HE once expressed fears about a brain drain from Britain. Now one of Scotland's most highly-reputed cancer scientists is leaving himself.

Although Professor Sir David Lane is committed to returning to Dundee in two years' time, his loss will be sorely felt in the medical community.

Sir David is to become the new executive director of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, attracted by the investment and state-of-the-art facilities. His wife, Professor Birgitte Lane, who was part of a team behind a break-through in skin disorders research, is also taking up a temporary post in Singapore, as independent principal investigator at the Centre for Molecular Medicine.

The couple, both based

at Dundee University, have spoken in the past about their attachment to Dundee, which is respected for its biomedical and cancer research.

However, the question of whether the pair will want to return from Singapore was still in the back of minds as the news filtered through the medical community yesterday.

Sir David, described by the Straits Times as an ''international star'' in his field, yesterday said: ''I think Dundee is one of the best places to work and I am very happy here.''

Although he expressed support for the Scottish Executive, Sir David's praise for Singapore's vision was glowing.

Furthermore, back in 2001, he was more critical. He expressed concern that cancer care in Britain was falling behind other countries and raised fears there was a brain drain because of a lack of financial support for research.

Sir David said then: ''We have to create incentives that matter at a global level if we are to get and keep the best people here. I know two very good colleagues who are now in California. Both left because Britain could not offer them the opportunities they needed.''

On the other hand, as Derek Napier, chief executive of the Association for International Cancer Research, based in

St Andrews, said yesterday ''collaboration is the name of the game'' in cutting edge health research.

Knowing everything is impossible, building connections between the different advancing fields, such as genomics and bio-engineering, is the recipe for creating tomorrow's medicine.

The way different medical institutes are clustered together at Singapore's new biomedical complex, Biopolis, is one of the aspects of the post which Sir David finds exciting.

Although he said it was not impossible to work collabortively in Scotland, Mr Napier added: ''It is attractive to do it at one site.''

Mr Napier said Sir David's temporary departure should not be seen as a loss, but ultimately as something which will be ''even better'' for Scotland in the longer term.

He said: ''If he is just going for two years and coming back, then he will be broadening his experience even further and when he comes back will be able to put even more into research in Scotland.

''Research does go on around the world and people do move and go where their expertise is best used, so it is not particularly unusual. As it does not appear to be permanent, I think we should look for the positive aspects of this rather than the negative.''

Dr Hamish Wallace, an oncologist at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and a researcher, said sometimes it was necessary to change environment to progress.

He said: ''Different collaborators, different research. I hope his work will still be of benefit to the cancer community of Scotland.''

Breakthroughs in cancer research travel beyond national boundaries and Sir David is heading to Singapore to improve the treatment cancer patients receive.

He said he is interested in how different patients respond to different treatments and the potential new technology and treatments bring for better tailoring medicine to the individual.

''I think we will bring back a lot of new experience and new insight hopefully that will be good for Dundee as well,'' Sir David said.

Cancer Research UK will continue to fund two laboratories at the university connected to Sir David's work.

Professor Robert Souhami, executive director of Clinical Affairs at Cancer Research UK, said: ''It is a mark of David Lane's distinction that he has been asked to become executive director of the IMCB in Singapore. He has long been one of the most respected scientists and is a valued member of the Scientific Executive Board at Cancer Research UK. Our close association with him will continue both in Singapore and Dundee. We wish him and Birgitte every success.''

Although Sir David's new appointment started on Sunday, his two-year stint is not due to start until January.

He and his wife, who live in Fife and who have two children, will move to Singapore then.

a guardian angel gene

The p53 gene is a tumour suppressor gene, part of the body's natural defences against cancer.

The gene or its protein are corrupted or blocked in about two-thirds of cancer cases.

It works as a cell-cycle checkpoint. If the cell's DNA is damaged it acts as a brake on cell division, and can activate repair pathways or kill off the corrupted cell altogether.

Professor Sir David Lane discovered the gene in 1979. It was named after its molecular weight, 53 kiloDaltons.

It has since been described as the ''guardian angel of the cell'' and become the most researched protein in molecular medicine.