title: Stems and standards: social interaction in the search for blood stem cells.
abstract: This essay examines the role of social interactions in the search for blood stem cells, in a recent episode of biomedical research. Linked to mid-20th century cell biology, genetics and radiation research, the search for blood stem cells coalesced in the 1960s and took a developmental turn in the late 1980s, with significant ramifications for immunology, stem cell and cancer biology. Like much contemporary biomedical research, this line of inquiry exhibits a complex social structure and includes several prominent scientific successes, recognized as such by participating researchers. I use personal interviews and the published record to trace the social interactions crucial for scientific success in this episode. All recognized successes in this episode have two aspects: improved models of blood cell development, and new interfaces with other lines of research. The narrative of the search for blood stem cells thus yields a robust account of scientific success in practice, which generalizes to other scientific episodes and lends itself to expansion to include wider social contexts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Rice University, MS-14, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA. mbf2@rice.edu
authors.forename: Melinda Bonnie
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Fagan
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000266:history*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic