PLOS Biology: Research Matters

Society has benefited from advances in science over the last two centuries, but it’s not always clear where the roots of all of these great discoveries lie. All research needs a basic foundation; yet the foundation for most impactful scientific discoveries are often unappreciated, or even unrecognizable, once the findings reach the general public. The result is that there is often a disconnect between what the public perceives as the need behind basic research, and what the scientists carrying out the research aim to achieve. Our goal is to address this gap by enhancing the public’s understanding of the ultimate benefits of basic research to public health, society, life, and the environment. In this series, we ask leading scientists in their respective fields to explain clearly and engagingly for a lay audience why the research carried out in their laboratories - and those of their collaborators and their colleagues - matters.

Image Credit: Anna Miska-Alvarez