Perspective: Time scales in scientific research with an emphasis on microbial cellular and molecular research

• Published in: Journal of microbiological methods Vol. 82; no. 1; pp. 102 - 107
• Main Author: Trevors, J.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-07-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical Research; Cell; Entropy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Methods; Microbiological Techniques; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Molecular Biology; Time Factors; Time scales; Microorganisms; Entropy; Time scales; Cell; Bacteriology; Methods; Microorganism; Method
• ISSN: 0167-7012; 1872-8359
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2010.03.016

Scientists use time to describe and research the universe in which humans live. Geologists and evolutionary biologists often use time scales in the millions to billions of years while biochemists and molecular biologists use time scales in the milliseconds or less. The atom smashers use time scales that are almost the speed of light. However, in some areas of research such as molecular-based activities in cells, it is very challenging to obtain data sets in molecular time scales. This has been a challenge to obtaining accurate and precise measurements at the cell and molecular levels of organization in living organisms. Measurements of specific cellular and molecular activities are often made over time scales longer than the actual molecular events. The data sets obtained become estimates over seconds, minutes and hours and not measurements over milli- and nanoseconds. The question can then be posed — how representative and accurate are our data sets when the time scales are not synchronized with the actual living events? In this article, the role of time scales in scientific research and our understanding of living microorganisms are examined with an emphasis on cell and molecular time scales.