SECTION VI 

 3. THE ROLE OF THE BIOLOGIST IN INDUSTRY 



By E. B. Fred and C. N. Frey* 



Professor of Agricultural Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; and Director, Fleischmann Laboratories, 



Bronx, New York, respectively 



ABSTRACT 



Biological science has made rapid strides during the 

 last 30 years, largely due to the impact of the ever- 

 expanding physical sciences. To attempt in a brief 

 summary to point out isolated significant influences 

 which have contributed to the development and the 

 technique of industry is certain to confuse rather than 

 to add to our understanding of the place of biology in 

 the modern world, and especially in modern industry. 

 Rather we must emphasize the contributions of a few 

 fundamental generalizations relying on the proper 

 orientation of certain basic concepts common to all 

 science to give us an insight into the scientific methods 

 which have made the highly technical industries of 

 today possible. 



The scope of this work can be determined by a 

 study of the Tnble of Contents of the report of biology 

 in industry. A general discussion of the place of 

 biology in science and industry and the work which 

 the biologist can do are given. Some of the most 

 significant industrial applications are briefly dis- 

 cussed. Special attention is given to the food indus- 

 tries and to certain fields such as the fermentation 

 industries, fats, oils, etc. Nutritional requirements of 

 man and animals from the point of view of the newer 

 knowledge are considered. Biological products, hor- 



mones, vaccines, enzymes, vitamins, receive attention, 

 but one must admit not in the proportion which their 

 great importance merits. Chemical products, chemo- 

 therapy, fungicides, etc., and parasitology, waste dis- 

 posal, plant and animal breeding, are considered briefly, 

 and from these vast fields a few outstanding contribu- 

 tions are listed. 



The important work of training the biologist, which 

 lies largely in the hands of the universities and the 

 colleges, would merit comprehensive study, but no 

 extensive effort was made to analyze this situation. 

 However, it is pointed out that constant remodeling 

 of the work of the university is necessary in view of the 

 growth of scientific knowledge, in order to meet the 

 changing needs of industry. 



Trends in biology arc significant insofar as they 

 mdicate the influence which great scientific leaders and 

 great discoveries and developments in the physical 

 sciences have had on the biological sciences. Future 

 development will naturally be dependent on the progress 

 of those sciences which supply biology with special tech- 

 niques, but biology is developing within itself a body of 

 knowledge that will lead to important discoveries. 



•Appreciation Is oipressed to Dr. Q. Laniiis, of the Fleischmann stafl, for his 

 assistance. 



Introduction 



Since prehistoric times biological processes have 

 played an important part in the growth of civilization, 

 but until recently all developments were chance occur- 

 rences, and rule-of-thumb methods controlled industrial 

 procedures. Beginning with Linnaeus in the early 

 eighteenth century, the classification and integration of 

 biological knowledge have fairly revolutionized our 

 industrial biological economy. This systematization 

 of information regarding biology has proceeded apace 

 in four main directions. First, we have developed the 

 concept of organization, embodying the wide aspect 

 of organic evolution; second, we have studied structure, 

 morphologj', and histology; third, has emerged the idea 

 of function, physiology; and fomlh and most recently, 

 we have attacked the problem of mechanism, genetics, 

 biochemistry, and related phases. 



Application of science in the fields of nutrition, 

 medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing has lifted 

 civilized man from a creature of circumstance to a posi- 

 tion of dominant control of the physical aspects of his 

 environment. Pasteur's biological experiments, based 

 on the best scientific chemical and physical knowledge 

 of the time, led the way for the control and practical 

 suppression of the epidemics and pestilences which had 

 harried mankind for so long. Establishment of his 

 concepts of the nature of life has facilitated the rise of 

 our great food preservation, processing and storage 

 industries, banishing the ancient spectre of famine from 

 the scene of any nation which will intelligently apply 

 them. Recognition of the vitamins and hormones as 

 instruments used in the mechanics of growth and life pro- 

 cesses promises to raise the physical activities of a popu- 

 lation to a degree of efficiency never before conceived. 



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