Nutrition: A reservoir for integrative science

In the last twenty years, powerful new molecular techniques were introduced that made it possible to advance knowledge in human biology using a reduct ionist approach. Now, the need for scientists to deal with complexity shoul d drive a movement toward an integrationist approach to science. We propose that nutritional science is one of the best reservoirs for this approach. The American Society for Nutritional Sciences can play an important role by developing and delivering a cogent message that convinces the scientific e stablishment that nutrition fills this valuable niche. The society must dev elop a comprehensive strategy to develop our image as the reservoir for lif e sciences integration. Our efforts can start with our national meeting and publications, with the research initiatives for which we advocate, with ou r graduate training programs and with the public relations image we project for ourselves. Defining the image and future directions of nutrition as th e discipline that can integrate scientific knowledge from the cell and mole cule to the whole body and beyond to populations can be the most important task that our society undertakes. If we do not effectively meet this challe nge, a golden opportunity will pass to others and nutritional scientists wi ll be left to follow them.