Scientific advancement may appear on the surface like a certainty; an unstoppable force that only moves forward. But scientific innovation only happens due to years and years of compounding research contributed by individuals from all walks of life. People, and their curiosity, passion, and efforts are the center of our contemporary understanding of human biology.
During this Black History Month, we at Element believe it is important to recognize both the contributions Black scientists have made in the past, and the hurdles they have overcome during time periods where they saw great obstacles to their reputation and access to education.
One such scientist was Dr. Ernest Everett Just (1883-1941), an African American biologist and educator best known for his study of marine and cellular biology. Dr. Just’s schooling and educational career included stops at Dartmouth, where he graduated magna cum laude in biology; Howard University as a Professor in its Biology Department; and the University of Chicago, where he received his doctorate in zoology.
Dr. Just’s scientific legacy is rooted in his work with marine organisms, where he studied at length the movement of water into and out of living marine egg cells. His research proved vital in our understanding of internal cellular structures; a landmark finding that influences the modern development of life science technologies and tools. Dr. Just was the first to introduce the idea that cellular differentiation is not driven solely by the nucleus and genes present, but is also influenced by cytoplasmic factors.
Over his lifetime, Dr. Just published over fifty scientific papers and two influential books: Basic Methods for Experiments on Eggs of Marine Mammals (1922) and Biology of the Cell Surface (1939), which saw worldwide acclaim from the scientific community. His research has been foundational to the field cellular physiology, and many scientific advancements we benefit from today would not be possible without it.
At Element, we recognize our AVITI and AVITI24 platforms are built on the bedrock of centuries of scientific discovery and innovation. But scientific discovery does not happen in a vacuum. Scientists like Dr. Ernest Everett Just’s contributions in the field of cellular physiology went hand in hand with challenging the status quo of an era when racial barriers in America limited opportunities for Black scholars.
So, on this Black History Month, we raise a toast to Dr. Ernest Everett Just, who paved the way for a much deeper and richer understanding of our own biology.