In 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson discovered DNA And the double helix model, right? Well, it is the story, a story of science that is based on stereotypes of scientists as an independent individual working in isolation (or, perhaps, in small groups of two or three) in autonomous laboratories, carrying white coats and working on burners or bunsen microscopes. Stereotypical, men, often social unsuitable in one way or another, become obsessed and work constantly, not engaging in personal care or interaction with others, dreamer About this moment of discovery that will change the world.
But this is not the true story of science. Science is not the discovery of facts isolated by single individuals working in isolation. Science is a dynamic and evolving process of long and ardu work punctuated by moments of insight and inspiration. Scientific discoveries are years, even decades, in manufacturing, involving collaborations between several scientists – researchers and teachers -sex, postdoctoral comrades, graduate students, undergraduate students, research assistants and technicians – across several laboratories in the United States and around the world. Yes, individuals make discoveries, but only in the context of the years of continuous work, meticulous observation, deep description, development of theory, hypothesis and re-test and test tests. Oh, and the holding of files! Laboratory newspapers and magazines, precise measures recorded and verified and revered, everyone’s work examined, reveified, discussed, discussed and debated. And results leading to rethink, reassess, develop new hypotheses, test again and again.
The history of DNA discovery is only an example of the endless history of science. DNA was discovered and scientists were able to isolate DNA and chromosomes in the early 1900s. But they did not know how DNA integrated into the theories of genetic heritage, theories that have been developing for centuries. A crucial question was the real DNA structure – it was the critical discovery made first by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. Franklin has used newly available tools to scratch X -rays through DNA molecules to be able to see for the first time what they really look like. Crick and Watson used this data to develop the double propeller model that described the sequence of base pairs and published the article in 1953, more than 50 years after the discovery of DNA.
But history does not stop there – like all science, it is an endless story. Important information on DNA and genetic heritage continued to be studied and, in 1990, the human genome project was launched. This project, which managed to sequence the complete human genetic code, was reflected in the 1980s, from scientific conferences and workshops. Ideas on how to implement such a process have been proposed and evaluated, and finally implemented in 1990. The initial theoretical and preliminary empirical work laid the foundations for the largest collaborative survey of human biology. It took 13 years and involved hundreds of laboratories and thousands of scientists and technicians in the United States, Germany, France, Japan, China and the United Kingdom to say that it was a huge human business would be an understatement! Many countries and institutions have contributed to the costs of such an important project, in particular the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is the first international institute for scientific research and application in the world, and the launch and completion of the human genome project attest to the value of doing this type of investment.
With these new discoveries, history continues. Human genome cartography has changed medical technology, diagnosis and treatment. Diseases have been cured, diseases avoided and new forms of personalized medicine have been implemented. We can now better understand genetic mutations such as cancer, and we develop new targeted treatments according to this knowledge. Expanded genetic knowledge informs our understanding and treatment of chronic disorders, such as diabetes, and promises to be invaluable help in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, to name only a few.
And it’s not just medicine. The sequencing of our DNA has improved the legal system, both in terms of resolution of crimes and also to release people wrongly sentenced.
And for many of us, the sequencing of our DNA has helped us know more about our own family stories, our ancestors and our ancestors. The popularity of family genetic genetic test websites reveals our deep need to connect to our past and learn the stories of our ancestors in a way that lights up our own personal trip. Scientific discoveries are tangled with our human need to connect to each other and to our past.
Currently, we are faced with threats to science, a dismantling of infrastructure that lubricates the discovery process. We must understand that science is not a simple collection of facts, isolated ideas of people working alone, which can easily be reconstructed if the funding resumes. As illustrated by the history of DNA, science is an endless history, a long and hard work story over the years and in laboratories, and this work takes dedication and resources to continue. Science can be expensive – scientists and laboratories end up time and money, but that benefits us all. Science is for all of us and by all of us – this is the endless history of humanity. Let’s go everything Defend science!