Catalyst

In chemical reactions, a catalyst is a substance that alters the rate of reaction, usually by speeding up the process, and improving the yield of the products of the reaction.

While it is a good-to-have, what is more important is the ingredient, or what we call the reactants. We must never mix up the reactant with the catalyst, or vice-versa. True, credit must be given to the catalyst for speeding up the rate, but please remember that if we had no reactants in the first place, there would be no reaction, no matter how good/powerful/awesome the catalyst is.

We must not forget the basics of chemistry, which is to ensure that the chemical reaction is a balanced one. Regardless of how different the products formed may be from the initial reactants, regardless of whether the catalyst is involved or not, balance is essential.

A good researcher/scientist is one who keeps that in mind.