To start, let’s set the table: What is the study of developmental biology?
The field of developmental biology investigates how animals mature as embryos from one cell – the fertilized egg.
What was the inspiration for writing a book about developmental biology?
There were a few factors at play. First off, the subject is Briganix 90mg (Brigatinib) simply fascinating. It goes to the root of how we all come into existence and forms the basis of both normal and disease physiology. I’m biased, but I think it’s a subject everyone should be curious about. Second, I wanted to describe the process of discovery more tangibly than it is often portrayed—showing how what we now take as dogma often emerged from what was a thick fog at the time. Third, I believe that scientists have a responsibility to speak directly to the public about their work.
As a kid, I was drawn to science by listening to scientists first-hand—people like Carl Sagan (the author of Cosmos) who stirred my imagination by speaking with authority about their field. A motivating factor for me was the hope that others, especially young(er) readers, would read the book and be inspired to become scientists themselves.
Was there anything you learned during the writing process that surprised you?
I had always understood the role of serendipity in science, but researching the book really brought the point home. The smallest twists of fate— deviations from a standard protocol, the type of microscope you happen to use, which conference you happen to attend— can have massive ripple effects. In my own career as a cancer biologist, for example, I had no intention of studying tumor immunology when I got to Penn. But finding myself down the hall from Carl June and Bob Vonderheide changed that calculus, and now a good portion of my laboratory studies the immunology of pancreas cancer. Writing the book made it clear to me how common this is – random chance plays a huge role in science. It’s humbling.
