Food Supply

Name: Fawzi Attar 8/8/2013 PS4

Over the past 20 years, commercial influences on scientific research have become increasingly detrimental. Discuss.

In the last two decades, the relationship between business and science has considerably changed. Before the emergence of biotechnology, business and science operated in largely separate spheres. The business world had little interest in expanding scientific knowledge, leaving research firmly within the domain of universities, government laboratories and non-profit institutions (Pisano, 2006, as cited in Slaght, 2012)). It is clear that the relationships between business and scientists have affected the public interest negatively. This essay will discuss the bad influences on science and solutions, then how business have affected scientific research by giving examples.

According to Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), the academic landscape changed to be focused on economic profit. For instance, universities have been pushed to prioritizing research for commercial interest that generates short-term profit (Ho & Saunders, 2001). Another example, in the UK, many life sciences departments have links with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This might serve the industry interest (Ho & Saunders 2001). Because scientists will be dependent and they are not able to take patents.

The second issue is that a conflict of interest between business and scientists. Because, scientists interest is to serve the public but industries interest is to make short-term profit. This problem is considered to affect the quality and reliability of the research. In addition, misleading messages by funded companies it might be occurred. For example, research generates results that suit the funder (The Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, p 921). This problem is well known from the tobacco and oil industries. These industries have forced researchers to provide incorrect information to serve their interest.

The third problem is suggested by (Parkinson & Langley, 2009) is that governments are focused on creating competitiveness between businesses. As a result, environmental and social problems research lose out to short term gain. For example, genetics has been used in agricultural science for production, because it contains chemical fertilizers that boost the production time. It is clear that government policy need to be changed.

All the evidence above clearly demonstrates that, commercial interest in scientific research can have a detrimental effect. According to Nancy Olivieri, a hematologist of Toronto University, in 2001, she undertook a research at the university hospital involving a drug for treating the blood disease thalassemia. Olivier discovered that the drug had a high level of toxicity. The company that produced the drug and funded the research reacted to the result and stopped Olivieri concerns. However, there is a suggestion by David Weatherall, Oxford University, Institute of Molecular Medicine that scientific research would collapse without cooperation between universities and business interests under the government support. He also suggested that scientific research have to be monitored to protect both science and the public it served. As a result science should intertwined with business to benefit from its power.

To this end, it is clear that business have a bad influence on science. Science needs to be independent in order to serve its interest. According to SGR reform is needed in the government policy and research study. This might include, all funding arrangement between academia and businesses have to be public, set ethical standards for business and university partnerships. However, policy makers should pay more attention and response to the issue.

References

John Slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho &Saunders (2001) and Pisano (2006).

Parkinson, S., & Langley, C. (2009). Stop selling out science to commerce. New Scientist, 204(2733), 32-33.

References: John Slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho &Saunders (2001) and Pisano (2006). Parkinson, S., & Langley, C. (2009). Stop selling out science to commerce. New Scientist, 204(2733), 32-33.