Every year, a sizeable number of Indian scientists migrate to the developed world, lured by jobs and prospects of a better life. In today's globalized set up, while such a movement cannot be considered as unusual, some amount of concern has naturally been voiced. For instance, it has been argued that since most scientists are trained at the expense of the state, at very subsidized rates, it would be reasonable to expect that they will someday repay by contributing to developments back home. However, the fact that a sizeable number prefers to emigrate leads to a malaise that is perhaps best understood by the term 'brain drain'. My contention is that migrating to the West cannot be the best professional strategy for all kinds of scientists, and indeed in some areas of biological research, notably ecology and biodiversity conservation, it would be a sensible strategy to stay back or return after receiving training in the West. Two, seemingly disparate streams of activity may be identified in biological sciences research, namely cellular and sub-cellular biology (including biochemistry, molecular biology, etc.) and organismic biology (physiology, ecology, biological conservation, etc.). In most problems it is the question being asked which is of paramount importance, and the application of research techniques can often blur the distinction between these two disparate areas. For instance, in an ecological study of mating patterns of birds, a molecular biology technique (such as DNA fingerprinting) may be employed to understand the exchange of genetic material among individuals.
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