Modeling human disease phenotype in model organisms: "It's only a model!".

Abstract

A perspective by definition is a viewpoint. A viewpoint, like any other opinion, could be utterly erroneous. This Perspective is meant to be provocative but not to lessen the accomplishments of the scientific society as a whole or belittle any particular field of science or investigators. Scientific discoveries are typically incremental with various levels of increments. Often the significance of the discoveries remains unrecognized for many years if not decades, as was the case for the discovery of DNA by Friedrich Miescher in 1868 . The significance of the discovery remained largely unrecognized for about 75 years, until simple and elegant experiments by Hershey and Chase showed that DNA and not protein, as was commonly perceived, was the genetic material . Our shortcomings in recognizing the significance of the scientific discoveries should not deter us from Cartesian skepticism, which was pioneered by the Persian philosopher Ghazali and popularized by Rene Descartes’ “<i>I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am</i>.” An essential component of our academic society is the freedom to express viewpoints. Yet, personal opinions must not guide judgment on merits of the scientific discoveries and other peer-review matters. Science must be judged by the scientific standards of the time. It must not be judged by personal views. Scientific referees like all judges must be impartial and devoid of personal biases on rendering judgments. Accordingly, this viewpoint is simply that, a viewpoint. It is not indicative of author’s personal biases on any specific scientific discipline. The Perspective is aimed to raise doubts, as doubt is an incentive to truth.