The Lab and NIH funding 

by John Kochis, Hamilton

Recently, it has come to my attention that funding will be cut for NIH impacting our lab. I find this deeply worrisome. The lab has been a part of the fabric that makes up the community since the 1900’s. I have had the privilege to have known a number of scientists at the lab. Among them, Dr. Edgar Ribi. 

Back in the 70s, Edgar was one of my scout leaders. As a young scout I remember him giving us a tour of the lab. It was a very formative experience at the time for me. I realized then as a 13 year old that there were many lenses through which to see the world. It kindled my interest in the sciences, though I must confess, I was not a very good student as I was also a bit of a goof off. I did however find myself captivated by science, and through the years found myself attending lectures, and reading books on everything from biology and physics, to astronomy and anthropology. It was because of people like Edgar that I was able to see a bit more each day, enriching my life intellectually and spiritually in the grandness of life and the universe.

It  also opened the door to economic opportunities, establishing companies like GSK in Hamilton. The knock on effect of this makes Hamilton a biotech powerhouse, creating supporting jobs in operations, maintenance, and construction, the wages of which propagate outwards to other businesses. To think it all began with one scientist’s vision. 

The basic research, done by RML, is an engine that drives economies. It’s fundamental to our progress as a nation. Now though, it would appear we are going backwards. Expertise is seen as something not to be celebrated but reviled. It wasn’t always this way. I am hopeful that the lab persists through these challenging times and that we come out the other end better for it. Time will tell.