Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Restoring a Place for Biographies in the History of Science.

Journal of the history of biology·2025

Same author

Experimental Systems in the Co-Construction of Scientific Knowledge.

Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte·2022

Same author

A Time to Model and a Time to Experiment.

Journal of computational biology : a journal of computational molecular cell biology·2019

Same author

What history tells us XLV. The 'instability' of messenger RNA.

Journal of biosciences·2018

Same author

What history tells us XLIII Bacteriophage: The contexts in which it was discovered.

Journal of biosciences·2018

Same author

What history tells us XLIV: The construction of the zinc finger nucleases.

Journal of biosciences·2017

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Tetrode Assembly

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Tetrode Assembly

Published on: April 21, 2009

Homage to Eric Davidson.

Michel Morange¹

¹Centre Cavaillès, République des Savoirs, Ecole Normale Superieure, 29 rue d'Ulm, 75230, Paris Cedex 05, France. morange@biologie.ens.fr.

History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences

|October 18, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Britten-Davidson model faced criticism from the French School of molecular biology, contrasting with the Jacob-Monod operon model. This analysis explores their differing scientific contexts and impacts.

Keywords:

Embryology Evolution Gene regulation Microbiology Systems biology

More Related Videos

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Extreme Nanowires and Other 1D Systems

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Extreme Nanowires and Other 1D Systems

Published on: April 28, 2016

High-Efficiency Generation of Antigen-Specific Primary Mouse Cytotoxic T Cells for Functional Testing in an Autoimmune Diabetes Model

High-Efficiency Generation of Antigen-Specific Primary Mouse Cytotoxic T Cells for Functional Testing in an Autoimmune Diabetes Model

Published on: August 16, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Tetrode Assembly

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Tetrode Assembly

Published on: April 21, 2009

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Extreme Nanowires and Other 1D Systems

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Extreme Nanowires and Other 1D Systems

Published on: April 28, 2016

High-Efficiency Generation of Antigen-Specific Primary Mouse Cytotoxic T Cells for Functional Testing in an Autoimmune Diabetes Model

High-Efficiency Generation of Antigen-Specific Primary Mouse Cytotoxic T Cells for Functional Testing in an Autoimmune Diabetes Model

Published on: August 16, 2019

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Developmental Biology
Genetics

Background:

The Britten-Davidson model of gene regulation was favored by American scientists but criticized by the French School, notably François Jacob, for being too abstract.
The Jacob-Monod operon model, developed in France, represented a contrasting experimental approach to genetic regulation.

Discussion:

This work re-examines the fundamental differences between the Britten-Davidson and operon models of genetic regulation.
It explores the distinct scientific environments and research philosophies that shaped each model.
The contrasting reception highlights differing perspectives on theoretical versus experimental approaches in molecular biology.

Key Insights:

The Britten-Davidson model and the operon model emerged from different scientific contexts and served distinct roles in advancing genetic regulation understanding.
François Jacob's critique underscores a divergence in scientific methodology and the perceived value of abstract models versus experimental data.
Eric Davidson's later work on sea urchin development revealed a continuity and evolution of regulatory concepts.

Outlook:

Understanding the historical context of these models provides valuable insights into the evolution of molecular biology and developmental genetics.
Further research can explore the long-term impact of these foundational models on current gene regulatory network studies.
The personal encounters with Eric Davidson highlight the human element and evolving nature of scientific discovery.