How Does Basic Research Improve Human Health   - Vannevar Bush,
Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development,in
a report to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, July 1945.  Why is
basic research important?  Basic research is the study of the
fundamental molecular mechanisms that drive life. It covers
every aspect of cellular function, from the way cells process
nutrients, grow, and divide, to the way they die. Basic
researchers use human cells and animal models to ask questions
like: How do cells communicate with one another and their
environments? How do they respond to stress? What role do
chemical changes to protein structure play in these processes?
The answers to these questions help scientists establish a
baseline for what's normal. Then, they can begin asking
questions about what happens when genetic or environmental
changes perturb a cell and alter its behavior.  It's difficult
to know where breakthroughs will come from. Progress in one
research area provides data for other areas. So basic s