Why do science? To better understand the mysteries of nature, and to be able to augment her workings.
"We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium--- a benefit for humanity."
Marie Curie, Lecture at Vassar College, May 14, 1921
Why do I feel compelled to begin my introduction to the 2006 Annual Report of the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) of NICHD in this manner? It stems from discussions about evaluating the efforts of the NIH, both intramural and extramural. It stems from establishing yardsticks to define the impact of research by measuring scientific progress and its cost-effectiveness. Do we not risk stifling creativity, of only pursuing directions where the outcome can be inferred, of never achieving that to which Madame Curie refers?
During 2006, the NICHD underwent a structural reorganization of the intramural program intended to strengthen and preserve the unique commitment of the Institute and its scientists to the study of biology, normal development, maintenance of health, and prevention and treatment of diseases.
Recently, during my usual 5:00 a.m. walk with my dog in the wooded area surrounding my house, I was struck by the smell of the fresh air, the quietness of the morning as the stars became less apparent awaiting the beginning of sunlight, and the notion that things become so vividly clear when you can focus on "simple systems." Then, as a consequence of two journals that came in the mail (Nature and Science), both heralding the "Dawn of Stone Age Genomics," I thought the following: besides the obvious significance regarding the evolution of Neanderthal and modern man, the work of Rubin and his colleagues and Paabo et al. will potentially shed light on the fundamental role of mutations in metabolic/physiologic genes as opposed to regulatory genes. The techniques employed by these investigative groups also establish the basis of new technologies that will have an impact on both basic and applied (clinical) genomic research.
The research efforts of the scientists of the NICHD DIR may herald equally important contributions to biological science and medicine. In the past year, the group of John Robbins and Raquel Schneerson successfully demonstrated that an antibody could be developed against the conjugate of the malaria ookinete surface protein Pfs25 and that this antibody would function as a transmission-blocking candidate in a rodent model (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2006; in press). This antigen/protein is never "seen by infected humans" as it is mosquito stage-specific. Malaria is estimated to cause over a million childhood deaths per year worldwide! The group of Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, George Patterson, and Juan Bonifacino, in collaboration with Hess and Betzig (Howard Hughes Medical Institute), has developed a technology with the potential to allow the fluorescent light-microscopic visualization of single molecules in cells (Science, 2006). Recent investigations by Mark Mayer on the structural biology of glutamate receptors has afforded unique insights into the functional components of these receptors at atomic resolution, insights with the potential to lead to new approaches to modulating their activity. These are but a few examples of the past year's applied and yet-to-be applied investigations. One cannot capture creativity on an accounting spreadsheet or tether the imagination by artificial measures of progress; it requires the opportunity, in the early hours of sunrise, to breathe in the morning air.
New research programs have been established, and new exciting scientists have been recruited to the DIR during 2006. Alan DeCherney came from UCLA to head our new program in Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health. This program will focus on ovarian function, the process of implantation, and the processes that lead to successful early fertilization and infertility treatment. Sohyun Ahn, a winner of the prestigious 2005 Presidential Early Careers Award, became a tenure-track investigator in the DIR. Young scientists tenured during the past year in recognition of their accomplishments were Forbes Porter (research on Smith-Lemli-Optitz syndrome and cholesterol disorders) and Ajay Chitnis (research on early neural patterning using the zebrafish model).
Numerous DIR scientists serve on editorial boards and have chaired major meetings such as Gordon Conferences and Cold Spring Harbor conferences. The exploration of fundamental biological questions, in all their simplicity, must be nurtured in an environment that requires only that we learn more about the inner workings of nature and her mysteries.
Owen M. Rennert, M.D.
Scientific Director
National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development
