Zoomed-out perspectives of living systems; telescoped perspectives on bioengineering
The vast majority of research focuses on a few common animal models, in vitro cell lines, and human biology (especially within a narrow set of disease contexts or pathogens). While our knowledge of cell and molecular biology in those systems have exploded, many key conclusions still lack comparative or evolutionary perspective. I imagine that the future of biology research is enriched by findings from across the tree of life. To get there could entail:
- applying proven experimental methods towards comparative studies
- curiousity-driven research on non-model organisms and ecosystems
- leveraging genome assemblies from across the animal world