Excerpt

Integration of the biological sciences with physical and computational sciences, mathematics, and engineering promises to build a wider biological enterprise with the scope and expertise to address a broad range of scientific and societal problems. The following chapters will discuss why the life sciences are poised to tackle major challenges of the 21st century, describe why we reside at such an exceptional moment for the life sciences, and finally, provide recommendations for shaping investment in life science research.

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on a New Biology for the 21st Century: Ensuring the United States Leads the Coming Biology Revolution
• Board on Life Sciences
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
• Introduction
  • A Vision of the Future
• 1. The New Biology’s Great Potential
• 2. How the New Biology Can Address Societal Challenges
  • WHO IS THE NEW BIOLOGIST?
  • A NEW BIOLOGY APPROACH TO THE FOOD CHALLENGE: GENERATE FOOD PLANTS TO ADAPT AND GROW SUSTAINABLY IN CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS
  • A NEW BIOLOGY APPROACH TO THE ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGE: UNDERSTAND AND SUSTAIN ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND BIODIVERSITY IN THE FACE OF RAPID CHANGE
  • A NEW BIOLOGY APPROACH TO THE ENERGY CHALLENGE: EXPAND SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUELS
  • A NEW BIOLOGY APPROACH TO THE HEALTH CHALLENGE: UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL HEALTH
  • INTERCONNECTED PROBLEMS, INTERCONNECTED SOLUTIONS
• 3. Why Now?
  • THE FUNDAMENTAL UNITY OF BIOLOGY HAS NEVER BEEN CLEARER OR MORE APPLICABLE
  • NEW PLAYERS ARE ENTERING THE FIELD, BRINGING NEW SKILLS AND IDEAS
  • A STRONG FOUNDATION HAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT
  • PAST INVESTMENTS ARE PAYING BIG DIVIDENDS
  • NEW TOOLS AND EMERGING NEW SCIENCES ARE EXPANDING WHAT IS POSSIBLE
  • CONCLUSION
• 4. Putting the New Biology to Work
  • SETTING BIG GOALS: LETTING THE PROBLEMS DRIVE THE SCIENCE
  • CROSS-CUTTING TECHNOLOGIES AND FOUNDATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES
  • NECESSITY FOR INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION
  • THE ESSENTIALITY OF INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION
  • THE CENTRAL IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ENABLING THE NEW BIOLOGY
  • ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE NEW BIOLOGY
  • EDUCATING THE NEW BIOLOGIST
  • CONCLUSION
• 5. Recommendations
• References
• Appendixes
  • A Statement of Task
  • B Workshop Agenda

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health through Contract No. N01-OD-4-2139, Task Order 209; the National Science Foundation through Grant No. DBI-0843904; and by the Department of Energy.

The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the sponsoring agencies, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.