linked to anxiety and depression. This research has important implications for how practitioners treat the numerous long-term health consequences of chronic stress.

Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect increased blood flow in the prefrontal cortex of individuals subjected to stress. Further, the increased flow continued when the stressor was removed, suggesting the effects of stress are more persistent than once thought.

Supported by NSF, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Air Force, this research will pave the way to develop improved strategies to prevent or correct the long-term health consequences of chronic stress. For more on this underlying non-invasive fMRI procedure, see "Researchers Use Imaging Technique to Visualize Effects of Stress on Human Brain."

Plants use light for energy during photosynthesis, as well as to govern basic processes such as seed germination, flowering, and, in autumn, dropping of leaves. NSF-supported scientists recently revealed the 3-D structure of the light-detecting protein, phytochrome. The researchers determined that phytochrome is twisted into a molecular knot, an uncommon shape for any protein. The scientists theorize the knot helps give phytochrome an overall stability as it snaps back and forth between two different forms in response to changes in light color.

Knowing the 3-D structure of phytochrome will allow researchers to determine the specific switching mechanism plants use to respond to light and how the light-derived signals are propagated within the plant. Nanotechnologists may also find a light-activated switch useful as they develop novel microscopic devices. Read NSF's press release, "Scientists Shed Light on Plant Responses" for more details about phytochrome's form and function.

By comparing the genetic code from 6,000-year-old remains of Adelie penguins in Antarctica with that of modern Adelies living at the same site, researchers have shown that microevolution, the process of evolutionary change at or below the species level, has taken place in the population.

Inside living cells, fluids flow rapidly through microscopic, nearly frictionless protein channels. Until now, man-made nanoscale structures have not been able to mimic the speeds of natural systems because the fluids flow slowly along the walls. A team of engineers, including one NSF CAREER awardee, recently found that carbon nanotubes only seven-billionths of a meter in diameter channel many fluids in a nearly friction-free manner. With some fluids, the interiors of the tubes were so slippery that the liquids sailed through 10,000 to 100,000 times faster than models had predicted.

The fabrication techniques for these nanotubes easily adapt to large-scale production--important for industries that need to separate commodity chemicals. The technology could one day be used to deliver drugs through the skin or in specialized chemical sensors. For more on the tiny tubes, see NSF's "Slippery When Wet."

Mentorship is alive and well at Arkansas State University, where geochemist Robyn Hannigan has established a program to immerse minority and female students in the study of environmental science. The result has been a double success for science and education. The program, Research Internships in Science of the Environment (RISE), gives some students their first experience doing research. A Native American from a disadvantaged community, Hannigan knows from experience that science only appeals to many students after they have personally conducted hands-on research.

With funding from NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Hannigan designed RISE to increase diversity in the scientific workforce. Since 2001, RISE has supported the summer research projects of more than 30 undergraduate students. For more, see "RISE Program Proves that Undergraduate Research Experiences Help Recruit Minority Scientists."

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NSF: What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Krasny: Observing professional and personal growth in my graduate students. Opportunities to venture into and talk with people in urban and international communities I normally would not have access to. Relationships with colleagues in which we have a constant and challenging exchange of ideas.

NSF: Has working with Garden Mosaics changed your approach to education?
Krasny: Definitely. It has led to new ideas about embedding science education within multicultural understanding, intergenerational mentoring, and community action.

NSF: Are you yourself a gardener?
Krasny: My daughter is the gardener. Mostly I help her.

Read more about Marianna Krasny's project in NSF's Discovery, "Science, Education and Community: Organically Grown."

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