SPSP 2013 Plenary session #3: James Griesemer

SPSP 2013 Plenary session #3: James Griesemer

Tweeted from the 4th biennial conference of the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on June 28, 2013.

  1. Getting set for Plenary 3 at #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto which will be James Griesemer, “Model Taxa as Platforms for Biological Research”
  2. That there’s a story (and a set of tweets) for Plenary 1 and also for Plenary 3 raises an obvious question:
  3. “Why no tweets for Plenary 2?” you ask? Because my laptop was used by the esteemed Rachel Ankeny for her slides #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  4. Assisting the speaker in achieving the conditions required to project her slides is a good thing, yes?
  5. Have taken notes in the quad-rule notebook for sessions not tweeted. Will try to tweet or blog them when I can #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto

  6. There might be a nap between now and then, however.
  7. James Griesemer: talking about models/modeling in production & use of platforms for research #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  8. Wondered why so many math. models? Why model species rather than model taxa? #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  9. Integration of research approaches in practice development of model research platform #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  10. Model taxa can be used to represent phenomena & as platforms for constructive scientific activity & prob solving #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  11. Model taxon doesn’t just fill out a trend in model organism development #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  12. Model has diverse meanings; should take all of them seriously (not just representational ones) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  13. “Model” has complex history. An original = object/phenomenon that could serve as pattern #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  14. Dual roles of model in use (representation of a class of things & pattern for making new things) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  15. Models don’t just stand for something else. Model organisms facilitate generalization (Representational scope?) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  16. Model orgs facilitate problem & domain specification (representational target spells out problems to be explored) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  17. NIH 13 model orgs for biomed research (Emerging model org = not on the list) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  18. You can check out the NIH model organisms webpage. Current count of model organisms as I type this is still 13 …
  19. Cold Spring Harbor Protocol on EMOs specifies platforms (background, husbandry, related species, …) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  20. Read more about the Cold Spring Harbor Protocols for Emerging Model Organisms here
  21. (use of model system, genomic approaches, protocols, recipes for growing what you’ve collected from field…) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  22. Specifying EMO = placing in context of taxon, materials & methods, troubleshooting to stdize activities #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  23. Case studies trace back to 1960s-’80s (at least), before genomics drove model org development #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  24. Classical, semi-classical, genomic, & shotgun approaches to model taxa construction #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  25. Classical: orgs of convenience, practical necessity, or specific research interest #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  26. Wake 2009, “What salamanders have taught us about evolution”: model taxon permits multidimensional approach #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  27. Diversity of perspectives, methodological approaches, etc., required to get adequate empirical results #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  28. David Wake’s classical salamander model taxa (Salamanders, Lungless salamanders, Lowland neo-tropical salamander) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  29. Webbed feet in salamanders explained by selection on body size, not on feet #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  30. What looks like adaptive characters are better explained by development. Inferences from adaptive evo not robust #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  31. Methodological lesson is exportable (need developmental mech, morphology, phylogeny, etc.) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  32. Glickman’s classical Hyaenidae model taxon. Experimental system, but a model organism? #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  33. Dev. of genital anatomy studied by comparative work (looking at other carnivores) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  34. Repro system & brain development isn’t always about androgens #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  35. Familiar molecules behave in unfamiliar ways in mod. system; unfamiliar/unexpected behavior in familiar ones too? #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  36. Semi-classical: study non-model species of research interest that’s sister taxon tp model org #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  37. Recency of common descent of sister group implies probable common causes #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  38. James Hanken’s semi-classical frog model taxon (1 model org, African clawed frog 1 outgroup, Budgett’s frog) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  39. Genomic approach: choose taxon that’s abt ro be sequenced that also meets semi-classical requirement #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  40. Shotgun: sequence lots of species by taxon sampling across large segments of tree of life #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  41. Props of model taxa: (1) integrate research approaches b/c orgs integrate phenomena of interest #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  42. But the phenomena are studied w/ diff approaches, by diff specialities #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  43. (2) Orgs not just genetic but developmental, morphological, behavioral, ecological, … #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  44. Focus on variation & comparison, not unification & universal generalization #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  45. Integration is piecemeal & pragmatic (b/c that’s how evolution works) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  46. Model taxa not very portable (unlike bacteria, yeast, flies); researchers need to go where platform is #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  47. SHould look for more model taxa, especially in field (harder to study) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  48. Look for more patterns of export generalization (connect to case-based reasoning discussions) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  49. Using model orgs (or taxa), closeness to humans is just one research interest among many #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto
  50. Model Taxa nice b/c variation among species something you can address w/in model (vs. needing to extrapolate) #SPSP2013 #SPSP2013Toronto

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Posted in Biology, Conferences, Evolution, History of science, Philosophy.

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