What Are The Goals And Priorities Of The Average Scientist?

A 17-year-old high school student on the threshold of pursuing a scientific career worries about the public's perception of science and of what research brings to the world. A 72-year-old academic chemist is concerned that young scientists are looking to industry, rather than academia, for fulfilling work. These two people, at opposite ends of a professional lifetime, are different in many ways. But they, and three other researchers of different ages interviewed for this article, agree on many issues affecting their workaday lives. And although these scientists aren't among the scientific community's most eminent investigators, they share many of the same concerns. In a survey of elite, well-known scientists conducted by The Scientist earlier this year (Jan. 7, 1991, page 1), there was a consensus that funding shortfalls for investigator-initiated projects, the need to encourage more young people to take up science careers, and the negative public perception of science are the most crucial problems confronting science in the 1990s. On the other hand, these key players pointed out that, in terms of scientific developments, this is a very exciting era, with new avenues in research opening up in the fields of neuroscience and molecular biology, among others. Those interviewed for this story agree that insufficient government funding and tough economic times could hold up investigators' careers and stifle them professionally. In addition, they believe that too much money is being spent on a handful of "big science" projects rather than on the smaller, perhaps more worthy, efforts of individual researchers. Environmental issues, including waste disposal and energy efficiency improvement, are also important concerns, according to the group. At A Career's Outset Shilpa Hattangadi, 17, was turned on to science in junior high, when she found that her science and math classes "were just the most interesting." Last summer, between her junior and senior years at William Tennent High School in suburban Bucks County outside of Philadelphia, she was selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Science at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, a five-week program that offered participants a preview of college science courses. This fall, Hattangadi is headed for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she plans to major in engineering "with a bio option, like bioelectrical or biomechanical engineering." Hattangadi says she is most interested in investigating "gene manipulation, artificial body parts, and information biology." The high school senior marvels that "a lot of the unknown is becoming known, and it's really exciting." But Hattangadi, like many of the United States' prominent researchers, says she is worried about society's perception of science and technology. Although some developments may frighten or confuse nonscientists, "we can't ignore progress," she says. "Each discovery impacts our society. You can't ask scientists to stifle progress. There has to be a balance." As an example, Hattangadi mentions KTW, a bullet invented in late 1979 or early 1980 that can penetrate bulletproof vests. Her teacher brought up the subject in a recent classroom discussion. A bill was introduced in Congress to ban the manufacture and sale of this ammunition, but on Aug. 28, 1986, an amended bill was passed, authorizing sales to the military and law enforcement officers exclusively. "Even though the bullet is potentially dangerous, the technology may also have a very useful side," Hattangadi explains. "The more we progress, the harder and more serious our problems become. "Science is not as fundamental as reading, writing, and arithmetic. But the logic that's found in science is a fundamental part of human thinking." Hattangadi says she decided to attend MIT because at the school all subjects are approached with scientific logic, even social sciences, such as economics. Hattangadi worries that money may interfere with her ability to achieve her goals. She knows funding of the field she ultimately selects will affect the work she does and the career decisions she makes. Environmental Concerns Mark Tzagournis, 22, who plans to graduate from Ohio State University with a B.S. in biology in the fall, would like to go to graduate school to study marine biology, or to medical school. If he decides to take the marine biology route, he's concerned about the number of job opportunities that will await him once he completes his studies. The scientific discovery that most excites Tzagournis is the potential for drug discovery from natural products found in the world's tropical rain forests and coral reefs, a subject on which he recently wrote a paper. "The richest, most diverse life forms dwell in these areas," he says. Organisms living in temperate zones "defend themselves chemically," he says, adding that he thinks scientists can learn a lot from these organisms' chemical defense systems--information that can lead to the development of drugs to help humans defend themselves against disease. Like many scientists, Tzagournis is worried about the environment and the problems of waste disposal. Waste "needs to be taken care of, before it takes care of us," he says, contending that Americans should be doing more recycling. "If we don't change, there aren't going to be a lot of natural things left for our children. It's our responsibility not to let things get worse." Thomas H. Hsuing, 45, a researcher working in industry, is concerned about the need to protect the environment. Hsuing, a chemical engineer, works in the Process Systems Group at Air Products & Chemicals Inc. in Allentown, Pa. The team he leads is developing new ways of making clean-burning, coal-based fuels that will generate less automobile pollution. "We have a shortage of petroleum, which, at the current rate of consumption, will only last 50 years," says Hsuing, "but we have abundant coal reserves--enough to last 300 years at the current rate of consumption." Hsuing says he believes that the U.S. research community is too short-sighted. It is hard to believe, he says, that two or three years is considered a long time in industry. "This sort of time frame is dangerous because of the possibility of missed opportunities," he says. "The business philosophy is to see short-term profit, and the first thing to be reduced [to achieve quick profits] is research." The Frustrations Of Research Finding qualified young people to work as postdoctoral fellows is one of Nancy A. Ator's biggest challenges. At age 46, Ator is an associate professor of behavioral biology in the department of psychiatry and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine in Baltimore. She began her graduate studies several years after finishing college and having a child. "There are bright young people not going into science," she says, adding that she believes some of the reasons are decreased funds for training and, possibly, the negative publicity that animal testing has received. "We [academic life scientists] find ourselves competing with each other for a very few well-qualified recent grads." Ator says she wishes more people knew that basic research "is one of the most challenging and fulfilling careers one can select." But she acknowledges that scientists need to do a better job of letting the public know about the benefits of basic research. The lack of communication between scientists and laypeople may be the researchers' fault, she says: "We're too engrossed in our work." Ator is trying to arrive at a better understanding of the behavioral effects of drugs as they relate to drug abuse. Her main worry is the possibility that research funding will be interrupted. "A secondary concern," she says, "is the overreaction to using animals" in the laboratory. She notes that within the past several years, the paperwork required to comply with federal regulations regarding the use of animals in research has increased considerably. "It literally takes hours and hours to complete the paperwork necessary to conduct research," the Johns Hopkins researcher says. "It's not that I'm not concerned about animal welfare issues and the prevention of scientific fraud, it's just that it really ties up your research time." Henry Rappoport, 72, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, agrees with Ator that funding for basic research has never been so tight. "Funding tends to be trendy," says Rappoport, who is still actively conducting research in addition to doing consulting. "That's why fundamental work is often neglected. The emphasis [now] is on big science, with the glamour and the P.R., rather than on individual investigators. It's not that the money isn't available, it's just that the big projects are getting an undue share." He cites the space program, the Human Genome Project, and the tremendous emphasis placed on AIDS research as examples of projects that receive a disproportionately high degree of support. The current funding situation directly influences younger academics' attitudes, Rappoport says. They need to become "immediate hucksters, and it's not very pleasant." He says he thinks it's ironic that industry, rather than academia, is now the place "to do good science, good research, and to have a good economic situation." Rappoport is happy about the pharmaceutical industry's return to synthesis, particularly the synthesis of small molecules, an area that is his research interest. "There was a lot of hoopla over biotechnology's emergence on the pharmaceutical scene, and how biotechnology was going to solve a lot of key problems," he says. "Now, the industry is recognizing that synthetic organic chemistry is crucial to the success of biotechnology initiatives. "The promises [of biotech] exceeded the delivery. Just like any hot, new area, it can swing too far." As for the solution to the basic research funding crisis, Rappoport says, "I would like to see industry get more involved," as is the case in other countries, like Switzerland and Germany. But in the U.S., "industry won't get involved until it hurts," he speculates. For academic scientists in the U.S., laments Rappoport, "there's an undue amount of time spent fund raising. In other countries, it's easier to bank on a good record of productivity." Lisa Simon is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia.

What Are The Goals And Priorities Of The Average Scientist?

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