Representing Genes: Testing Competing Philosophical Analyses of the Gene Concept in Contemporary Molecular Biology

代表基因：测试当代分子生物学中基因概念的竞争性哲学分析

• 批准号: 0217567
• 负责人: Paul Griffiths
• 金额: $ 9.5万
• 依托单位: University of Pittsburgh
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-08-01 至 2005-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0217567&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Representing; Genes; Testing; Competing; Philosophical

SES 0217567 Representing Genes: Testing Competing Philosophical Analyses of the Gene Concept in Contemporary Molecular BiologyPaul Griffiths, University of PittsburghThere is widespread agreement amongst historians and philosophers of biology that the gene concept is not merely "vague" or "flexible," but rather that biologists in different fields conceive of the term "gene" in one or more specific ways that reflect their research practice. Philosophers and historians of science have made various claims about precisely how and why the gene concept varies amongst biologists and have argued that the variation is either functional or dysfunctional with respect to the actual conduct of biological research. Previous research by the PI has established that claims in this field can be operationalized and tested by statistical analysis of questionnaire data obtained from working biologists. The objective of this study is to construct, in cooperation with leading researchers in the history and philosophy of biology and with the help of researchers in other fields with relevant methodological expertise, testable versions ofphilosophical claims about how groups of contemporary biologists think about genes, and to test those claims. The purpose of the study is not to arrive at one or more correct "definitions" of the gene, but rather to map out the variation in the gene concept and to explore its causes and its effects. The project begins with a workshop of leading researchers in history and philosophy of biology and others with expertise in the relevant biological fields and in social scientific research. The aim of the workshop is to agree on research questions and operationalizations. It is to be followed by subject recruitment, data collection, and data analysis. A second workshop at the end of the project is to discuss the results and to plan publications by several overlapping collaborations of workshop participants aimed at several different target audiences.Among the many impacts of this project, one potential broader impact stands out. Although biologists are aware that the term "gene" means different things in different fields, the outside world is left with statements from different biologists that appear to be discussing the same thing, while the validity of those statements, in fact, depends on the specific gene concept held by the individual biologist. Thus, crucial law and policy decisions may be made based on faulty public, lawmaker, and policymaker notions of what import they should attach to these statements. The project can make a significant contribution by highlighting this circumstance.

SES 0217567 代表基因：测试当代分子生物学中基因概念的竞争哲学分析Paul Griffiths，匹兹堡大学历史学家和生物学哲学家普遍认为基因概念不仅是“模糊的”或“灵活的”，而且生物学家不同领域的人以一种或多种反映其研究实践的具体方式来构想“基因”一词。 哲学家和科学史学家对基因概念在生物学家中如何以及为何发生变化提出了各种主张，并认为这种变化对于生物学研究的实际进行要么是功能性的，要么是功能失调的。 PI 之前的研究已经证实，该领域的主张可以通过对从工作生物学家那里获得的问卷数据进行统计分析来实施和测试。 这项研究的目的是与生物学历史和哲学领域的顶尖研究人员合作，并在其他领域具有相关方法论专业知识的研究人员的帮助下，构建关于当代生物学家如何看待基因的哲学主张的可测试版本，以及来测试这些说法。 研究的目的不是要得出基因的一个或多个正确的“定义”，而是要绘制出基因概念的变异并探索其原因和影响。该项目首先举办了一个由生物学历史和哲学领域的顶尖研究人员以及其他在相关生物学领域和社会科学研究方面具有专业知识的研究人员组成的研讨会。 研讨会的目的是就研究问题和实施达成一致。接下来是受试者招募、数据收集和数据分析。项目结束时举行的第二次研讨会将讨论结果，并计划由研讨会参与者针对多个不同目标受众进行多次重叠合作的出版物。在该项目的众多影响中，一个潜在的更广泛的影响脱颖而出。尽管生物学家知道“基因”一词在不同领域有不同的含义，但外界留下的却是不同生物学家的言论，看似在讨论同一件事，而这些言论的有效性实际上取决于具体的情况。个别生物学家持有的基因概念。 因此，重要的法律和政策决定可能是基于公众、立法者和政策制定者对这些声明的重要性的错误观念而做出的。 该项目可以通过强调这种情况做出重大贡献。