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M1D1 – Jamie Grenz
1. Do you think the social and cultural environments of the 18th and 19th centuries helped or hindered the study of microbiology in particular and science in general? Why?

The ‘Golden Age of Microbiology’ generally refers to the peak of scientific discovery that occurred after the renaissance in Europe. The renaissance was a time for invention, discovery, human expression and generally gave birth to the foundation of modern western society. Monarchies were eager to encourage discovery as the urge for economic wealth and territory acquisition was great. There was an inordinate amount of support for research that could yield cures to diseases. Healing sicknesses that would have otherwise wiped out crops or cattle or people could prevent great losses and negative impacts on a counties economy. Feudal governments unequally distributed wealth which meant that the rich were very rich and could afford to devote their time to cerebral activities such as studying, educating, and research. The combination of all these elements gave opportunities for great minds to study microbiology.

2. Do you think that microbiology and science are influenced by today’s social and cultural environments? Provide examples to support your statements.

In short, yes. A society will always influence the kind of research that is conducted, the quality of scientific methods and so on. For example, as more and more people are living longer, microbiologists are faced with a push to find cures for diseases such as cancer. Now, fields such as neuropathology analyze brain tissue to look for special genetic coding that can make a person more sensitive to chemotherapy and improve their prognosis. Antiviral medication for HIV was developed using microbiology. The core of modern and future medicine lies within microbiology and scientific discovery.

That being said, the economy will always play a heavy role in how much research can be conducted. Access to the correct facility and materials to conduct experiments requires a large amount of money, much more than a highly skilled microbiologist can afford on his/her own. The funding for microbiology has to come from somewhere, and typically the government will provide grants or universities will provide facilities and pay scientists.

There are times when modem cultural mores interfere with the development of new microbiological advancements. For example, stem cell research is a field that has been entangled with moral controversy. This controversy has ultimately led to a halt in access to necessary resources to continue stem cell research in some places. In general there are more restrictions now on the kinds of experiments that can be performed, and in order for work to be published a scientist has to adhere to these rules.

3. What obstacles might we encounter as we work to advance the study of microbiology in this day and age?

Funding, moral controversy, animal rights activists, economic collapse, war, poverty, and racism can all be roadblocks to discovery in modern science.

Sources

The Microbial World and You. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2015, from http://classes.midlandstech.edu/carterp/Courses/bio225/chap01/lecture4.htm

Willey J., Sherwood L. & C. Woolverton. (2014). Prescott's Microbiology, 9th ed. McGraw-Hill: New York.