In the October 2017 edition of Scientific American, Brooke Borel writes “Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum. But historically, many researchers haven’t done a great job of confronting – or even acknowledging – the entangled relation between their work and how it is perceived once it leaves the lab.”
Borel cites controversial research, such Monsanto’s genetically engineered crops and more recently CRISPR and gene drives, as the impetus for scientists bringing their research to the forefront of public awareness. However, at Component Supply, we believe that such sharing is important for many reasons. We agree that transparency between the labs and society is necessary to build trust in an era of skepticism, but we also believe that building communication between “science and the society it serves,” as Borel phrases it, encourages the interdisciplinary research that occurs in many labs we supply.
For example, in 2015, we were privileged to speak with David Brown, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, about his collaborators on the KineAssist, a device that provides unobtrusive support to patients relearning how to balance and walk. Brown had more than 10 students from different backgrounds ranging from physical therapy to engineering working in his lab.
But how do researchers in various disciplines find collaborators? When the data is still being collected and the findings have yet to be published, Component Supply is looking to fill the research gaps in multiple ways. We’ve always supported our R&D friends with quality components, custom fabrication options, quick lead times and low minimums. But, it’s about more than getting these components into the right hands quickly and economically or even fabricating them to take the burden off the labs. It’s about being a point of connection between researchers seeking collaboration in interdisciplinary research and sharing their work. We want to be connected to the work of designers so we can anticipate the needs of labs all over the world and adjust our capabilities accordingly, but ultimately, we want to introduce the world to some truly amazing people.
And it starts here, with our Researcher Spotlights. It’s the catalyst for our mission here at Component Supply – connecting researchers and product designers with quality components and comprehensive knowledge so they can change the world.
Read our Researcher Spotlight with David Brown here.