The Discourse of Physical Power and Biological Knowledge in the 1930s: A Reappraisal of the Rockefeller Foundation's `Policy' in Molecular Biology

Abstract

This paper uses three case studies in order to examine the implementation of a policy of biological progress, initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1930s. In discussing the social and scientific goals of this research policy, the paper challenges views which have attributed to the Foundation's policy a direct impact upon the rise of molecular biology; it also suggests that this policy, conceived around the idea of technology transfer from the physical sciences to biology, had inherent limitations for revolutionizing biology. The paper concludes by offering a new interpretation of the historical impact of the Foundation's policy towards molecular biology.