PerspectivesAre you interested in submitting a Perspective Article? Be sure to read The Science Advisory Board's Editorial Guides for Perspective Articles. Click here. THE BEST OF SCIENCE 2007 by Gabriel Dorado1, Pilar Hernández2, Fernando Luque-Recio33, Jesús Sáiz4, Adela Sánchez4, María del Pilar Dorado5 1Author for correspondence, Dep. Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Rabanales C6-1-E17, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba (Spain), eMail: [bb1dopeg@uco.es]; 2Dep. Agronomía y Mejora Genética Vegetal, Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible (IAS-CSIC), Alameda del Obispo s/n, 14080 Córdoba; 3Dependencia de Sanidad, C/. Sanlucar de Barrameda 7, 21001 Huelva; 4Dep. Farmacología, Toxicología y Medicina Legal y Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba; 5Dep. Química Física y Termodinámica Aplicada, E.P.S., C/. María Virgen y Madre s/n (esquina Menéndez Pidal), 14071 Córdoba (Spain) Probably the most exciting face of science is discovery. Our species (Homo sapiens) is not only wise (from Latin "sapiens"), but also curious, which brings discovery into focus. It is the joy of knowledge (Beazley, 1979). Last year represents a significant milestone in scientific advancement, as pointed out by the Time magazine "Top 10 Scientific Discoveries" (Mahr, 2008): 1. Stem cells mean potential. Is there anything more fascinating than life itself? And where does life stem from? Stem cells represent a tool so powerful that we are only beginning to envision their full potential. No doubt, this century will be the century of biology, and there the stem cells will probably be the cornerstone. That is why such discoveries are so important, paving the way to reprogram mortal somatic cells to become immortal, just like embryonic stem cells. It means therapeutic applications to cure diseases, regenerate tissues and even full organs, and much more, including the cloning of any living being. Thus, the medical possibilities which might result from stem cell research continue to excite the scientific community. On the other hand, progress is being made in using adult stem cells or adult reprogrammed cells instead of embryos, thus resolving most ethical concerns. This, as fire, is not good or bad in itself; it is. Now, it depends on the use of such tools when they may become good or bad. Hopefully, the Homo will be sapiens this time to do things right. 2. Human diploid genome revealed. What is our most intimate secret? What can four nucleotide bases build in a row? The human diploid genome has been sequenced for the first time from both chromosomes of a single individual (J. Craig Venter). What if an entire human genome could be sequenced in a single day, in a single experiment - for less than $1,000? That is now one step closer and in fact foreseen within two years (Helicos, 2008). Imagine a world in which people will carry their full diploid genome in credit-card-like media. Most of us will see it, because the technology to make it cheap is almost here. That opens the door to new uncharted ways to prevent and cure diseases, besides understanding our species' genetic diversity, effectively facilitating a new era of research into the basis of individuality. Additionally, this will also help Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) to enforce the law (FBI, 2004). 3. Supernovas seed the universe. As much as life is indeed a box of surprises, there are also other fascinating scientific areas, like the one of the amazingly small and that of the infinitely large. This knowledge allows us to address questions about our origin, the age of the universe, its physical limit and fate, etc. Our nearest star (the Sun) is a tiny one, and that allows life on planet Earth. Thus, the ancient civilizations that worshiped the Sun were not that wrong in that way, since we depend so much on it! In fact, almost all energy that fuels life on Earth comes from the Sun. But large and massive stars are also important. The life of the stars is inspiring, being born out of the hydrogen that makes most of the Universe. Thus, the life of a star is an unstable equilibrium between the tremendous gravitational force that tries to join it together, and the powerful thermonuclear reactions that try to blast it away. Depending on the star mass, it may become a black hole or explode as a supernova once most of its hydrogen is consumed. In the latter case, after the massive blast, the different elements of the periodic table (cooked from the original hydrogen by thermonuclear reactions) are dispersed, being later on concentrated to build planets, where life may eventually arise. Therefore, we are stardust, we are sons of the stars. This is poetry; this is the beauty of science! 4. Life explodes. We know that the planet Earth is a rich biodiversity niche in the vast universe. But we cannot help being surprised that year after year, new species are discovered all over the globe, from the deepest sea basins to the highest mountains; from the rich tropical forests to the arid deserts. Last year alone, hundreds of new species were found. Being so labile and light, it is somewhat remarkable that life is also so stubborn and persistent. After all, that is probably the ultimate reason why life exists in nature. Documenting the biodiversity of Earth is an essential step towards ensuring its long term conservation and protection. But we should not be misled: species are also currently exterminated, in many cases, due to direct or indirect human activities, such as global warming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming. 5. Beating heart. The most obvious sign of being alive for us is the heart beating. And heart functioning needs valves to make sure that the blood is moved in the right direction. Just as an early example of the tremendous potential of stem cells, as hinted above, the first in vitro heart valves have been generated from bone marrow stem cells. It is expected that they last longer than artificial valves, which may require replacement after a few years. Thus, it is expected that heart valves for human transplantation will be available within three to five years. This technology allows us to generate organs from stem cells of the same donor-receptor, thus effectively overcoming the rejection of foraneus organs. And this is just the beginning of the stem cell revolution. 6. Planets other than the Earth. It is not easy to find planets outside the solar system, yet last year several of them have been discovered. One of them (Gliese 581 c) is not much bigger than the Earth and has an orbit allowing Earth-like conditions [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_c]. Astronomers and exobiologists are excited, because that means the possibility of finding life outside our Earth home. After all, our beloved Sun will explode in about 5,000 eons (read million years), and eventually humans should find either a way to prevent it (somehow regenerating our system star), or escape from such Armageddon, colonizing other planets, which now seems the most plausible alternative. We must therefore work hard to have the technology to survive, because that day will come. We must invest in science and technology development, rather than producing powerful weapons to destroy other human beings. 7. Dinosaurs are alive. Once upon a time, it was thought that all dinosaurs were exterminated from the face of the Earth. Today, we know that some of them escaped such fate. They were feathered dinosaurs; known today as birds. We all know about the small, beautiful and inspiring Archaeopteryx (half reptile and half bird). But we had to wait until last year to discover a huge birdlike dinosaur, almost 1.5 tons of weight, 8 meters long and 3'5 meters tall (Gigantoraptor erlianensis). This is yet another evidence that two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs are the ancient ancestors of modern birds. Did their feathers save them from extinction? It seems so. After all, feathers are one of the most remarkable pieces of biological material, allowing Antarctic penguins to withstand temperatures lower than -40ºC that would kill other animals. 8. Human origins. Few scientific topics may be as intriguing and relevant for us as our own origin. Recent discoveries further support the hypothesis that modern humans originated in sub-Saharan Africa and left East Africa between 25,000 to 65,000 years ago. This is in agreement with other archaeological remains of Russia, dated to around the same age as the South African ones. Human intelligence and curiosity did the rest. 9. Oldest living animal. Methuselah is a pine (Pinus longaeva) living in California (USA), which is considered the oldest tree (about 5,000 years old). Last year, the oldest animal was found: the 405 year old clam Arctica atlantica, living in an ocean shelf off the coast of northern Iceland, thus representing another life record (Guinness, 2008). We cannot help but ask why these clams live so long... On the other hand, the study of such shells can be used to shed light on the marine environment changes in recent centuries. 10. Kryptonite. To have a humorous ending, it has been found that the science-fiction kryptonite of Superman comics and movies (sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide) does indeed exist in nature and is called jadarite, after the area of Serbia in which it was discovered. So, here science meets fiction. To tell the full story, it could not be called kryptonite, since krypton is the name of an element (gas) of the periodic table. And that is the top 10 for the year 2007. Seven belong to biology, two to astronomy and one to geology. So yes, it seems that this will be the century of biology! References Beazley M (1979): "The Mitchell Beazley Joy of Knowledge Library". Mitchell Beazley Publishers (London). FBI (2004): "Handbook of Forensic Services". Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory Division Publication, Criminal Evidence Collection and Handling Guidelines and Procedures. Progressive Management (Mount Laurel, NJ, USA). Guinness (2008): "Guinness World Records 2008". Web: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com. Helicos (2008): True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS). Web: http://www.helicosbio.com. Mahr K (2008): Top 10 Scientific Discoveries. Time magazine. Web: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686252_1690920,00.html. ### << Previous Next >> [ View All Perspectives ] |
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