Today’s dose is full of losses, from Senator Arlen Specter to Novartis. Fortunately, there’s also some new potential for fat loss.

— Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter saw his 30 years of representation coming to an end last night, when he lost in the state’s Democratic primary. For medical research, it also means the end to 30 years of support: Specter was most recently a champion of stimulus funding for the National Institutes of Health and pushed through the new Cure Acceleration Network. (NYTimes)

— Incoming freshmen at the University of California–Berkeley already have a test to worry about: a genetic one. The school plans to collect DNA samples from students who volunteer, and will later provide individual results relating to alcohol and lactose metabolism. (NYTimes)

— Researchers describe in a new study how fat cells mature through an unrecognized transition state, which is promoted by the stress hormone cortisol and other factors. The authors suggest that these development signals could be new drug targets in the fight against fat. (LATimes)

— In a class-action suit against Novartis, which was recently decided against the company, a jury awarded $250 million in damages over claims of a hostile work environment for women. The 12 original plaintiffs have already been awarded $3.5 million, but Novartis plans to appeal the case. (WaPo/AP)

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