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From the DeanWhere curiosity- and solution-driven science meet Some scientists are driven by a curiosity to understand how life works—from molecules to ecosystems—and to add to the world’s collective body of knowledge. Others are searching for a puzzle piece that may yield a better way to treat cancer, produce food or create renewable forms of energy. Both are essential, and there is plenty of overlap between the two. Curiosity-driven research often turns up a bit of information that has immediate applications in medicine, agriculture or engineering. By the same token, solution-driven research can add to knowledge. And some scientists travel between these two worlds. As a whole, College of Biological Sciences faculty engage in curiosity-driven research, although many individuals pursue solutions. And sometimes a curiosity-driven scientist can be lured to the other side by the right problem. An example is when David Tilman applied his research on biodiversity to renewable energy, proposing the use of mixed prairie grasses to make ethanol. The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment has turned many curious scientists into solution seekers. Not surprisingly, the Academic Health Center, the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, and the engineering disciplines in the Institute of Technology are focused on translational and solution-driven science. As a curiosity-driven college, it’s CBS’ job to keep adding to the foundation of knowledge that supports translational and solution-driven science in other colleges. As such, we are the stewards of the foundational disciplines in the biological sciences: biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, cell biology and development, ecology, plant biology, etc. In order to keep fueling translational and solution-driven research, we need to infuse foundational disciplines with new technologies and other opportunities as science evolves. Cellular imaging, the subject of our cover story, is one of those opportunities. Until now, scientists, whether driven by curiosity or the desire to find a better way to treat cancer, have been limited by the available technology to see what’s happening in a cell. Advances in imaging technology are beginning to change that in a big way. In fact, these advances could have an impact comparable to sequencing the human genome. It’s important for the University of Minnesota to make investments now in order to play a role in shaping this new technology. Robert Elde, Dean |