Your recent article on the proper employment mix for today's growing biotechnology industry (The Scientist, April 13, 1992, page 1) offers ample testimony for the importance of the scientist-to-manager transition. But it neglects the importance of the science professional who is an expert in business and management. Many of these individuals are just as capable of learning the nuances of the science behind a company's technology as are the scientists who choose to learn finance, operations, and management.
OmniGene Inc.'s William Peros typifies dangerous thinking among some science professionals, who believe that the crucible of basic science endows omniscience upon the individual.
Academic environments espoused by Genentech Inc.'s Christopher Fennie are likely to be more the case when the industry is surveyed; these environments rely heavily on knowledgeable business types who share the interest in the technology and can guide essential projects toward collaborations, scaleup, and the marketplace.
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