Scientific breakthroughs often come from unexpected places. Curiosity-driven research, following wonder more than immediate application, has powered many of the biggest biomedical advances, but its support is under threat.
If you had some money to invest in research, would you prioritize studying how jellyfish glow in the dark? Most people would probably say no – this sounds interesting but unimportant. But studying how jellyfish glow gave us new tools that transformed biology and medicine.
To maximize discovery, the United States wisely invests in a broad base of research at universities, hospitals, and research centers nationwide. Through this investment, the U.S. became a world leader in science and technology. Federal grants are awarded in a highly competitive process by agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF). But, this year, disruptions and cuts to these agencies are stalling progress, weakening the talent pipeline, and threatening the U.S.’s world standing.
I grew up and currently live on Staten Island, and I’m a Biology Professor at Queens College, CUNY. I attended New York City public schools, where teachers sparked my interest in math and science and encouraged me to obtain a college degree and eventually a PhD. In graduate school I began working with C. elegans, a tiny roundworm that turns out to be a giant in biological research — bringing me back to the jellyfish story. My mentor, Martin Chalfie, was inspired by a seminar on Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), a gene from jellyfish that makes cells glow. He tested it in worms and it worked! This discovery revolutionized our ability to visualize cells and their contents and earned a Nobel Prize. Including GFP, C. elegans research has contributed to four different Nobel Prizes. That’s the power of curiosity-driven science.
My own research focuses on cellular communication, which when disrupted leads to developmental disorders or cancer. An early breakthrough in my work was the co-discovery of a new cell signaling component. Simultaneously, another group identified a human gene mutation associated with pancreatic cancer. The human tumor suppressor gene was highly related to the worm genes that I had identified. Without our work in worms and flies, that cancer-linked gene would have remained a mystery with no identifiable function. Instead, they were able to place this gene immediately in a known biological context.
My lab’s current work on the links between metabolism and infection earned us a five-year $1.9 million grant from NIH. In April, the second year of that award was delayed. While not canceled, delays are not without harm, as projects are not easily paused and restarted. This year, NIH has been awarding grants at only half the usual pace. Because legal mandates require that all NIH funds be spent within the fiscal year, by Sept. 30, funds that are not disbursed by that time could simply vanish. Once lost, momentum, talent, and opportunity are hard to recover.
Support for training grants has been slashed to an even greater extent than for research grants. At Queens College, we lost two undergraduate research training awards. The global loss of these training mechanisms is devastating for the future of the STEM professional pipeline.
Scientific progress depends on stable levels of funding. What can you do to help? Call your representatives and ask them to insist that appropriated funds be spent and to maintain funding at last year’s (FY24) level. You can also fill out this survey tiny.cc/sciencepledge. Funding for NIH and NSF is one of the few investments that benefits every citizen, as well as supporting economic activity in every state. Let’s protect this valuable national asset.
Dr. Cathy Savage-Dunn, Professor and Chair, Department of Biology, Queens College, CUNY