Careers and Recruitment in 2002

The new Center for Allergy and Immunology aims to give Japanese immunology a fresh perspective — and better working conditions for young scientists, says Robert Triendl.

An increasing emphasis on immunology offers fresh opportunities, but they may be tilted towards applied research and the United States, says Virginia Gewin.

A lack of formal training is hampering Japan's efforts in computational neuroscience, says Robert Triendl.

Computational neuroscientists, with skills developed in the physical sciences, are becoming integrated into the effort to solve the mysteries of the brain, says Hemai Parthasarathy.

The rising tide of data being generated by high-throughput approaches to drug screening is slowly bringing about a chemical revolution. Chemoinformatics, which marries chemistry with computer science, is becoming big business, says Eugene Russo.

Opportunities in nanotechnology are opening up in Japan — especially for young researchers willing to cooperate across disciplines, says Robert Triendl.

At last nanotechnology is moving from the realm of hype and hope into the real world, with jobs and funding appearing on both sides of the Atlantic. Paul Smaglik considers the options.

The choice of potential drug targets thrown up by genomics data is overwhelming, which is why several firms are now offering drug companies a model solution. Diane Gershon reports.

Japan's push to create a virtual cell signals a new approach to research, says Robert Triendl.

For many biologists, the idea of creating a computer model of a living cell is anathema. But for mathematicians and physicists, the pursuit of such a goal is proving irresistible, says Diane Gershon.

Japan has the computer power for climate-change research — it just needs to attract people to use it, says Robert Triendl. Solving the skills shortage may involve a long-term change in strategy.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is fostering collaborations and emphasizing input from developing countries, says Heike Langenberg.

In the fight against tumours, comprehensive cancer institutes are deploying a wide range of different strategies in an attempt to encourage the sharing of ideas and materials among researchers, says Steve Bunk.

Basic research in condensed-matter physics continues to lose ground to focused R&D. Effective cross-disciplinary partnering between universities, government labs and industry is seen as essential to the future health of basic research in this field. Brendan Horton explores.

Electronics companies in Japan are slashing jobs for silicon physicists — once the veritable élite of the country's corporate R&D world. And public-sector research is only slowly picking up, says Robert Triendl.

Many large drug companies are now taking advantage of the specialist skills offered by smaller biotech firms in their search for new drugs. This trend for outsourcing elements of research is forcing a careful evaluation of licensing policy, says Adam Smith.

Researchers who aspire to work in drug discovery need to adapt to constantly changing technology and be able to harness new tools both to ask and to answer pertinent scientific questions, say Paul Smaglik and Adam Smith.

As ecologists attempt to get to grips with the Kyoto Protocol, many European climate scientists are concerned that there are insufficient resources available to understand the science behind the environment. Paul Smaglik reports.

It may have profited from the increased interest in environmental issues, but ecology in Japan is still struggling to make ends meet. Robert Triendl crosses the divide within the discipline.

A new awareness of environmental problems is changing the landscape for scientists. In the United States, it is creating jobs for a diverse range of specialists in some unexpected areas. Potter Wickware reports.