Advance Your Research With These Simple Practices
Maybe ‘simple’ is more subjective and relative to each organization’s entrenched structure and practice, but that could signal an alarm you might share with your leadership. The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they become too heavy to be broken.
Did you know that CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) was initially discovered in bacteria as part of their immune system against viruses? But two researchers, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, along with their teams, saw the potential in this bacterial defense mechanism to revolutionize gene editing in all organisms, including humans. CRISPR technology is now being used to develop treatments for genetic diseases, create more resilient crops, and even explore the possibility of eradicating certain infectious diseases.
You may have heard about mRNA in developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Traditional vaccine development relied on using weakened or inactivated pathogens, or isolated proteins from these pathogens, to stimulate an immune response. This was time-consuming with limited scalability and adaptability to rapidly mutating viruses. Researchers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman took a radically different approach by focusing on mRNA technology. mRNA vaccines could be designed and produced much faster than traditional vaccines, and proved to be highly effective. The success of mRNA vaccines has now opened doors against other diseases, including certain cancers.
Try adding these steps to your traditional research methods to transition to more advanced R&D:
Cultivate radical open-mindedness
Embrace interdisciplinary thinking
Challenge fundamental assumptions
Prioritize high-risk, high-reward projects
Develop a network of diverse collaborators
Practice "impossible thinking" exercises
Study historical scientific paradigm shifts
Allocate time for unconstrained exploration
PLAY MORE GAMES!
Traditional research often misses paradigm-shifting discoveries by adhering too closely to established methods and frameworks. Integrity is important, but it can also create regressive habits. Failing to challenge core assumptions, you may overlook revolutionary concepts that could redefine your field. And the lack of interdisciplinary thinking prevents the cross-pollination of ideas from disparate fields, which has historically led to numerous breakthrough innovations.
The development of entirely new methodologies or tools is another critical opportunity often neglected in traditional research. By questioning current limitations and actively working to overcome them, researchers can create novel approaches that open up new avenues of investigation. This could involve developing new experimental techniques or advanced computational models that push the boundaries of what's possible in their field.
Embracing uncertainty and ambiguity is crucial in advanced R&D. While traditional research aims to minimize these factors, some of the most profound insights emerge from grappling with unclear or seemingly contradictory data. By becoming comfortable with ambiguity and pursuing high-risk, potentially revolutionary projects, researchers inject a sense of adventure and purpose into their work. This not only leads to more impactful outcomes but also provides the motivation to push through challenges and make transformative contributions to science.
Traditional research will always have foundational value in the study of the sciences. Tried and true methods are important for reliability and integrity of results. However, it is also critical to advance our understanding of new methods, to expand on this integrity by testing our practices for weaknesses or false outcomes. Each organization should find the appropriate balance between traditional and advanced research programs that works for them; 90/10, 80/20, or 50/50. Don’t allow your research habits to become too heavy to improve.
