The Brain Has Wandered

just had a week long research institutes (RIs) tour. my brain refused to take in any more scientific fodder than it could digest after the first two project presentations at IMCB on the third day; it had worked commendable hours the past two days at BII, BTI, GIS and IBN. instead, it wandered into weighing basic research against industrial research, and industrial research against basic research.

basic research offers the joy of discovering knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself, of uncovering a little more of the mysterious yet awesome workings of nature, the very working principles behind the world’s most complex, most tightly-regulated, most efficient for its purpose, yet most minuscule for all its functions, machine, i.e. the living cell.

industrial research, on the other hand, tempts with the prospect of a purposeful, goal-oriented and highly motivated corporate-like working environment. there is the tangible reward of patents and profits for the company, and the competition against other companies towards the much coveted goal of inventing new technologies, new drugs, new materials, new kits.

in basic research, you ask questions and then seek for the answers. whether the answers- if they are to be found and understood within the limitations of the intelligence of man- will be of any impact to the rest of the world is of secondary importance, and is probably for the next scientist who decides to believe you to work on.

industrial research, on the other hand, works with proven principles that have market potential. the payoffs are more tangible, which are much needed where perseverance might not be that all sufficient, and where material needs and wants might be a more pressing goal than the abstract notion of academic progress.

the last day of the tour to SICS, the latest addition to the list of RIs under A*, opened up another option—clinical research. here, a patient is diagnosed with a set of novel symptoms, then the clinician researcher works backwards to find the cause of the symptoms. of course, with the help of biologists, pure scientists and even engineers, the doctor who gave the presentation emphasized. this is a good option, as there is the direct human touch to it. it offers exactly what lures me into biology from the very beginning—the connection to things that live and grow. basic research offers that as well, but when one deals with sub-cellular components for too long, it is easy to lose sight and treat these biological components like any other inanimate machinery.

ah, there is so much to consider! fortunately, there are two more years to think over things and one full year to test out basic or industrial or clinical research. and in the unfortunate event that I picked the wrong one for my phd studies, I still can consider changing course. more difficult maybe, as my peers will be far ahead by then, but not impossible. then again, it’s preferable to begin on par with the rest, if without a head start.

at this moment, one thing is rather clear though. the brain has decided that it has no passion in cancer studies, cancer therapies, cancer development, whatsoever. it has decided that well-behaved cells are more interesting compared to anti-social cells. it finds more fascination in learning why cells do what they do, compared to learning why cells don’t do what they are supposed to do. and more often than not, it finds bacterial cells and plant cells more remarkable than human cells. not exactly philanthropic, eh? =)