  Deformed shell model (DSM) based on Hartree-Fock intrinsic states is applied
to address two current problems of interest. Firstly, in the $f_{5/2}pg_{9/2}$
model space with jj44b effective interaction along with isospin projection, DSM
is used to describe the structure of the recently observed low-lying $T=0$ and
$T=1$ bands in the heavy odd-odd N=Z nucleus $^{66}$As. DSM results are close
to the data and also to the shell model results. For the $T=1$ band, DSM
predicts structural change at $8^+$ just as in the shell model. In addition,
the lowest two $T=0$ bands are found to have quasi-deuteron structure above a
$^{64}$Ge core and the $5^+$ and $9^+$ levels of the third $T=0$ band are found
to be isomeric states. Secondly, in a first application of DSM to dark matter,
detection rates for the lightest supersymmetric particle (a dark matter
candidate) are calculated with $^{73}$Ge as the detector.
