If the U.S. is to be a competitive player in the next generation of advanced materials, it will need to invest significantly more in materials research, in crystal growth and similar facilities, and in training the next generation of material scientists.

We face sophisticated competitors and new terrorist threats. Yet there are opportunities to maintain U.S. leadership and, especially, to better protect our war fighters in the field.

Today’s industrial catalysts are relatively crude and imprecise. Nature’s catalysts are far better, but how they work is not well understood. Solving that puzzle would have profound impact on energy and environmental challenges.