Why “21 Grams”?

The weight of a human soul

The name we chose for our company — 21 Grams Assays, Inc. — has a curious and significant history.  21 Grams refers to the theory of Dr. Duncan MacDougall who, in 1901, hypothesized that the weight of a human soul was 21 grams.  That theory was unproven and MacDougall went on to try to photograph human souls.  His obituary from the New York Times in 1920 can be found here.

We believe that assays have souls and that the people that build them have to put their heart and soul into building them.  The scientists that enjoy assay building are special. They wake up in the middle of the night with assay ideas, especially when faced with a scientific oddity, they gaze off into space thinking of molecular interactions, etc. 

In 2010 Barb and Russ met a wonderful assay person, Coralie Munro, who ran the endo lab at UC Davis and created some of the most spectacular antibodies on the planet.  Non-Assay People (NAPs as they’re known) don’t realize how special the antibodies are.  They offer selectivity, sensitivity, robustness and hardiness.  Coralie understood this and when Barb, Russ and Coralie would meet we didn’t have to talk in sentences – we understood each other without words.  21 Grams is dedicated to bringing “soul” back into assay building.

Coralie, who died in 2013, came from a wonderfully diverse family and is related to Burt Munro, upon whom the hero in the film The World’s Fastest Indian from 2005 was based.  The film relates how the New Zealander Burt Munro, brings his modified Indian motorcycle that he has rebuilt by hand to Bonneville Salt Flats to take the world record for under 1L motorbikes in 1967.