1920s – 30s: Cornerstones of modern cancer research
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| Cornerstones of Modern Cancer Research |
In 1916, Clarence Little—studying the genetics of cancer in mice—discovered that Japanese “waltzing” mice, but not other mouse strains, were susceptible to transplanted sarcomas (connective tissue cancers). In 1928, E. Carleton MacDowell discovered a strain of mice predisposed to spontaneous leukemia. Subsequent breeding experiments led to the development of mice with increased susceptibility or resistance to the cancer. MacDowell's work is a cornerstone of modern cancer research.
In 1924, Charles Davenport appointed Reginald Harris as director of the Biological Laboratory. Harris began to change the Laboratory’s research program to focus on quantitative biology—physiology and biophysics in particular. Harris’ greatest legacy was his creation of the Cold Spring Harbor Symposium on Quantitative Biology in 1933