You may have seen the news last week of firebombings at the homes of two UC Santa Cruz science faculty members. These violent attacks came days after brochures were found in a downtown Santa Cruz coffee shop threatening 13 of our faculty, staff, and students who use fruit flies and mice in their research. The news media has reported that the Animal Liberation Front has claimed "credit" for this crime, which is being investigated as the attempted murder of two UC scientists and their young children.
Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, in part because one family had an emergency ladder available for escape from their second story window. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident, but follows an attempt last winter by masked intruders to enter the home of another UCSC biologist, and a number of other firebombings and acts of destructive vandalism by animal activists at other UC campuses.
UC Santa Cruz scientists are involved in biomedical research that focuses on the fundamental basis of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's. They have been active participants in the voter-approved California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, developing stem-cell therapies that may one day allow treatment of congenital diseases and devastating spinal cord injuries. They work on public health problems like cholera and malaria that remain major scourges in many parts of the world. They train students who become doctors, veterinarians, and other health professionals.
Whenever possible, our scientists do their work without animals. In addition to traditional methods with cell lines, we are proud of our faculty's contributions to advanced technologies such as high-throughput robotic drug screening facilities and biosensors on silicon chips. But we do not have the ability to work on such complex and important problems as neurodegenerative disease without animal models. Often, the animals used are nematodes or fruit flies. Sometimes they are mice. In such cases, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which includes both university and community members, evaluates the proposed research to ensure both the necessity of animal use and that a high standard of care is maintained.
Although we do not use higher animals in biomedical research, they are used at other universities where preclinical work is done. Medical breakthroughs that were dependent on the use of animals in research include blood transfusions, dialysis, the care of premature infants, and drugs for diseases such as HIV. Millions of people have lived longer, better lives because of both the fundamental science done with animals at places like UC Santa Cruz, and the clinical work done with animals at places like the UC medical centers.
I understand that people may disagree when weighing the value of modern biomedical research against the costs of research involving animals, and I fully support the right of all to express legitimate dissent and use political action to achieve their goals. However, I also believe that intimidation and terrorism are completely antithetical to a civil society and are a threat to the intellectual freedom that is essential to a great research university.
I encourage all alumni and friends of UC Santa Cruz to educate themselves about the outstanding biomedical research being done here by our faculty, staff, and students. I also ask that you be sensitive to media reports of violent actions against researchers, whether related to animal issues as at UCSC, UCLA, and elsewhere; environmental issues such as led to the burning of the horticulture building at the University of Washington; or political issues. I hope that those of us who benefited from and understand the value of an education at a major research university will be among the first to speak in support of the importance of free inquiry without intimidation, even if we don't always agree with the individuals who are speaking or doing the research.
The affected researchers and I appreciate all of the support we've received from colleagues across campus, from the community, and from our alumni and friends during what has been a very difficult period for many of our students, scientists, and their families.
Fiat slug,
Steve Thorsett
Dean, Physical and Biological Sciences
Whenever possible, our scientists do their work without animals. In addition to traditional methods with cell lines, we are proud of our faculty's contributions to advanced technologies such as high-throughput robotic drug screening facilities and biosensors on silicon chips. But we do not have the ability to work on such complex and important problems as neurodegenerative disease without animal models. Often, the animals used are nematodes or fruit flies. Sometimes they are mice. In such cases, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which includes both university and community members, evaluates the proposed research to ensure both the necessity of animal use and that a high standard of care is maintained.
Although we do not use higher animals in biomedical research, they are used at other universities where preclinical work is done. Medical breakthroughs that were dependent on the use of animals in research include blood transfusions, dialysis, the care of premature infants, and drugs for diseases such as HIV. Millions of people have lived longer, better lives because of both the fundamental science done with animals at places like UC Santa Cruz, and the clinical work done with animals at places like the UC medical centers.
I understand that people may disagree when weighing the value of modern biomedical research against the costs of research involving animals, and I fully support the right of all to express legitimate dissent and use political action to achieve their goals. However, I also believe that intimidation and terrorism are completely antithetical to a civil society and are a threat to the intellectual freedom that is essential to a great research university.
I encourage all alumni and friends of UC Santa Cruz to educate themselves about the outstanding biomedical research being done here by our faculty, staff, and students. I also ask that you be sensitive to media reports of violent actions against researchers, whether related to animal issues as at UCSC, UCLA, and elsewhere; environmental issues such as led to the burning of the horticulture building at the University of Washington; or political issues. I hope that those of us who benefited from and understand the value of an education at a major research university will be among the first to speak in support of the importance of free inquiry without intimidation, even if we don't always agree with the individuals who are speaking or doing the research.
The affected researchers and I appreciate all of the support we've received from colleagues across campus, from the community, and from our alumni and friends during what has been a very difficult period for many of our students, scientists, and their families.
Fiat slug,
Steve Thorsett
Dean, Physical and Biological Sciences
