Stefanie,
Your major professor fed you a load of "poo-poo" about applied science.
Look at the University of California, Davis, which has a Section for
Plant Biology, with 18 faculty, in the Division of Biological Sciences.
On the applied side in the College of Agriculture and Environmental
Sciences are around 100 plant scientists mainly in the following
departments that deal with plants:
Agronomy & Range Science
Environmental Horticulture
Viticulture & Enology
Plant Pathology
Pomology
Vegetable Crops
Land, Air and Water Resources
UC Davis has scientists with international reputations in both Plant
Biology and Plant Agriculture. The applied scientists apply for grants,
make hypotheses, do research, statistically analyse the results, and
publish papers in refereed journals just like the basic scientists.
Applied scientists may publish mainly in a different set of journals
than basic scientists but not always.
It may be that applied scientists in industry may be less likely to
publish because their research may involve trade secrets, but plant
scientists in industry are often able to publish.
The image of applied scientists as poorly paid lab gophers is
ridiculous. The poorly paid part might be true of graduate students and
post-docs but they will be found in both basic and applied plant science
departments.
David Hershey
dh321 at excite.com
Stefanie Galgon wrote:
>> David,
>> There is a fine line between primary and applied science, especially when
> pertaining to the field of botany. When I entered into the research field
> under the tutelage of my major professor, I was told that applied science
> was poo-poo, and I would only be published if I stuck with the "pure"
> stuff. But, isn't applied science where the fun begins? Okay, we've
> discovered this compound, let's check if it has antimicrobial or antiviral
> activity! Unfortunately, when any one brings up "applied science," an
> image displays in my mind -- I picture lab gophers running around amidst
> gas chromatographs, dishes, and microscopes, never observing or
> questioning, but simply going through the motions while being paid squat.
> I would love to be given the opportunity to glorify applied botanical
> research.
>> Steffi
>> ******************************************************************
> Stefanie Galgon lab/message: (520) 523-7735
> Department of Biology
> Northern Arizona University smg4 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>> "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death"
> Auntie Mame
> ******************************************************************
>
