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Health & Fitness

Reality in Research

It seems the public has become rather habituated to new discoveries and disillusioned with the slow progress in science research.

Everyday, news of scientific breakthroughs can be found in newspapers, online journals and even the local news. But usually, it is broadcast as not enough reason to celebrate—perhaps confirmation of a certain protein in cancer patients or a hopeful clinical study. Despite the huge step it may have made toward the final result, the discovery is perceived as "not a big deal."

It seems the public has become rather habituated to new discoveries and disillusioned with the slow progress in science research. 

This wasn't the case a few decades ago. Back then, humanity's trek into the 21st century was measured by breakthroughs in medicine, physics and mathematics. The media blew up every accomplishment so the public came to expect new advancements in curing a disease every year. When no cure came, they thought they were tricked. Tricked into believing the power of science and maybe that is why the status quo is the way it is now.

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Let me just say: the reality of science isn't instant reward. Cures take years and years to formulate due to the multiple steps, trials and studies necessary to confirm positive results (Assuming there are positive results!).

I'd like to take a little time to elaborate on research I conduct at the University of Minnesota.

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Last year, I worked four to five hours a day, five days a week for seven months all on just one project, and after all that work? I isolated one little protein that may have an affect on the regeneration of muscle. Not to say that this wasn't an important step in finding a cure for muscular dystrophies, it is just an example of how much work needs to be put in to find a cure. There may be thousands of other proteins playing role and each of their different contributions would need to be studied countless times.

I may be just a high school student, but time dedication is no different among many researchers. Atsushi Asakura, the lead research on muscular dystrophy at the University of Minnesota, has spent a decade looking at how transcription factors play a role in muscle regeneration. But his lab group has relatively little to show even for these years of hard work.

The reality: progress is slow.

There is no substitute for time and even with all the most qualified and brightest scientists around the world putting their heads together to solve scientific questions it still takes years, if not decades, to see any discernable progress.

Next time a local news station broadcasts an advancement in curing cancer, take it with a grain of salt but understand how much work was put into the what results we have now. And rejoice that it represents one step in the right direction towards what we've all come to expect.

Evan Chen will be a senior this fall at Wayzata High School. He has been conducting stem cell research at the University of Minnesota for little over a year and recently became involved in the debate about stem cells in the Minnesota Legislature. As a high school student who works with stem cells, Evan feels he can provide an interesting viewpoint on the debate.

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