US Science Evaluates Top Ten Scientific Breakthroughs of 2010 and Achievements of the Decade

Typically, the motion of man-made objects all follow the laws of classical mechanics. However, the research results announced by scientists in March this year broke the routine for the first time. They designed a delicate experimental device whose motion can only be described using quantum mechanics. In order to honor the researchers' conceptual expansion and originality behind the experiment as well as its numerous potential uses, the journal Science selected it as the most significant scientific breakthrough of 2010.

The other nine scientific breakthroughs of the year are as follows:

Synthetic Biology: At a decisive moment in biology and biotechnology, researchers assembled a synthetic genome and used it to transform the identity characteristics of a bacterium. The synthetic genome replaced the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the bacteria, causing it to produce a set of new proteins. This research achievement prompted the US Congress to hold hearings on synthetic biology. Researchers predict that future custom-made synthetic genomes may be used to produce biofuels, medicines, or other useful chemical products.

Neanderthal Genome: Researchers completed the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome, which was extracted from the bones of three female Neanderthals who lived in Croatia between 38,000 and 44,000 years ago. They adopted a new method of sequencing degraded fragments of ribonucleic acid (DNA) and conducted the first direct comparison of modern human genomes with Neanderthal genomes.

HIV Prevention: Trials of two novel HIV prevention methods achieved undeniable success: one is a vaginal gel containing the anti-HIV drug tenofovir, which reduced the infection rate among women by 39%; the other is pre-exposure prophylaxis with oral drugs, which reduced the chances of HIV infection among a group of men and transgender women (born male) by 43.8%.

Exome Sequencing/Rare Disease Genes: For researchers studying rare hereditary diseases caused by a single defective gene, sequencing only the exons (the very small part of the genome responsible for protein coding) in a particular genome can identify special mutations that cause at least 12 different diseases.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation: Simulating the rotations produced during protein folding has always been a combinatorial nightmare. Now, with the help of the world's powerful computing capabilities, researchers can track the movement of atoms in tiny, folding proteins for 100 times longer than any previous method.

Quantum Simulator: To depict what they see in the laboratory, physicists theorize equations based on observations, which can be extremely difficult to solve. However, this year, researchers discovered a shortcut by creating quantum simulators. Quantum simulators are artificial crystals where laser spots in the crystal act as ions and atoms replacing electrons trapped in the laser. These devices provide quick answers to theoretical problems in condensed matter physics and may eventually help people solve mysteries such as superconductivity.

Next-Generation Genomics: Faster and cheaper sequencing technologies have enabled people to study ancient and modern RNA on an immense scale. For example, the "1000 Genomes Project" has discovered many genomic variations that make us humans unique, and other ongoing projects will reveal more about genomic functions.

RNA Reprogramming: Reprogramming cells (i.e., resetting the developmental clock of cells so they behave like undifferentiated "stem cells" in embryos) has become a standard laboratory technique for studying diseases and development. This year, researchers found ways to reprogram cells using synthetic RNA. Compared to previous methods, the new technology is twice as fast, 100 times more effective, and promises to be safer for therapeutic applications.

The Return of the Rat: Mice dominate the world of laboratory animals. However, for many purposes, researchers prefer rats because they are easier to use in experiments and are anatomically more similar to humans. However, a major defect of rats is that the method used to create "gene knockout mice" (mice specifically bred for research by precisely shutting down specific genes) does not work in rats. This year, a series of studies promised to bring large numbers of "gene knockout rats" to laboratories.

Top Ten Scientific Achievements of the First Decade

As the first decade of the century comes to an end, the journalists and editors of Science magazine carefully reviewed the progress that has reshaped science since the beginning of the new millennium and selected ten scientific achievements as the "Insights of the Decade."

"Dark" Genome: Genes often receive all the glory. But now researchers realize that these protein-coding regions account for only 1.5% of the entire genome. The rest of the genome, including small coding and non-coding RNAs—once dismissed as "junk"—are now proven to be just as important as other genes.

Precision Cosmology: Over the past decade, researchers have very accurately inferred the composition of the universe's matter as ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy. At the same time, they explained how these components form the universe. These advances have transformed cosmology into an exact science with a standard theory, leaving little room for other theories.

Ancient Biomolecules: Ancient RNAs (DNA) and collagens, etc., have survived for tens of thousands of years and provided important information about long-dead plants, animals, and humans. Understanding these ancient biomolecules has greatly benefited paleontology. Now, analyzing these incredibly tiny time machines can reveal anatomical changes information that skeletal evidence cannot provide, such as the color of dinosaur feathers or how woolly mammoths withstand cold temperatures.

Water on Mars: Six explorations of Mars over the past decade have provided clear evidence that there was enough water on the red planet to alter the formation of rocks on Mars and possibly sustain life, whether on the surface or within Mars. Martian water may have existed when life began on Earth; but even now, Mars still contains sufficient humidity, encouraging scientists to search for breathing, living microbes on Mars.

Cell Reprogramming: The concept that development is a one-way road has been completely changed over the past decade. Nowadays, researchers know how to "reprogram" fully developed cells into so-called pluripotent cells, giving them the ability to become any type of cell in their body. This technology has been used to produce cell lines from patients with rare diseases, but scientists ultimately hope to cultivate genetically matched replacement cells, tissues, and organs.

Microbiome: A major shift in our understanding of the microorganisms and viruses living in the human body has led researchers to the concept of the microbiome, which refers to the collection of genomes of the host and other organisms parasitizing on or inside the host. Since 90% of the cells in our bodies are actually microorganisms, scientists are beginning to understand how microbial genes significantly affect how much energy we can absorb from food and how our immune system responds to infections.

Exoplanets: By 2000, scientists knew of only 26 planets outside our solar system. By 2010, that number had jumped to 502 and is still increasing. With the emergence of new technologies, astronomers expect to discover a large number of Earth-like planets in the universe. Now, the size and orbits of the larger discovered planets have revolutionized scientists' understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve.

Inflammation: Not long ago, inflammation was considered a simple aid in our healing system: it would briefly appear, helping immune cells rebuild tissue damage caused by injury or infection. Now, researchers believe that inflammation is also a driving force behind chronic diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and obesity, which ultimately cause the death of most of us.

Metamaterials: By synthesizing materials with unconventional and tunable optical properties, physicists and engineers have pioneered new ways to guide and manipulate light, creating lenses that challenge resolution limits. They have even begun developing "invisibility cloaks" that make objects invisible.

Climate Change: Over the past decade, researchers have established some basic facts surrounding global climate change: the world is warming, humans are the cause of the warming, and natural processes on Earth are unlikely to slow the warming process. However, the next decade will determine how scientists and policymakers act on this crucial information.