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NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan spent the week commemorating NSF’s leading efforts in strengthening partnerships and supporting research empowering individuals and communities to promote a better, safer, healthier world.

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Panchanathan joined the NSF Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (NSF OSDBU) to present the NSF OSDBU Star award. The award recognizes NSF organizations for their exemplary service in advancing opportunities for small businesses to partner with NSF. This year’s awardees, the NSF Directorate for Engineering and Office of Chief Information Officer, leveraged investments to strengthen individuals and uplift local communities that power and fuel the national economy.

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In a whirlwind of activity over the past two weeks, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan has been at the forefront of championing a vision of innovation without limits and paving the way for a boundary-free future in scientific discovery. 

On Thursday, Oct. 31, the director gave a keynote speech at the “Artificial Intelligence-Bioscience Collaborative International Summit” in Washington, D.C., run by the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with NSF, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Microsoft and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The summit brought together partners and experts in AI and the biological sciences to share strategic opportunities for scientific discoveries and collaborations between these two fields and the potential risks. Panchanathan highlighted the significance of NSF’s investments in accelerating discoveries in AI and bioscience thus far and stressed the importance of fostering international and cross-sector collaborations.  

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Mirroring the mechanisms that make human faces and bodies — and those of many multicellular organisms — symmetrical, bee colonies build symmetrical nests when they are placed on either side of a double-sided comb. The finding, published in Current Biology by U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers, extends examples of symmetry in biology to the behavior of communities and the architectural structures that they build.

In addition to the simple beauty of the mirrored combs, nest symmetry also helps the colonies adapt better. For example, two-sided nests grow more quickly, rear more brood and have a more stable thermal environment than one-sided nests.

“Akin to the location of plumbing in the construction of an apartment building, which often results in mirrored kitchens or bathrooms across apartments, bees originate their colonies based on a heat source, and thermal cues drive colony organization,” said Michael L. Smith, corresponding author on the publication and assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at Auburn University. “Heat cues direct where the nest is initiated and where the queen begins laying eggs, but the entire nest is symmetrical, including their pollen and honey stores.”

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The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced that the official opening of the NSF Arecibo Center for Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Science Education, Computational Skills, and Community Engagement (NSF Arecibo C3) will be moved to 2025. The opening will now coincide with NSF’s 75th anniversary commemorations all year round, marking a milestone that celebrates decades of advancing scientific discovery and innovation.  

“NSF and the Puerto Rican community are eagerly anticipating the opening of Arecibo C3. I want to assure you NSF recognizes the importance of taking the necessary time to ensure the center meets the highest standards of excellence,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “By extending the timeline, we can ensure that the center has the time it needs while taking advantage of a unique opportunity to launch during NSF’s 75th anniversary — a significant year that reflects our long-standing commitment to scientific progress and STEM education.”  

This decision is driven by several factors, including delays in the scheduling and transporting of essential equipment to the island and ongoing efforts to ensure the center meets the required standards for access and inclusivity.   

Separate from the factors that led to this decision, this revised schedule allows the Arecibo C3 team to make necessary arrangements and adjust their organizational structure following Universidad del Sagrado Corazón’s recent decision to conclude its engagement with the project. This new structure will

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