Dense Star-forming Gas and Dust in the Magellanic Clouds
  The early stages of star formation are closely related to the ambient
conditions in the interstellar medium. Important questions such as dust
abundance, size distribution, temperature distribution, fraction of molecular
gas, fraction of dense gas, gas surface density and total amount of gas and
dust require separation of metallicity and radiation effects. The Magellanic
Clouds provide an ideal laboratory to carry out such studies. They are
prominent targets for space observatories (Spitzer, Herschel), but an important
role remains for large groundbased facilities, such as a 25 m class
sub-millimeter telescope on Dome C.
