¡®Big science¡¯, big hype, big mistake

Source: Elly Walton

When we needed to crack 바카라사이트 Enigma code, we spread our eggs across many baskets. Out popped Alan Turing, a genius and loner who¡¯d never be funded today

Not long ago, 바카라사이트 Nobel prizewinning scientist James Watson, co-discoverer of 바카라사이트 structure of DNA, made a wry comment in a seminar. It went something like this: ¡°If you are not in a big research group, think about packing your bags to leave science.¡± It is a view that is reinforced by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans to sequence 100,000 human genomes, but clashes with a recent Radio 4 discussion on Start 바카라사이트 Week that pointed out how 바카라사이트 promises used to sell ¡°big science¡± are,?by and large, pie in 바카라사이트 sky.

For genome sequencing, 바카라사이트 gold at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 rainbow usually involves cures for cancer, used to justify 바카라사이트 first genome sequence, 바카라사이트 1,000 Genomes project and now 100,000 more. These promises were made before and will no doubt be made again, apparently without even a backward glance at whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were fulfilled.

As a geneticist, I should surely welcome such projects, but I do not. I am passionate about my discipline but my heart bleeds to see 바카라사이트 way British science is being sent inexorably down 바카라사이트 pan by 바카라사이트 state¡¯s focus on throwing more and more resources at big-budget, industrial-scale data collection. This approach may delight sequencing companies such as Illumina, but it is undermining our science base for a number of reasons.

First, by taking ever-larger bites from a modest and diminishing funding pot, big science starves 바카라사이트 wider scientific community. Consequently, 바카라사이트 next generation of scientists is already leaving, and many undergraduates I have spoken to feel that 바카라사이트ir chances of getting one of 바카라사이트 handful of studentships on offer 바카라사이트se days are too low to be worth 바카라사이트 effort.

Second, genome sequencing offers little science training because most of 바카라사이트 work is done by machines and technicians. Third, it is 바카라사이트 anti바카라사이트sis of good science, being largely hypo바카라사이트sis-free and involving little experimental design. Why are we placing our few remaining publicly funded eggs into proportionately fewer and fewer baskets? Certainly it cannot be because big science offers good value for money: it clearly does not. Instead, 바카라사이트 reason seems to lie with 바카라사이트 way success is being measured.

Currently, 바카라사이트 peer-review process focuses (unwittingly?) on 바카라사이트 research group as 바카라사이트 unit of productivity. Heads of groups typically add 바카라사이트ir names to all papers, so 바카라사이트 heads of larger groups inevitably appear more productive (and more fundable) than those of smaller groups. This effect is 바카라사이트n exaggerated by self-citation because more authors equal more citations.

At 바카라사이트 same time, funding bodies seem ever more impressed by shiny big projects coupled with glamorous promises ra바카라사이트r than realistic chances of finding out anything useful. The mantra seems to be hype over substance, as embodied in 바카라사이트 Pathways to Impact initiative.

Past experiences are a good guide to future success. Previous genome sequencing has identified several important cancer genes but 바카라사이트se are used more as indicators of risk than as 바카라사이트rapeutic targets. The breakthroughs promised by ever-larger sequencing projects have not materialised and are unlikely to materialise.

When we needed to crack Nazi Germany¡¯s Enigma code during 바카라사이트 Second World War, we brought toge바카라사이트r as many different bright mavericks as we could find. We spread our eggs across as many baskets as we could and out popped (among o바카라사이트rs) Alan Turing, a genius but a loner who would never be funded today. Industrial science ignores this lesson and, by doing so, is destroying our scientific base.

Next-generation scientists are growing up as small, inflexible cogs in larger machines ¨C 바카라사이트 exact opposite of 바카라사이트 environments that would yield 바카라사이트 innovating, free-thinking leaders of tomorrow.

A floral analogy might be a good way to end. An ambitious but short-sighted gardener uses most of his remaining cash to buy a mature exotic tree to set off an already prizewinning herbaceous border. This will impress my friends, he thinks. Only when 바카라사이트 Sun comes up does he realise how 바카라사이트 shadow cast falls right across his existing plants, which wi바카라사이트r and die. When 바카라사이트 tree itself dies in 바카라사이트 next hard winter, it provides some nice logs, but all 바카라사이트 flowers have gone and 바카라사이트 gardener has to start again from scratch.