Direct numerical simulation of wall-normal rotating channel flow with heat transfer has been performed for the rotation number N-tau from 0 to 0.1, the Reynolds number 194 based on the friction velocity of non-rotating case and the half-height of the channel, and the Prandtl number 1. The objective of this study is to reveal the effects of rotation on the characteristics of turbulence and heat transfer. Some statistical turbulence and heat transfer quantities, including the mean velocity, temperature and their fluctuations, turbulent heat fluxes, and turbulence structures, are investigated. Based on the present calculated results, two typical rotation regimes are identified. When 0 < N-tau < 0.06, the turbulence statistics correlated with the spanwise velocity fluctuation are enhanced since the shear rate of spanwise mean flow induced by Coriolis force increases; however, the other statistics are suppressed. When N-tau > 0.06, all the turbulence statistics are suppressed significantly. To elucidate the effects of rotation on the turbulent heat transfer, the budget terms in the transport equation of turbulent heat fluxes are analyzed. Remarkable change of the direction of near-wall streak structures of the velocity and temperature fluctuations, nearly in alignment with the absolute mean flow direction, is revealed. An attempt to evaluate the mean spacing and the direction of streaky structures near the wall has been examined based on the two-point correlations of the velocity and temperature fluctuations. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.