Scientists do not act in a vacuum; therefore there will never be truly independent scientific research. Societal problems very often are (and should be) triggers to develop research in this or that direction. We all depend on financial resources, but money should never take precedence in our work. I am appalled by pharmaceutical companies that make tremendous amounts of money out of misery of fellow humans. Patenting drugs (and the resulting price of them) is, in my view, a crime against humanity. Maybe I am still naïve, but I believe that most of the researchers work hard because of their scientific curiosity and altruistic convictions.
Anna Potempska, PhD
Department of Molecular Biology
NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities
Staten Island, NY 10314
