The Thomistic Institute The Measure of All Things? Rethinking Constants and Replicability in the Life Sciences – Prof. Santiago Schnell
Oct 15, 2025
Prof. Santiago Schnell, a prominent mathematical biologist and dean at Notre Dame, discusses critical issues in life sciences measurement and replicability. He emphasizes how precise measurements enhance scientific modeling, drawing on historical examples from Copernicus to Newton. Schnell reveals alarming variability in enzyme kinetics reporting and the importance of replicability as science's gold standard. He advocates for curating better datasets and launching interlaboratory studies to improve measurement practices and collaboration between philosophy and quantitative biology.
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Models Depend On Precise Measurement
- Science advances by building better models that fit precise measurements.
- Precise measurement enables mathematical frameworks that transform descriptive observations into predictive science.
Why He Focused On Enzymes
- Schnell chose enzyme kinetics early in his career because a 100-year-old theory invited rigorous re-examination.
- He found enzymes compelling as they are the 'spice of life' and central to accelerating biological chemistry.
Michaelis-Menten Is An Approximation
- The Michaelis-Menten framework simplifies complex enzyme chemistry into a velocity equation used across biochemistry.
- That equation rests on approximations and historical mathematical simplifications rather than direct integrals of concentration changes.