Interview on Women in Forensic Science
We speak with Virginia Maxwell, professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of New Haven, about the importance of women in STEM.
LOS ANGELES – Scientific discoveries in 2024 have pushed the boundaries from microscopic genetic changes to artificial intelligence, offering a glimpse of future innovations in medicine and technology.
As we enter 2025, these advances could transform everything from cancer treatment to communications technology.
Nobel Prize highlights medical breakthrough
What we know
Scientists who discovered tiny genetic switches and harnessing artificial intelligence to decode proteins have won science’s highest honor. This year’s Nobel Prizes in Medicine and Chemistry recognized breakthroughs that have the potential to transform disease treatment and drug development.
“This represents recognition of how wonderful and unexpected discoveries arise from curiosity about basic science,” Victor Ambros, winner of the medical prize, told the Associated Press at the University of Texas School of Medicine. Massachusetts.
What we don’t know
Although both discoveries are extremely promising, scientists are still determining the timelines for practical applications in medicine and other fields.
AI is reshaping protein science
The essentials
Three scientists, including two from Google DeepMind, common the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for using artificial intelligence to decode proteins. Their work reduced the time needed to understand protein structures from months to seconds, revolutionizing the possibilities for drug development.
The discovery by David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper could enable the creation of personalized medicines and solutions to environmental challenges such as plastic pollution, the Nobel committee reported.
Nature reveals technological secrets
By the numbers
- Matabélé Ants produce antibiotics that reduced colony death rates by 68%
- Use of cardiac shells natural fiber optics to channel light through hulls
- Fruit bats process twice their body weight in sugar without developing diabetes
Why you should care
These nature-inspired breakthroughs could lead to life-changing innovations:
- Antibiotics inspired by ants can help fight drug-resistant superbugs and prevent millions of deaths each year from infections.
- Fiber optics from the heart shell could enable faster internet, more efficient solar panels and improved medical imaging.
- Research on fruit bats could lead to new diabetes drugs that would allow patients to safely consume more sugar or even reverse the disease.
As scientists discover more of nature’s engineering wonders, we move closer to greener energy, healthier populations, and a more sustainable future. The discoveries of 2024 provide a launching pad for real-world applications that could transform our lives over the next decade.
Mapping the complexity of the brain
What’s next
Scientists have created the first-ever diagram of a complete brain, mapping 140,000 neurons and more than 54 million connections in a fruit fly. This breakthrough could help understand human brain disorders and advance artificial intelligence.
Animal adaptations inspire innovation
The essentials
Researchers have discovered how tardigrades survive extreme conditions using special proteins, which could potentially advance organ preservation methods.
Swimming fish have demonstrated energy-saving techniques in schools that could improve drone technology and underwater robotics.
The source
Information from Associated Press reporting, Nature Communications research articles, Nobel Prize announcements, and scientific journals including Current Biology and PLOS One.