In science news around the world this week, a senator is questioning the FDA about its actions in response to a lawsuit brought by whistleblowers, an Indiana creationism bill is unlikely to advance, Russian space scientists may build a new version of the failed Fobos-Grunt sample return spacecraft, the genome of an extinct human is now online, the Kavli Foundation is endowing its first institute in Japan, Minnesota began destroying blood samples collected in its newborn-screening program, scientists are boycotting Elsevier to protest its journal pricing, and a report outlines the steps needed to increase the number of U.S. science degrees.

From 20 to 22 April, the winners of GE's 2011 IN Cell Analyzer Image Competition will appear on NBC Universal's high-definition screen of Times Square in New York City. On 2 February, scientists at the Paranal Observatory in Chile for the first time successfully linked all four telescopes of the Very Large Telescope array. Alan Stern, the principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons mission to the dwarf planet, and Dan Durda, an astronomer and space artist, have posted a petition on the website change.org urging the U.S. Postal Service to issue an official stamp in 2015 honoring the mission's arrival at Pluto. And this week's numbers quantify the annual cost of a new cystic fibrosis drug and the amount raised for pediatric cancer research at a disco dance party.

On 3 February, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced five new winners in the €7.7 billion Excellence Initiatives, which aims to help create a group of five to 10 world-class research and higher education clusters.

Author: Barbara Casassus

The new cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco illustrates both the promise and peril of personalized medicine: It is extremely expensive and helps only 4% of people with the disease, or 1200 patients.

Author: Jocelyn Kaiser

A new paper published in the January issue of GSA Today holds invasions responsible for the failure to speciate in some marine animal groups in the Devonian period 380 million years ago.

Author: Richard A. Kerr

What was supposed to be a rising star in Eastern European science, the Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences in Split, is mired in controversy and appears to be on the brink of collapse.

Author: Mico Tatalovic

The microbial ecology of buildings gets a boost from a foundation and researchers trying to better understand the invisible communities in our homes, hospitals, and workspaces.

Author: Courtney Humphries

Seeking to spur drug development, Stephen Friend has launched a daring series of initiatives to make biomedical research more open and effective.

Author: Jocelyn Kaiser