Science: For Knowledge or Profit?

May 2007
Written by Kasia Kaluzny

Tags: science and society, techniques

Like everything, science costs money. Whether studying chimpanzees in jungle treetops or performing experiments in a laboratory, the price tag on scientific research is mind-boggling.

So where do scientists get their money from?
When it comes to biology, the two largest sources are government and industry. The government provides financial support in the form of research grants, and scientists have to compete with each other to get them. With many scientists competing for a small number of grants, only the most important scientific studies get funded.

Similarly, industry is choosy about the type of research it will invest in. But how can we tell what science is important and what isn’t? It can be difficult to foresee if, when, and how scientific research will pay off.

The $
In recent years, government has moved away from its tradition of funding basic research to funding applied research. Basic research is done to add new understanding and knowledge to a particular field, while applied research is done with more practical applications in mind. Industry usually funds applied research that will quickly lead to products that can be sold to make a profit. But is funding one type of research really more worthwhile than the other? The results of basic and applied research are sometimes unpredictable.

The Importance of Funding Basic Research
The discovery of Taq polymerase is a famous example of the unanticipated success of funding basic research. Taq is an enzyme that comes from Thermophilus aquaticus, a unique species of bacteria that live in 70 ºC water. This bacterial species was found in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park in 1966 as part of basic research on the ecology of bacteria growing in extreme environments.

It wasn’t until 1989 that the full potential of Taq polymerase was realized. Like the bacteria it comes from, Taq can withstand high temperatures, making it ideal for use in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR is an important molecular biology technique that has revolutionized genetic research. The public benefits from its use in many ways including forensics, paternity testing, and diagnosis of disease. If the bacterial researchers hadn’t been able to obtain funding for the ecology study, we wouldn’t have this important tool.

Nonetheless, relatively few basic research studies obviously lead to major discoveries like Taq. Basic research often just provides a piece of a puzzle, or leads scientists in a new direction. Applied research, on the other hand, has more immediate results. This kind of research is geared directly towards creating a product or process that will benefit people and generate profit. The profit is often necessary to fund future research. So is funding applied research a wiser use of money?

Balancing Profit and Knowledge
Some argue that scientific research should not be motivated by a particular outcome but by a desire for knowledge. Studying how dolphins interact in the wild might never lead to profit, but is that enough reason to abandon this type of research? Likewise, not all genetic experiments will lead to breakthroughs and cures for diseases, but they might teach us something interesting or lead to future ideas. If science is thought of as producing knowledge, and a decision is made to value knowledge, it becomes clear that funding all sorts of studies is important. Then we are open to unexpected benefits, like finding Taq polymerase.

But what happens when funds are limited? Should we focus more on basic or applied research? Can we always know the difference?

With government-funded projects, the funds come from public tax dollars—and the public wants to see results such as new life-saving drugs, diagnostic techniques, and useful technologies. Applied research helps make these goals reality, for example, by creating a gel that can stimulate regeneration of cartilage in patients with joint damage. Another benefit of funding applied research is job creation in the form of spinoff companies. New companies and products can help the country’s economy, shifting it away from one based on natural resources to one based on innovation. However, much of the time, applied research is based on the successes of basic research.

Keeping in mind that we often don’t know which research will lead to profit; can you think of a good way of balancing profit and knowledge?