Scientists Say Shutdown is Jeopardizing America's Role in Bioscience

[n2doc]

By James A. Foley

A group representing the American Society for Cell Biology has said the shutdown of the US federal government is worsening conditions for biomedical researchers who rely on government institutions and funding, as well as "jeopardizing" America's role in the world of biosciences.

Stefano Bertuzz, the executive director of the ASCB, said effectively shutting down the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) will have effects that will outlast the weeks of government shutdown.

"As America keeps hitting the brakes on scientific research, we are, in effect, accelerating the damage done to our continued leadership in global bioscience, in health outcomes and in the economic power that we have always derived from basic research. Americans will pay dearly for these slowdowns, sequestrations, and shutdowns in finding cures and on maintaining economic competitiveness," Bertuzzi said in a statement, adding, "Today I am wondering what U.S. science will look like in a week, a month, five years from now."

Researchers who rely on the NIH for support and guidance have been placed in shaky financial positions, said Don Cleveland, president of the ASCB.

We have some reserves and we are running on those reserves but (long term) we have nothing to keep the team together but public funding and philanthropic organizations," Cleveland said.

more

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4381/20131008/scientists-shutdown-jeopardizing-americas-role-bioscience.htm

[kestrel91316]

1. Repukes don't give a damn. They hate science and don't believe in it. They only

believe in the fairy tales found in their BIBLE.

[Ilsa]

3. And their cures from their physical ailments

are always due to god helping that lone doctor and healing that patient. There is no appreciation for the painstaking continuing group work, start to finish, handed down from researcher to researcher over time, through multiple projects, that leads to answers.

[Ilsa]

2. My understanding is that there has been a brain-drain

Since around 2006. As long as we keep up tax cuts and then budget cuts in Research, more and more PhD scientists will look to move to other countries who sponsor research in their fields in their own countries. I can't blame them for leaving.