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Researched by Brian V .2001-02 |
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Research Summary
Prior to 1953, millions of children around the world had been infected
with polio. This is a crippling disease that infects the spinal cord. It
causes paralysis, muscle atrophy, and permanent disfigurements. In 1953,
Dr. Jonas Salk introduced a vaccine that he had created to prevent anyone
from getting polio again. This vaccine was made from "killed" polio cells.
Today because of this vaccine, children in our country are free to live
without fear of catching polio. This improvement in life is due to the
amazing contribution of one research scientist.
Research scientists do many things and make numerous contributions to our lives. Some of them are huge, like the discoveries of Marie Curie, and some of them are small, like how to make the perfect grass for golf courses. Regardless of the job, research scientist are interesting problem solvers.
In the 5th through 8th grade, any person trying to be a research scientist should be trying to get advanced level courses in science, reading and math. These same subjects would be required in high school, and if they are not offered in the school, they could be taken through Running Start. Scientists obviously would benefit from any education they get in the field of science. This teaches one about chemicals, biology, life science, physical sciences, and use of equipment and methods of scientific research. Math is very important for recording data, calculating processes and projecting possible solutions. Reading is necessary for research.
A Research scientist can study many things. They can have backgrounds in biology, genetics, general science, chemistry, and physics, just to name a few. Generally research scientists have graduate degrees, but it is not always required. They usually work in a laboratory environment and they are trying to solve some problem or they are trying to improve something that already exists. Some of their personal qualities that help them succeed are a natural curiosity, hard working, self-direction, sense of humor, and patience. These people may have to do a task over and over again and it may not turn out, as they wanted. Research scientists need to also keep a level head and not get so interested in achieving results that he/she would cut corners. This would also mean that they must have a strong sense of right and wrong.
There have been many famous research scientists. As already mentioned, Dr. Jonas Salk and Marie Curie were two important researchers, but there were so many more. For instance, Sir Isaac Newton developed work in gravity. Albert Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity; Thomas Edison made several discoveries including the use of electricity in a light bulb. Michael Faraday did amazing things with magnetic fields and electricity that led to the development of the generator. Robert Goddard created the first rocket to use liquid fuel. There was Louis Pasteur who created the fermentation process that is used today for making beer and wine, he developed the pasteurization process that is used with products like cheese and he developed a cure for rabies, among many other things. George Washington Carver spent his life making soil improvements and crop developments that would benefit farmers and food production. Alexander Flemming accidentally discovered penicillin. Today there are also research scientists making contributions. Recently, Ian Wilmut of the Ruslin Institute in the United Kingdom cloned the sheep Dolly.
Today there is a lot of work and opportunity in the field of genetics, food production, vaccines, quality of life improvement medication and stem cell research. There are some negative aspects to this field from the public’s opinion. Many people fear what scientists could create. They are concerned with potential side effects as in the question of genetically altered food. People are struggling with the ethics of using fetal cells for stem cell research. In fact, President Bush just recently made a very difficult decision regarding the use of stem cells. Then there is the whole problem of whether a human should be cloned and what that would mean to our society. In the future, there should be a significant number of jobs in this field, but there will continue to be very controversial.
A typical researcher works in a lab and they can work whenever they want as long as they get their work done. Because scientists are naturally curious people, they tend to work very long hours just to satisfy their own interest. Some of the tools would include microscopes, computers, knives, petri dishes, chemicals, test tubes, slides and many other scientific materials. Some times the work of a researcher takes them out in the field to study real crops, animals or humans.
The earnings and outlook for the job of research scientist vary from
state to state. Job searches on the Internet show private drug research
corporations that offered starting salaries at $50,000 a year. There were
multiple listings for qualified researchers, but you would have to be willing
to relocate. There are more jobs outside of Washington State. In Washington,
there are about 60 jobs for research scientists. They earn $63,000 - $69,000
a year. The projection for the future is that the jobs in this field will
continue to grow and the developments will be coming at a very rapid rate.
This is for both Washington and the United States. In the next ten years
there should be a huge need for researchers in the field of gene development
and genetics. There is still some hope that we will find vaccines for things
such as HIV, the common cold and even Ebola. We are always finding new
medicines that will improve our quality of life and help people deal
will illnesses.
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