Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Hawaii hospitals, schools, business, government and families were disrupted by a virus-borne illness. Politicians and Bishop Street CEOs struggled to draft policies based on scientific and medical concepts. COVID-19 exposed that few Hawaii leaders studied biology, the “life sciences” field that explains a virus as a tiny collection of genetic code, covered by a protein coat.

Fortunately, according to Economist magazine, COVID-19 vaccines were developed in a year, accelerated by global molecular biology research, as an “example of collaboration and pioneering science” ranked with the Apollo space program.

What if political and business leaders who “know the science” led Hawaii during the pandemic? And throughout Hawaii, biology was integrated into education, business and government?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has lessons for Hawaii from three decades ago. In the 1990s at M.I.T., I met the Department of Biology head, Dr. Phillip Sharp — a “down-home” professor who was raised on a Kentucky tobacco farm and attended Union College and the University of Illinois, not an Ivy Leaguer.

Based on his complex human cell research Dr. Sharp saw the significance of biology in medicine, as well as applications in many fields unimaginable today. He convinced the late Paul Gray (M.I.T.’s 14th president and electrical engineering professor) to add a semester of biology to the M.I.T. “triumvirate” of required undergraduate courses: mathematics, chemistry and physics.

In 1993 M.I.T.’s first-in-the-nation “core” biology classes had lectures on the definitions of genes and the structure of cells and proteins – with computer engineering students listening intently. That same year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Sharp and Richard Roberts “for their discoveries of split genes.” The Nobel Prize selection committee said the duo’s research gave insights to a “myriad human diseases.”

That is not the story’s end: Dr. Sharp co-founded Biogen, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and Magen Biosciences – firms that develop drugs for diseases like multiple sclerosis. As an entrepreneur, he transferred basic biology research to startups and helped millions of patients globally (plus creating thousands of new jobs). But foremost, his dream was to educate young undergraduates on biology’s potential to solve societal problems.

Moreover, first female and first biologist 16th M.I.T. president Susan Hockfield cited Dr. Paul Gray as instrumental at M.I.T. in a new biology-dedicated building, undergraduate bio-lab expansion, and the Whitehead Institute. Endowed by businessman Edwin C. “Jack” Whitehead, the innovative Whitehead Institute is ranked the world’s top research center in molecular biology and genetics.

Hockfield lauded Gray, an engineer who “created” the future by setting “conditions in place for the biological, biomedical, biotech explosion at M.I.T.” She highlighted 1,000 biotechnology-related companies clustered around M.I.T. In the past decade, biotech jobs in Boston jumped by nearly 40%.

Following M.I.T.’s leadership, Hawaii must prioritize life sciences, and invest in labs and teachers resulting in a K-12 student pipeline who understand molecular biology concepts and apply them to their careers. At Hawaii colleges, all majors should take biology as a “core” course, and some shall continue their studies in biotechnology or medicine.

By embedding biology-savvy graduates in Hawaii business, government and health care, they shall launch Hawaii self-sufficiency in food, better health care and longevity, drug startups, and government leadership versed in science — leading to both economic diversification and a resilient Hawaii prepared for a future pandemic.

A M.I.T. biology professor’s words ring true today: “Like the computer revolution in the last 25 years, biology will affect everyone’s life.”

Ray K. Tsuchiyama was at M.I.T. and currently on a Hawaii workforce development project for GUILD Consulting.