At the start of the new Millenium, Biology is at the forefront of scientific discovery and public attention. The recent delineation of the complete genomic information of human and several other organisms provided the foundation for unprecedented advances in understanding Life at the molecular level. It also provided new tools and approaches to medicine, agriculture, anthropology, and other disciplines.

The way Biology is taught, practiced, and understood has been revolutionised through advances in biochemistry, cell and developmental biology and genetic manipulations based on molecular biology. Biology has expanded to create novel fields, beyond its traditional scope, via synergies and interactions with information science, chemistry, physics and engineering. In this framework, Biology has become a driving force of discovery and application in the modern economy and industry (biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, pharmaceuticals, to name a few), and a source of employment improvements in health and quality of life.