Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences (2010) / Chapter Skim
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3 Societal Challenges
3 Societal Challenges
Pages 20-29
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From page 20... ...
This chapter discusses a few such applications in agriculture, energy, climate, biomedicine, and novel materials. While these examples may not be comprehensive, they illustrate some of the many ways in which research at the intersection of the physical and life sciences has addressed and will continue to address some of our most difficult societal challenges.1 The committee is mindful of the fact that societal benefits will emerge not only from advances in scientific research at this life sciences/physical sciences intersection but also from increased interactions between the life sciences and various engineering disciplines.
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This becomes increasingly important as people fly around the globe within a day and geographical barriers to the spread of disease fall. In addition to the direct effects of disease in individuals, humans' experience with "mad cow" disease and the swine and avian influenza viruses points to the importance of animal health and welfare and highlights the threat that zoonotic diseases such as the West Nile virus pose to the larger human population.
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Using techniques related to speech recognition, mathematicians have worked to map the genetic similarity of influenza viruses. Using color and spatial distribution, subtle evolved differences in virus strains can be identified, and decisions about the potential effectiveness of vaccines become easier (Enserink, 2008)
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and how projects impact ecosystems, it is not yet capable of understanding the full consequences of the actions we might take to mitigate those impacts while simultaneously maintaining our energy supply. The technical challenges associated with energy and climate policy require a deeper understanding of the intersection between physical and biological systems and, therefore, the physical and biological sciences.
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The dis covery of X rays and nuclear magnetic resonance by physicists in the first half of the twentieth century led the way to the diagnostic X rays, CAT scans, and MRIs of today. The ability of chemists to isolate, analyze, and synthesize complex organic molecules led to the modern pharmaceutical industry.
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For well over 100 years, X rays have been used for diagnostic and therapeutic processes, sometimes damaging vital organs. The mechanisms of radiation-induced damage involve cells committing suicide via a process called apoptosis.
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However in many cases these technologies utilize toxic or less abundant substances -- for example platinum or palladium catalysts, gallium arsenide solar collectors, and nickel, cadmium, lithium, or even tried-and-true lead batteries -- whose supply or disposal is problematic. Increasingly, the fuels needed to meet energy demand are being farmed -- whether plant oils for biodiesel or plant sugars for fermentation into ethanol.
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One research goal is to isolate the active species responsible for the various reactions of photosynthesis, conveniently split water, separate the resulting oxygen and hydrogen or other reduced species, then use those reduced species as a fuel in themselves or as the raw material in a fuel-making process. Other goals include enhancement of the local flora to increase the CO2-fixing efficiency.
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However, many bio logical materials remain outside commercial reproduction capability. For instance, long spider silk proteins, as fabricated into strands, have the tensile strength of steel, yet the structure of spider silk.
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Wickett, 2005. Climate effects of global land cover change, Geophysical Research Letters 32: L23705.
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