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The Role of Theory in Advancing 21st-Century Biology: Catalyzing Transformative Research (2008)

Chapter: Appendix C: Workshop on Defining and Advancing the Conceptual Basis of Biological Science for the 21st Century

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Workshop on Defining and Advancing the Conceptual Basis of Biological Science for the 21st Century." National Research Council. 2008. The Role of Theory in Advancing 21st-Century Biology: Catalyzing Transformative Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12026.
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Page 196

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Appendix C Workshop on Defining and Advancing the Conceptual Basis of Biological Science for the 21st Century Location: National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, Virginia List of speakers Robert Full, University of California, Berkeley Sarah Rice, Northwestern University Ken Dill, University of California, San Francisco Garrett Odell, University of Washington Paul Magwene, Duke University Melanie Moses, University of New Mexico Robert Dorit, Smith College David Hillis, University of Texas, Austin Virginia Walbot, Stanford University Nancy Knowlton, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego Lee-Alan Dugatkin, University of Louisville Stephen Lisberger, University of California, San Francisco 196

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Although its importance is not always recognized, theory is an integral part of all biological research. Biologists' theoretical and conceptual frameworks inform every step of their research, affecting what experiments they do, what techniques and technologies they develop and use, and how they interpret their data.

By examining how theory can help biologists answer questions like "What are the engineering principles of life?" or "How do cells really work?" the report shows how theory synthesizes biological knowledge from the molecular level to the level of whole ecosystems. The book concludes that theory is already an inextricable thread running throughout the practice of biology; but that explicitly giving theory equal status with other components of biological research could help catalyze transformative research that will lead to creative, dynamic, and innovative advances in our understanding of life.

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