Living in the Middle East, I often hear allusions to the biblical battle between David and Goliath, when a single stone took down the giant. As I put the finishing touches to a manuscript on the natural variation of flowering shoot systems in tomato, I realize the same allusion applies to young scientists. Biology is competitive.

There are many Goliath scientists with large grants and armies of postdocs. I've met many such giants, and some were frightening, cornering me at a poster session to tell me my data were bunk and my models were wrong. But others have been collegial, offering constructive criticism or sharing seeds from a particularly important mutant plant.

As I develop my ideas in a new field where I am keenly aware of competition, I find myself unable to avoid proverbial David-versus-Goliath battles. I've been debating whether it would be prudent to e-mail or even call a few Goliaths, in the hopes of establishing productive collaborations. But it might not go well.

I seem to recall the story ending with David cutting off Goliath's head. That suggests one way for me to go about it — publish fast and scoop the Goliath. But to be honest, I'm just not sure how fearless a David I am. And who knows? Collaborating just might help me become a Goliath one day.