Fueling Innovation: How Research is Really Done
(Original Webcast February 29, 2012

In recent years government officials, university administrators, and clinical researchers have called for a greater emphasis on “translational research” (research that translates findings in the laboratory into new treatments for medical conditions) over basic research. Although the application of biological and biochemical research to human disease (as well as the application of discoveries in the other sciences to improvements in agriculture and industry) is important, it may be argued the current increased emphasis is potentially detrimental.

Join this live webcast with Dr. Martin Chalfie, 2008 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, to explore how the fruits of basic research are critical to fueling applications in medicine and industry. Dr. Chalfie will give examples from his own research developing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as a biological marker, as well as from work by others, to demonstrate that the application of basic research into fundamental problems in biology is important for its own sake and, fuels the development of various new applications.

Agenda

Topics to be covered include: