<< But it is true that the people who did big
things in biology were physicists, viz., Schrodinger, Delbruck, etc. >>
Moorad,
Watson was a biochemist and Crick was an engineer. Mendel was
the first geneticist.
My training was also in physics, but lets be realistic.
The only reason that a physicist can contribute substrantially to structural
biology is because many hours have been spent in the laboratory by
the biologists groping away at an incomprehensible system. By the time
the biologists and biochemists have narrowed down the list of possibilties,
found ways to isolate different parts of the system, and package it neatly
for the physicist to do his/her "experiment", a lot of tedious foot work has
already been done. Our work rest on the struggle of our fellow scientists.
Physicists can and do contribute substantially to biology, but we would do
well to recognize that we are the servants, not the masters of this field.
by Grace alone do we proceed,
Wayne
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