The challenge of being useful
1
Immunology Today, vol. 4, No. 5, 1983 137 worse, as a larger work force seeks a smaller and smaller research' pie'. There is, furthermore, a general concern about the lack of conventional job opportun- ities for even the most capable of our students. The huge amount of time spent by a laboratory head in the pursuit of research funds could clearly be more pro- ductively used. I think that these are real issues, as valid for Europeans as for Americans, and sufficient in themselves to motivate large numbers of academics at all stages of their careers to contem- plate moving their research operations to a setting which, at least superficially, does not present these problems. Fur- thermore, the troubles of the research worker in academia have been con- founded by the very slow reaction time of the various government bodies in acknowledging that problems exist and that something should be done about them. In this vein, I was not really sur- prised to see in Nature (7 October 1982) that the British government had com- missioned a 'partial survey' by the Insti- tute of Manpower Studies to look into the emigration rates among qualified British biotechnologists. Only when armed with this committee's report will the government apparently be willing to accept that the loss of skilled manpower is an issue. One might safely predict that the problem (along with the British biotechnologists) will have disappeared before the committee is able to make its report. I can only hope that the emigrating scientists will find a safe haven, for on this side of the Atlantic too the muscles of government seem to be composed entirely of 'slow-twitch' fibers. As I said, I believe that the current problems confronting research scientists in university settings are profound and are sufficient to motivate many aca- demics to leave for the industrial workplace. I do not believe, however, that these issues were of overwhelming significance in making my own decision; although they have certainly been helpful in allowing me to rationalize that I have made the correct choice. Indeed, when I look back over the reasons why I moved, chance seems to have played a bigger part than logic. Steve Gillis and I met by chance; when he interviewed for a job other than the one that eventually caused him to move to Seattle. Chance dictated that a business man we met socially (and who is now the president of our company) was looking for new worlds at the same time we were. Perhaps the most important encounter was, moreover, the one in which chance played the largest role. The initial meeting with our patient attorney came via the Yellow Pages of the tele- phone book. This meeting was pivotal in the formation of our company because without this attorney's urging I doubt that we would have been sufficiently goaded into making the jump that we did. Only time will tell whether it proves possible for us to do 'cutting-edge' science outside a conventional academic center; that, ultimately, will be the measure of our success. It seems an experiment eminently worth trying. Christopher Henney is Scientific Director, Immunex Corporation, 51 University Building, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. The challenge of being useful Anthony Allison I enjoyed working for the Medical Research Council, but felt after two decades that I would like to do something useful, as well as academically inter- esting, during the remainder of my career. Two global problems seemed especially urgent: parasitic diseases of man and domestic animals, and the rate of population growth in Third World countries. A venture working on para- sitic diseases in Kenya was interesting but politically turbulent, and the timing for a move into industry seemed right. Added to the traditional resource of industry, synthetic chemical capability, is the new resource of biotechnology. As government support of research declines in absolute terms, that of industry is in- creasing, and this pattern seems estab- lished for at least a decade. Syntex is managed by scientists and spends more than 10% of total sales on research, the highest rate in the industry. The Institute of Biological Sciences, which I direct, is concerned with im- munologically based inflammation. We axe exploiting new types of immuno- suppressive drugs active on subsets of lymphocytes, and inhibition of the formation or action of inflammatory mediators, such as lipoxygenase pro- ducts. Several methods for synthesizing contraceptive steroids were developed by Syntex, which sells these hormones to Third World countries through the United States Agency for International Development. We are now working on a new generation of safe and efficacious contraceptives, which should be useful in technologically advanced as well as other countries. New approaches to inhibition of atherogenesis and thrombosis are being developed. My first administrative task was as chairman of a task force that advised management to explore the possible applications of monoclonal antibodies for cancer diagnosis. Production ofpoly- peptide hormones and antigens by syn- thesis and recombinant DNA technology is also being undertaken at Syntex. Delivery systems and adjuvants are required to make these useful, and industry has the resources which make that type of development possible. Our research ranges all the way from oxygen radicals and novel biotechnology to product development, and that is fun, as well as being potentially useful. Enjoy- ing work, living in a pleasing environ- ment with a good climate, and being able to afford a glass of wine with dinner, is as much as any scientist has a right to expect. Anthony C Allison is Vice-Presidentfor Research, and Director, Institute of Biological Sciences, Syntex Research, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Anthony C. Allison obtained a D.Phih and a medical qualification from Oxford, UK. He spent 10 years at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, UK, and 10 years as Head of the Cell Pathology Division of the Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, UK. From 1978 to 1980 he was Director of the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases, Nairobi, Kenya, and since 1981 has been Vice-President for Research, and Director of the Insti- tute for Biological Sciences, Syntex Research, Palo Alto, California, USA. © 1983, Elsevier Science Publishers B V , Amslerdal/a ()1•7 4!¢I~'~i/$1)1 ¢)11
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Transcript of The challenge of being useful
Immunology Today, vol. 4, No. 5, 1983 137
worse, as a larger work force seeks a smaller and smaller research' pie'. There is, furthermore, a general concern about the lack of conventional job opportun- ities for even the most capable of our students. The huge amount of time spent by a laboratory head in the pursuit of research funds could clearly be more pro- ductively used. I think that these are real issues, as valid for Europeans as for Americans, and sufficient in themselves to motivate large numbers of academics at all stages of their careers to contem- plate moving their research operations to a setting which, at least superficially, does not present these problems. Fur- thermore, the troubles of the research worker in academia have been con- founded by the very slow reaction time of the various government bodies in acknowledging that problems exist and that something should be done about them. In this vein, I was not really sur- prised to see in Nature (7 October 1982) that the British government had com- missioned a 'partial survey' by the Insti- tute of Manpower Studies to look into the emigration rates among qualified British
biotechnologists. Only when armed with this committee's report will the government apparently be willing to accept that the loss of skilled manpower is an issue. One might safely predict that the problem (along with the British biotechnologists) will have disappeared before the committee is able to make its report. I can only hope that the emigrating scientists will find a safe haven, for on this side of the Atlantic too the muscles of government seem to be composed entirely of 'slow-twitch' fibers.
As I said, I believe that the current problems confronting research scientists in university settings are profound and are sufficient to motivate many aca- demics to leave for the industrial workplace. I do not believe, however, that these issues were of overwhelming significance in making my own decision; although they have certainly been helpful in allowing me to rationalize that I have made the correct choice. Indeed, when I look back over the reasons why I moved, chance seems to have played a bigger part than logic.
Steve Gillis and I met by chance; when he interviewed for a job other than the one that eventually caused him to move to Seattle. Chance dictated that a business man we met socially (and who is now the president of our company) was looking for new worlds at the same time we were. Perhaps the most important encounter was, moreover, the one in which chance played the largest role. The initial meeting with our patient attorney came via the Yellow Pages of the tele- phone book. This meeting was pivotal in the formation of our company because without this attorney's urging I doubt that we would have been sufficiently goaded into making the jump that we did.
Only time will tell whether it proves possible for us to do 'cutting-edge' science outside a conventional academic center; that, ultimately, will be the measure of our success. It seems an experiment eminently worth trying.
Christopher Henney is Scientific Director, Immunex Corporation, 51 University Building, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
The challenge of being useful Anthony Allison
I enjoyed working for the Medical Research Council, but felt after two decades that I would like to do something useful, as well as academically inter- esting, during the remainder of my career. Two global problems seemed especially urgent: parasitic diseases of man and domestic animals, and the rate of population growth in Third World countries. A venture working on para- sitic diseases in Kenya was interesting but politically turbulent, and the timing for a move into industry seemed right. Added to the traditional resource of industry, synthetic chemical capability, is the new resource of biotechnology. As government support of research declines in absolute terms, that of industry is in- creasing, and this pattern seems estab- lished for at least a decade. Syntex is managed by scientists and spends more than 10% of total sales on research, the highest rate in the industry.
The Institute of Biological Sciences, which I direct, is concerned with im- munologically based inflammation. We axe exploiting new types of immuno- suppressive drugs active on subsets of lymphocytes, and inhibition of the formation or action of inflammatory mediators, such as lipoxygenase pro- ducts. Several methods for synthesizing contraceptive steroids were developed by Syntex, which sells these hormones to
Third World countries through the United States Agency for International Development. We are now working on a new generation of safe and efficacious contraceptives, which should be useful in technologically advanced as well as other countries. New approaches to inhibition of atherogenesis and thrombosis are being developed.
My first administrative task was as chairman of a task force that advised management to explore the possible applications of monoclonal antibodies for cancer diagnosis. Production ofpoly- peptide hormones and antigens by syn- thesis and recombinant DNA technology is also being undertaken at Syntex. Delivery systems and adjuvants are required to make these useful, and industry has the resources which make that type of development possible.
Our research ranges all the way from oxygen radicals and novel biotechnology to product development, and that is fun, as well as being potentially useful. Enjoy- ing work, living in a pleasing environ- ment with a good climate, and being able to afford a glass of wine with dinner, is as much as any scientist has a right to expect.
Anthony C Allison is Vice-President for Research, and Director, Institute of Biological Sciences, Syntex Research, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
Anthony C. Allison obta ined a D .Ph ih and a medical qualif ication from Oxford, UK. He spent 10 years at the Nat ional Ins t i tu te for Medical Research, Mill Hill, UK, and 10 years as Head of the Cell Pathology Division of the Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, UK. From 1978 to 1980 he was Director of the In terna t ional Labora tory for Research on Animal Diseases, Nairobi , Kenya, and since 1981 has been Vice-President for Research, and Director of the Insti- tute for Biological Sciences, Syntex Research, Palo Alto, California, USA.
© 1983, Elsevier Science Publ i shers B V , Amsle rda l /a ()1•7 4!¢I~'~i/$1)1 ¢)11
