The Molecularization of Genetics

遗传学的分子化

• 批准号: 9412338
• 负责人: C. Kenneth Waters
• 金额: $ 6.56万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fixed Amount Award
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-07-15 至 1996-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9412338&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Molecularization; Genetics

Developments in genetics since World War II are leading us to revise our understanding of the processes of scientific change. These developments include the "molecularization" of genetics; i.e., the apparent reformulation of classical genetics in terms of DNA and the subsequent advances in our explanatory and investigative practices. Dr. Waters is examining the new kind of changes taking place in genetics, its underlying strategy, and how this new strategy works to bring about progressive developments in explanatory and investigative practices in science. The relationship between classical Mendelian genetics and molecular biology is viewed by philosophers of science as a paradigm of non- reduction, i.e. , as an example of scientific progress where the molecular-level account answers new questions, but does not reformulate the classical theory or provide better answers to the previously answered questions. The genetics example plays a prominent role in debates about the prospects of reduction in other sciences, the nature of explanation, and the metaphysical organization of the world. The appearance of the Mendelian example alongside the usual ones in physics marks a turning point. Philosophers now look to biology for insights into the nature of scientific knowledge. Dr. Waters, however, believes these current views are mistaken and have prevented a proper understanding of the changes that have taken place in genetics. In this study, Dr. Waters is examining in parallel the central concepts, explanatory models and investigative practices of both classical genetics and molecular biology. He hopes to show how molecular biology has deepened the understanding of heredity first provided by classical genetics and then how theoretical connections between classical genetics and molecular biology have led to a fruitful interplay between investigative practices of genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. From this, he draws a new model of antireductionism fo r all of the Science and Technology Studies disciplines.

第二次世界大战以来遗传学的发展正在引导我们改变对科学变革过程的理解。 这些发展包括遗传学的“分子化”； 即，经典遗传学在 DNA 方面的明显重新表述以及我们解释和研究实践的后续进展。 沃特斯博士正在研究遗传学中发生的新型变化、其基本策略，以及这种新策略如何促进科学解释和研究实践的进步发展。 经典孟德尔遗传学和分子生物学之间的关系被科学哲学家视为非还原范式，即作为科学进步的一个例子，其中分子水平的解释回答了新问题，但没有重新阐述经典理论或为先前回答的问题提供更好的答案。 遗传学的例子在有关其他科学的还原前景、解释的本质以及世界的形而上学组织的争论中发挥着重要作用。 孟德尔例子与物理学中常见例子的出现标志着一个转折点。 哲学家现在从生物学中寻求对科学知识本质的洞察。 然而，沃特斯博士认为目前的这些观点是错误的，并且阻碍了对遗传学中发生的变化的正确理解。 在这项研究中，沃特斯博士正在同时研究经典遗传学和分子生物学的中心概念、解释模型和研究实践。 他希望展示分子生物学如何加深对经典遗传学首先提供的遗传的理解，以及经典遗传学和分子生物学之间的理论联系如何导致遗传学、分子生物学和生物化学的研究实践之间富有成效的相互作用。 由此，他为所有科学技术研究学科绘制了一个新的反还原论模型。