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As it struggles to overcome the legacy of apartheid, South Africa needs to protect and strengthen the most productive parts of its science base. That requires a tough approach to the redistribution of resources – and determination to tackle big spenders.
Reviving the fortunes of South African science after years of political isolation is proving an uphill task. The needs are enormous, while funding remains as tight as ever. Nevertheless many researchers remain optimistic.
How old is life on Earth? Its chemical traces may have been recognized in rocks from Greenland that are more than 3.8 billion years old, at least 300 million years older than any previous evidence.
Developments in techniques of pharmaceutical chemistry have revolutionized the design of drugs beyond previous expectations. But what are our current expectations and what does the future hold? Glaxo Wellcome has set itself the objective of introducing three significant new medicines a year, every year, by 2000.
