A winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday said one of his first tasks was to join a group of Nobel winners who endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president. The 61 Nobel winners published an open letter last month saying the nation “urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology” to address issues such as energy, disease and economic competitiveness. “We really need to have more support for science in the White House, and we haven't had that in the last eight years,” said Martin Chalfie, a professor of biological sciences at Columbia University. The Bush administration has come under criticism from researchers and former government officials for meddling in science and for mixing science with politics. Chalfie shared the Nobel Prize for chemistry with two other scientists for their work with a green fluorescent protein that glows and allows researchers to illuminate tumor cells, trace toxins and monitor genes. Upon learning he won, Chalfie said he contacted a friend, Robert Horvitz, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2002, to join the Obama supporters. Horvitz was one of the 61 Nobel winners in medicine, physics and chemistry to sign the letter.
