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Title: Why More Biologists Must Embrace Quantitative Modeling
Synopsis Biology as a field has transformed since the time of its foundation from an organized enterprise cataloging the diversity of the natural world to a quantitatively rigorous science seeking to answer complex questions about the functions of organisms and their interactions with each other and their environments. As the mathematical rigor of biological analyses has improved, quantitative models have been developed to describe multi-mechanistic systems and to test complex hypotheses. However, applications of quantitative models have been uneven across fields, and many biologists lack the foundational training necessary to apply them in their research or to interpret their results to inform biological problem-solving efforts. This gap in scientific training has created a false dichotomy of “biologists” and “modelers” that only exacerbates the barriers to working biologists seeking additional training in quantitative modeling. Here, we make the argument that all biologists are modelers and are capable of using sophisticated quantitative modeling in their work. We highlight four benefits of conducting biological research within the framework of quantitative models, identify the potential producers and consumers of information produced by such models, and make recommendations for strategies to overcome barriers to their widespread implementation. Improved understanding of quantitative modeling could guide the producers of biological information to better apply biological measurements through analyses that evaluate mechanisms, and allow consumers of biological information to better judge the quality and applications of the information they receive. As our explanations of biological phenomena increase in complexity, so too must we embrace modeling as a foundational skill.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1754949
PAR ID:
10544674
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
Oxford University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Integrative And Comparative Biology
Volume:
64
Issue:
3
ISSN:
1540-7063
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 975-986
Size(s):
p. 975-986
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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