Letter from the President: We appreciate our customers and your dedication more than ever!
I suspect many of you are thinking about what “reopening” laboratories and offices post-pandemic might look like. What things could (and should) be done remotely? How will we adjust to our old, and new, social norms? These are questions we’re wrestling with at MBF Bioscience. Here in Vermont, we remain optimistic about beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even while we send our care and empathy towards parts of the world that are fighting off new and more virulent forms of this coronavirus.
We stand in awe at the impact scientific research has had, and continues to have during the pandemic, and how billions of people around the world have benefited because of it. We are thankful for the dedication and resilience of our customers, and the scientific insights they discover each and every day. We are proud to be an active member of this community, and consistent with our mission, strive to act not just as a vendor but as a true partner to all of you. We are committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with you to benefit humanity, and trust that our partnership will help our species thrive far into the future. We’re proud to be a small part of your efforts.
Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about the scientific process — and the importance of collaboration and dialogue. It’s the thing we miss most about interacting in “real-time 3D” with all of you — that magic that happens when focused, bright minds come together to move a thought, an idea, knowledge…forward.
What it seems the world is missing most these days is spontaneity and serendipity — that seemingly “light” water cooler talk that synchronizes one mind to another, and fuses and clarifies an insight leading to something better. Innovation and invention thrive on chance, serendipity, and human interaction — and we can’t wait to be having those interactions with you again as soon as possible.
In an earlier newsletter, I spoke about our new partnership with Vidrio Technologies. Vidrio’s Director, Dr. Bruce Kimmel has a personal story about serendipity that we love. It’s a story about his father who had the presence of mind to take a “waste product” contaminant within chicken insulin and sequence its protein. By so doing, he uncovered a new hormone made by the pancreas that relates to brain peptides that control hunger. Not only did this “chance” discovery led to an entire field of research resulting in thousands of publications and citations, but it motivated Bruce to gravitate toward biological research in his own career and mission.
(By the way, the next time you see Bruce – ask him to tell you why his father’s research led not only to what’s mentioned above, but to early insights about how birds are descendants of dinosaurs!)
We’re curious to know how you are enabling serendipity, spontaneity, and insight in your work in this trying time. At MBF, we’re so committed to this that we’re creating a practice around the idea — I’ll share more about that later.
In the meantime, we continue to be inspired by your stories and your questions. Drop us a line, give me a call, or reach out in whatever spontaneous way is best for you!
Till next time,
Jack
