The ED issue is but one example of a scientific strategy with mixed agendas. Our responses to these issues have raised questions in the minds of some of our colleagues about priorities of science, communication with the public, and the relationship between research results and regulatory decisions. There is increasing effort today among the federal laboratories to coordinate research directions and encourage collaboration rather than competition. Congressional appropriations targeted for specific research areas encourage more cooperation between federal agencies but restrict freedom to anticipate new problems. We need to fight the fires of the day, but still be proactive in identifying those issues that truly warrant the level of attention we have given to EDs.
Antimicrobial resistance is a problem that requires such a strategy now.
As we devise strategies to resolve problems that are in the early stages of evaluation, such as the impact of antimicrobial resistance, we should heed the lessons learned from our response to the endocrine-disruptor issue and maintain a balanced approach that will maximize our efficiency and effectiveness in the future. Estrogenic activity of DDT analogs and polychlorinated biphenyls. Nelson JA, Struck RF, James R. Estrogenic activities of chlorinated hydrocarbons. McLachlan JA, ed. Estrogens in the Environment.