A Quarter Century of Fueling Science

History repeats itself, and so do trends in research funding.

| 5 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
5:00
Share

SEAN MCCABE

Twenty-five years ago, life science research was a different ball game. Few of today’s common tools and techniques, which afford researchers unprecedented glimpses into biology’s inner workings, were available, and if they were, they were rarely affordable. Genetically modified organisms were still largely the stuff of science fiction. Desktop computers were not yet standard pieces of equipment in the lab. And the Human Genome Project was little more than a glimmer in the eyes of its eventual architects.

But in 1986, the state of the economic engine that drives scientific research in the United States bore an eerie resemblance to the situation that exists today. Capitol Hill was focused squarely on the federal deficit, which was the highest the county had ever seen at about ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Keywords

Meet the Author

  • Bob Grant

    From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio 
Zymo Research

Zymo Research Launches Microbiome Grant to Support Innovation in Microbial Sciences