Apply for our exciting research Prize!

Te Science-PINS Prize is a highly competitive international prize that honors sci-entists for their excellent contributions to neuromodulation research. For purposesof the Prize, neuromodulation is any form of alteration of nerve activity through thedelivery of physical (electrical, magnetic, or optical) stimulation to targeted sites ofthe nervous system with impications for translational medicine.

www.sciencemag.org/prizes/pins

For full details, judging criteria and eligibility requirements, visit:

$25, 000 Grand Prize!

Get published in Science!

SubmissionDeadline: 15 March 2021

From the outlook on scientific research in a pandemic world to career advice for

upcoming scientists, a group of promising young researchers from Westlake University,

Stanford University, New York University, and the California Institute of Technology

talked about science research today and tomorrow.

On October 27, 2020, five accomplished young scientists gathered

virtually for the Young Elite Scientist (YES) Summit. Science/

AAAS teamed up with the Pujiang Innovation Forum to host this

summit, which ìfocuses on the power of young people to be agents

of change,î according to moderator Sean Sanders, director and senior editor for

Custom Publishing for Science magazine.

In 2008, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Shanghai

Municipal Peopleís Government jointly founded the Pujiang Innovation Forum,

which establishes a platform for scientists and entrepreneurs to explore

international innovation trends and development. The forum emphasizes

innovation networking, youth power, and future trends at all levels. The 2020

Pujiang Innovation Forum was successfully held in Shanghai, China on October

22ñ30. The theme of the 2020 forum was ìGlobal Cooperation and Governance of

Science and Technology Innovation.î

Pursuing science during a pandemicIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit participants talked about

ways to move forward. One method is by outsourcing some processes, such as

sequencing, according to Zibo Chen, a postdoctoral fellow working on synthetic

biology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Shruti Naik, an assistant professor studying immunology at NYU Langone

Medical Center in New York City, envisioned remotely controlling equipment in a

lab. Although she doesnít envision labs built completely in silicon, she noted: ìWe

have to rethink the way our labs are structured, the physical structure itself, right?î

Scientists could also refocus some of their work toward health care. For example,

Shuo Chen, a postdoctoral fellow studying neuroscience at NYU Grossman School

of Medicine in New York City, encouraged scientists to consider how they could

develop translational opportunities from their work.

No matter what is happening, people around the world will continue to benefit

from determined efforts to reduce climate change, according to Matthew Savoca,

a postdoctoral marine-ecosystems researcher at Stanford Universityís Hopkins

Marine Station in California. He pointed out that either humans can make changes

for the better or the environment will impose unwanted changes. The need to make

such choices will live long after the pandemic subsides, he added.

Creating a careerWith the Pujiang Innovation Forum emphasizing networking and the importance

of young scientists, Sanders asked the panelists for advice they would give to even

younger scientists starting out. Bai advised the next generation to find research that

they love and to ìnever give up.î

Naik added that young women pursuing careers in science should get

ìcomfortable with being uncomfortable,î because itís a common feeling. For

example, she pointed out that uncomfortable situations can arise when finding

yourself in conflict with a mentor, speaking in front of an audience, and disagreeing

with colleagues about a hypothesis. But she noted that most scientists must deal

with these challenges, and itís okay to feel uncomfortable when facing them.

Uncomfortable or not, itís important that young scientists find ways to

networkówhich is more than making a list of acquaintances. In a talk about careers

after COVID-19, Jackie Oberst, assistant editor for Custom Publishing at Science/

AAAS, said, ìNetworking is creating a group of acquaintances and associates and

maintaining it through regular communication for mutual benefit.î

Building global networks will create the most innovation. As Bai said: ìPeople

from different cultures and backgrounds will have different cognitive and critical

thinking modes, and it will bring brainstorming and promote many exciting ideas.î

PH

OTO

: P

RO

VID

ED

BY

PU

JIA

NG

IN

NO

VA

TIO

N F

OR

UM

Advertorial

Pujiang Innovation Forum and YES Summit: Seeing scientific research through the eyes of young scholars

Produced by the Science��������������������� ����

����������

�����������

For more than 70 years, Sanyo Chemical has been contributing to a sustainable future

through research and development on performance chemicals. Its more than 3,000

products can be found just about anywhere, from the roads you drive on to the diapers

worn by your most precious family member.

Sanyo Chemicalís success has centered on a development strategy that

combines the ability to match the needs of its customers with the seeds of

its research. It is through this approach that the company has established

itself as a solutions leader in multiple sectors and continues to break into

many more.

The companyís continued success is thanks to its committed staff. Its employees

are motivated by their passion to solve societyís most pressing scientific problems

and to improve peopleís lives. This culture of constantly inspiring and challenging

its employees is embodied in the company slogan, ìkaeru.î

Embodying kaeruThe word kaeru in Japanese means ìchange.î To Sanyo Chemical, kaeru means

not only reacting to change, but also anticipating it and proactively responding.

This philosophy is one reason why Sanyo Chemical invests heavily in research and

development and why 30% of its staff work in that areaóthree times more than the

industry standard. Being motivated by kaeru also gives the company an innovative

and collaborative spirit that expands the impact of its technologies.

ìWe have a culture that encourages our staff to pursue their interests, not short-

term goals. A key trait of our people is curiosity,î says Sanyo Chemicalís president

and CEO, Takao Ando. ìTake the initiative with passion,î is how he summarizes the

companyís attitude.

Sanyo Chemical believes both initiative and passion come from job satisfaction.

Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, it has instituted policies unusual for most Japanese

businesses, including more diverse hiring practices, flexible working hours, and

programs to nurture young talent. These reforms led the Kyoto Labor Bureau to

label it a ìbest practice company.î

By cultivating this environment, Sanyo Chemical has discovered that its

technologies can provide new solutions to pressing medical and electronic needs.

Protein polymers for better healthMany countries are experiencing the challenges of aging populations. With more

than 25% of its population aged 65 or older (1), Japan is the leader in this category.

Not coincidentally, its health care costs have been setting record highs annually for

the past several decades (2).

Aware of this unsustainable situation, scientists at Sanyo Chemical began

working with university hospitals to explore the application of its technologies in

the clinic. Its silk-elastin product is a synthetic protein polymer inspired by silkworm

fibroin and human elastin, uniting high mechanical strength and biocompatibility,

and its high crystallinity allows it to form many shapes, such as sponges and gels.

The combination of these features results in a novel material that can effectively

treat wounds in diabetic patients.

It is estimated that half a billion people are affected by diabetes worldwide (3),

and the disease is one of the leading causes of amputations (4). In severe cases,

open wounds can cause extraordinary pain and are prone to infection. Adhering

the silk-elastin polymer to even the most stubborn wounds, however, activates

a regeneration process that results in accelerated healing. Clinical trials of the

material began in 2018.

Following this discovery, Sanyo Chemical established another industryñacademic

partnership to explore the regenerative potential of its silk-elastin for other

common injuries prevalent in aging populations.

The meniscus is cartilage found in the knee joint that cushions the point where

the tibia and femur bones meet. Over a lifetime of use, the meniscus gradually

decays, making it more prone to tearing. Additionally, trauma to the knee that

occurs in sports, along with natural wear from aging, can cause meniscal injuries.

The meniscus does not heal well, meaning that the effects of an injury will remain

unless treated. Despite medical advances for treating knee injuries, many meniscal

tears cannot be repaired, negatively impacting quality of life.

Stitching Sanyo Chemicalís silk-elastin into the injured site has been found to

promote regenerative repair of the meniscus. Now, scientists are experimenting

with a less invasive treatment involving the injection of silk-elastin as a solution

into the damaged knee. Although further development is needed, the company

envisions a product that will provide quicker recovery and longer-lasting therapeutic

effects, improving the patientís quality of life and significantly reducing future

health costs associated with mobility impairments.

Safer, cheaper batteriesCollaborations with academia are not the only way that Sanyo Chemical seeks

innovative solutions. They also partner with startups such as APB Corporation,

which is developing the first large-scale, bipolar lithium-ion battery, the ìAll

Polymer Battery.î It has greater capacity and scalability, and improved reliabilityó

all at lower cost. The batteryís bipolar structure and polymer-based constituent

material mean fewer parts and extraordinary flexibility in the size and shape of cells

and electrodes.

IMAG

ES: ©

APB

COR

POR

ATIO

N

Advertorial

Performance chemistry for a better world

Takao Ando

All Polymer Battery inner structure

IMA

GE

S:

©A

PB

CO

RP

OR

AT

ION

Produced by the Science��������������������� �����

Using its proprietary polymer technology, Sanyo Chemical has replaced the

standard metal cathode and anode current collectors in lithium batteries with

collectors made of resin. Metal current collectors can cause an explosion if the unit

is compromised by impact or heat. The new, simpler design eliminates this concern,

allowing battery cells to be built with the option of closer packing, dramatically

improving performance. Furthermore, the simplified manufacturing process

eliminates the longest and costliest steps seen with conventional batteries, such as

the drying process required during the standard electrode manufacturing process.

The implications for this technology are significant. The company is currently

testing its batteries in autonomous underwater vehicles used for maintenance and

inspection of subsea pipelines. Their longer lifespan and increased capacity make it

possible to work underwater for a long time in harsh environments such as the deep

sea. The All Polymer Battery has potential applications in cars, drones, and even

power plants, and could play a foundational role in supporting a networked energy

infrastructure for artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Sanyo Chemical

hopes that electricity ultimately will be stored everywhere, enabling people all over

the world to lead richer, more connected lives.

Benefiting societyThe projects described above are perfect examples of how kaeru has driven

Sanyo Chemical to create a scientific network where researchers can collaborate

in creative ways outside of the typical industry space, whether itís finding new

partners or exploring new opportunities with existing partners.

Employees at Sanyo Chemical share a common vision for improving society

through the application of their expertise in performance chemicals. At the same

time, through kaeru, they are encouraged to follow their passion when seeking

solutions to urgent problems. Kaeru has allowed the company to evolve and become

a leader in corporate social responsibility.

As Ando explains, ìSanyo Chemicalís commitment to benefiting society depends

on its people. Our strength comes from our diversity of people and ideas. We recruit

different people who approach science in different ways. By hiring employees who

are proud of their work, we will contribute to building a better society.î

References

1. Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, ìStatistical Handbook of Japan/Populationî (2020), https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/pdf/2020all.pdf#page=23.

2. ìJapan Spends Record •42.2 Trillion on Healthcare in 2017,î Nippon.com (2018), https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00319.

3. World Health Organization, ìFact Sheet: Diabetesî (2020), https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes.

4. American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), ìDiabetic Wound Care,î https://www.apma.org/diabeticwoundcare.

����������

All Polymer Battery module

Silk-elastin sponge Silk-elastin gel in a syringe

All Polymer Battery cell (60 cm ×100 cm)

Silk-elastin film

TRILLIONSOF MICROBES

ONE ESSAY

Apply by 1/24/21 at www.sciencemag.org/noster

Sponsored by Noster Inc.

The NOSTER Science Microbiome

Prize is an international prize that

rewards innovative research by

investigators, under the age of 35,

who are working on the functional

attributes of the microbiota. The

research can include any organism

that has potential to contribute to

our understanding of human or

veterinary health and disease, or to

guide therapeutic interventions.

The winner and finalists will be

chosen by a committee of

independent scientists, chaired by

a senior editor at Science. The top

prize includes a complimentary

membership to AAAS, an online

subscription to Science, and

$25,000 (USD). Submit your

research essay today.

Oliver Harrison

2020 Grand Prize Winner

The 2021 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Biology or Biochemistry

The Louisa Gross Horwitz Prizewas established under the will of the late

S. Gross Horwitz through a bequest to Columbia University and is named to

honor the donor’s mother. Louisa Gross Horwitz was the daughter of

Dr. Samuel David Gross (1805–1889), a prominent surgeon of Philadelphia and

author of the outstanding Systems of Surgery, who served as President of the

American Medical Association.

Each year since its inception in 1967, the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize has been

awarded by Columbia University for outstanding basic research in the fields

of biology or biochemistry. The purpose of this award is to honor a scientific

investigator or group of investigators whose contributions to knowledge in

either of these fields are deemed worthy of special recognition.

The Prize consists of an honorarium and a citation, which are awarded at

a special presentation event. Unless otherwise recommended by the Prize

Committee, the Prize is awarded annually. Robert Fettiplace, PhD, University

of Wisconsin-Madison; A. James Hudspeth, MD, PhD, The Rockefeller

University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Christine Petit, MD,

PhD, College de France, and Pasteur Institut, are the 2020 awardees.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE AWARD

The purpose of this prize is to reward scientists that have made recently

transformative discoveries not yet recognized by high-visibility international

awards. The Prize Committee recognizes no geographical limitations. The

Prize may be awarded to an individual or a group. When the Prize is awarded

to a group, the honorarium will be divided among the recipients, but each

member will receive a citation.

NOMINATIONS

All materials must be written in the English

language and submitted electronically at:

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/research/horwitz-prize

Deadline date: 5:00 p.m. EST on February 4, 2021

Renomination(s) are by invitation only.

Self-nominations are not permitted.

NOMINATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE:

1. A summary of the research on which this nomination

is based (no more than 500 words).

2. A summary of the significance of this research in

the fields of biology or biochemistry (no more than

500 words).

3. A brief biographical sketch of the nominee,

including positions held and awards received by the

nominee.

4. A copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae.

5. A key publication list of up to ten of the nominee’s

most significant publications relating to the

research noted under item 1.

2021AAAS MARTIN AND

ROSEWACHTELCANCER RESEARCH

AWARD

Recognize the work of an early career scientist who has

performed outstanding work in the feld of cancer research.

Award nominees must have received their Ph.D. or M.D. within

the last 10 years. The winner will deliver a public lecture on his

or her research, receive a cash award of $25,000, and publish

a Focus article in Science Translational Medicine.

For more information visit

www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/wachtel

or e-mail wachtelprize@aaas.org.

Deadline for submission: February 1, 2021.

Sethuraman

Panchanathan

National Science

Foundation

Anthony S. FauciNational Institute of

Allergy and Infectious

Diseases

The 2021 Annual Meeting will convene entirely online, February 8-11with related pre-released materials available in late January. Join us!

Meeting registration and program now available online.

For more information, please visit:

aaas.org/meetings | #AAASmtg

Ruha BenjaminPrinceton University

Mary L. GrayMicrosoft Research

Claire Fraser

AAAS President

University of Maryland

School of Medicine

Submit your research: cts.ScienceMag.org

ScienceRobotics.org

DOESN’TYOURRESEARCHDESERVETHE BESTREADERS?

Twitter: @SciRobotics

Facebook: @ScienceRobotics

SPONSORED FEATURE

Produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office

Supported by Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission

PH

OT

O: ©

PO

PT

IKA

\S

HU

TT

ER

ST

OC

K.C

OM

In early 2020, there was no delay in producing a precise illustration

of the coronavirus particle that helped the world understand the

nature of the public health problem it faced. The electron microscopy

technology used to create the image was almost a century old in

its origins (1). Since then, scientists have made rapid advances in

developing ways to examine in exquisite detail how the human body

operates.

������������������������ ������������������������������

according to Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, a senior group leader at

the Howard Hughes Medical Instituteís Janelia Research Campus in

Ashburn, Virginia. As a cell biologist whoís keen to see her research

translated into clinical settings, she says the key to making the

leap between lab and hospital is to have clinicians, scientists, and

engineers working closely together.

ìThe doctors understand physical health problems at a high level,

biologists see things at the cellular level, and the engineers help us

work together by offering creative technical solutions,î she says.

Health care under the microscope

In 2014, Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell, and W. E. Moerner were awarded

the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of superresolution

� ��������������������2). In developing a microscopic technique

that allowed scientists to observe the workings of cells down to the

nanoscale level, these researchers created unprecedented possibilities

for understanding the nature of human diseases.

ìWe now have the ability to actually watch viruses invade cells. Itís

possible to watch them assemble and then leave,î says Lippincott-

Schwartz.

An example of the use of superresolution microscopy in health

care has been as part of the search for a vaccine against the human

��� �������������� ������������������������������������������

biologists have characterized how this virus behaves in our bodies.

ìWe now understand some of the reasons why itís hard to make a

����������������������������������������������� ���������������������

distributed on its surface. This makes it hard to create antibodies

that can tightly bind to the proteins so that a single vaccine can work

against the virus,î explains Lippincott-Schwartz.

Scientists used to think that the HIV viral assembly process was

primarily protein-based. Now they understand that the virus relies on

surface lipids to sort and assemble proteins into the viral cont.>

The technologies that will transform health careOver the past two decades, scientists have helped doctors treat patients

more effectively by equipping them with groundbreaking tools, such

���� ������� ����������������� ��������� �������������� �� ����

generation sequencing.

�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������

SPONSORED FEATURE

Produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office

ìWhen it comes to screening drugs to use to treat cancer patients,

there are lots of publications showing that organoids are very useful.

You can take tumors from people and do almost personalized

medicine. You can predict which drugs will work and which ones wonít

work,î says biologist Christine Hale of the Wellcome Trust Sanger

Institute, in Hinxton, United Kingdom.

Scientists are also working on developing organoid tissues that

mimic how an organ works. Among the major projects were, for

�������������������������������������������� �����������������������

��������������������������������������������������������������

associate director of business development at Lonza Bioscience,

headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.

������������� ��������������������������������������� ������

biology and related diseases,î he says. ìFurthermore, organoid-based

technologies supported by stem cells and primary cells may lead to

in vivo-like histology of microtissues with complex histology, such as

brain, liver, kidney, or pancreas tissue.î

Such microtissues, generated by organoid-based technologies, can

be used to study normal and disease development, to discover new

drugs, and to test a drugís toxicity.

ìIn the future, such microtissues generated by organoid

technologies may be used for therapeutic organ repair. For instance, in

liver diseases or diabetes,î he adds.

Life-saving detective work

Genetic tests to detect the presence of a virus have become routine,

especially now during the coronavirus pandemic. Taking a simple

swab from a personís nose and throat, scientists perform polymerase

chain reaction (PCR) tests to determine whether that person carries the

����!��� �!�����!��!���� � �����������

In recent decades, PCR technology has become increasingly

sophisticated. With the advent of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR),

scientists now have an exquisitely sensitive tool for investigating the

behavior of tumors in patients undergoing treatment in real time,

�� ����������������� ����������!����� ����!�������� ������������

Laboratories in the United States.

Before ddPCR, methods for nucleic acid detection did not always

have a low enough limit of detection to positively identify a target

mutation by liquid biopsy, especially if a patient was in an early stage

of cancer or had a residual tumor following treatment. Therefore,

invasive tissue biopsies were relied on. Liquid biopsies are less

invasive and can be done more frequently. Researchers have begun

exploring additional ways to monitor patients for mutational

biomarkers to better track disease progression and guide treatment.

ìWeíve seen tremendous early uptake in liquid biopsy translational

research, as it makes it easier to detect and monitor low cont.>

particle, and this is critical for its release from one cell and for access

to others.

ìThatís important because it gives you clues for how you might want

to disrupt that process,î says Lippincott-Schwartz.

Currently, she is working with a project team at Janelia called

�������������� �������� "�"�� �� ����"�� ������!������

that is using machine-learning and computer-vision techniques to

automatically identify and quantify all intracellular substructures

within isotropic EM data obtained from focused ion beam-scanning

electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). This approach has the potential to help

scientists better understand what pathways the coronavirus is using to

replicate itself at a subcellular level.

ìThatís where Iím really excited. Using this microscopy platform

allows you to get thousands of scanned electron-micrograph images

serially collected through an entire cell,î says Lippincott-Schwartz. ìBut

it can take years to go through all the images manually and build the

image.î

������"��!��������������"���!��� "�!"!�� �"���������"��������

developing machine- learning algorithms to automate this process,

dramatically speeding up how fast she and her colleagues can analyze

the data.

�"�!�"�����!"�"����������������!��������� �������� �"��!�

fashion,î she says.

Scientists in China are equally optimistic about how microscopy

technologies could help us tackle diseases.

ìRecent advances in optical imaging have changed how we

traditionally diagnose disease,î says Hui Li, a principal investigator

at the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of

the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in China. ìPathology laboratories

in hospitals will look completely different in the future as these

technologies improve and are adopted into daily clinical practice. We

may also see in-vivo imaging technology used in operating theaters.î

New model, new ideas

Cell biologists are also revolutionizing how we treat diseased organs

and discover and test new drugs. In 2006, Japanese scientist Shinya

Yamanaka discovered that he could take mature cells and turn back

the developmental clock, inducing them to become pluripotent stem

cells that could develop into body tissues. This breakthrough offered

enormous possibilities for regenerative medicine, as researchers

foresaw a clinical world in which they might take a personís skin cells,

for example, reprogram them, and then use these to grow to healthy

������������ ������������ ������������������������������������

�����������������������������������������������������������������

have a practical impact on clinical practice with the development of

immunotherapies against cancer.

SPONSORED FEATUREProduced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office

$%&%$'��������������������'���� $'���%$$���%%������'�'���$���

Neumann. ìExtensive translational research studies and clinical trials

have been done using ddPCR for liquid biopsy testing in breast cancer,

melanoma, colorectal, bladder, and prostate cancers, demonstrating its

clinical validity.î

There have also been indirect applications of this technology that

�%�%���� ��$����%$����'����'���'��� ���������%�����'�

disease. Authorities across the world are now using

����������%�%���������� ����!'�%!�%��� ��&����"� ��$����%$���

bodies with an early-warning system to alert them to its presence.

ìddPCR is becoming the new gold standard in wastewater testing,

%��$��"�������� ������%#��%�%��������'��%���%�����%�'��!'�

symptoms in a community,î says Karlin-Neumann.

Better, faster, cheaper

������)*)(���)�+����)���)(������)���+��)���(������*)�

underpinned and advanced the work of biologists. Innovations in

genetic sequencing, imaging, and cytometric technologies have

)�����������)��+������(�����������*)����)�+��������

the fundamental biology of human and other organisms, enabled

���+(��������)���)+)���������+���������(��(�������) ����

changed the course and practice of medicine, explains Brian Fritz,

associate director of strategic market development and programs

and immunology segment manager at

10x Genomics.

As an example, he points to next-generation sequencing

(NGS), which has made high-throughput genetic sequencing

�����((����+�)�������)��)�����)����+�������������)�������)��)�

��� )���������!��)��+������+����)+����)��"#��!��((�����$%$% �

you can sequence a human genome in a day.

ìThe incredible breadth and sensitivity of next-generation

sequencing enables the translation of convalescent patient antibody

genes into novel therapeutic treatments for infectious disease, and

)��()+���)��)��������������(��)+���(��+)�+)�����)�+�

undergoing treatment for some forms of cancer, such as leukemia,î

Fritz says.

�����(������+���������)�)�����*)�)�+����+����)��+�))�&

)��(����)��������++��()++�����$'�����+��������+)+&�+�

well as sensitivity and scale, enabling simultaneous cont.>

PH

OT

O:

© V

CH

AL

\S

HU

TT

ER

ST

OC

K.C

OM

SPONSORED FEATURE

Produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office

sequencing of many individuals. The past decade has seen this

technology widely adopted and used among clinicians, from

&'()���'�)��(���&'���&����'����'�&��������'�)������ ������'���'���

According to Xin Jin, a director of the Institute of Precision Heath at

BGI Genomics in Shenzhen and a professor at South China University

of Technology (SCUT) in Guangzhou, China, we have witnessed in the

past 10 years how NGS has changed health care, not only in terms

of clinical practice but in making the idea of precision medicine a

potential reality. Jin is talking about an approach to health care that

uses a genetic understanding of disease to enable doctors to select

treatments most likely to help their patients. He uses screening tests

�����������&�����&��'�)����)�(����(��(����(������

ìScientists developed a noninvasive prenatal test that can diagnose

this genetic condition by identifying chromosomal abnormalities. It is

now used worldwide for millions of women each year,î he says. ìIt has

changed the path of prenatal health, forever.î

Jin hopes that health care will move from a model of diagnosis and

treatment to one of prevention.

ìToday, the majority of technology developed is used for after

the disease has spread. But by employing many different, yet

complimentary advanced molecular techniques, the idea of curing a

disease before its onset may become a reality,î he says.

��'��()������(�����(����(�'�''���'��������&����������'���)��(�&�

genomics are coalescing. ìSequencing is merging with advanced

imaging, and principles of cytometry are being combined with

�����������'�)�(�&�'�()'�) !�����(����"#������$�������������

technologies will ultimately enable the discovery of novel biomarkers,

��'����'�����������������(������&���''������(���'�(��&'��(���

�(�� ����������(���'��&��'�'����(%'�) �(�&���������������������

precision and personalized medicine forward even further than next-

generation sequencing has demonstrated on its own,î he adds.

Knockout health care

Eight years ago, the introduction of CRISPR, a simpler, faster,

cheaper, and more accurate alternative to older genome-editing

methods, led to an explosion of research into gene editing.

���/����/������"�#$"%�0����1�����.//�1��������1���0��

awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, rightly recognizing the

tremendous impact that this innovation is having today in basic and

0���/�.�����0������0���&0�!�'���!�����/����/��/��������������1�0�.�

�()� �������1/���

Academics across the world recognized that gene editing had the

����/0��������0��������0�1������()�������������������0/�/�1�

disease-causing mutations or replacing nonfunctional genes. Behlke

says that in theory, this could offer a ìone-and-doneî treatment option,

��������0����/��.���������0�.������������0���������������������

he cautions, this adds potential risk, since any errors in editing are

0��������0����� ���0!�������0��������0�.�������0�/��.���./�/���

0���0�/�����/��/���������������������.��0�����.������1�����.//�1�

tools in clinical settings, says Behlke. And yet there are no gene-editing

therapies on the market, only certain forms of gene therapeutics,

�����0�����'�������������0��0�.�����0��./��0�����*/����0�����)�

approval of gene-editing therapeutics, however, this new therapy

modality has not yet had a practical impact on clinical practice, he says.

But research is moving in the right direction. There are currently

ongoing clinical trials to treat sickle cell disease using ex-vivo genome-

�.//�1�0����0���������./��0����1������+,-����0���/�/��

stem cells with reinfusion back into the patient. Behlke says that the

1��0�����./�0����������1�����.//�1����0���0���������.�/�����

basic research and translational research setting. Here, cell and animal

disease models can be treated and potentially cured of diseases that

heretofore were deemed to be untreatable.

ìThis gives rise to the vision of our ability to cure ëincurableí

diseases,î he says.

The road ahead

The advancement of biomedical technologies is integral to the rapid

translation of academic research into medical therapies. In the age of

�� �����������������.�������������0�����������������0����0��

never been more pressing.

References

1. The College of Optometrists, ìElectron Microscopy,î www.college-optometrists.org/the-college/museum/online-exhibitions/virtual-microscopy-gallery/electron-microscopy.html.

2. R. Van Noorden, Nature 514, 286ñ286 (2014), https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2014.16097.

10x Genomics

www.10xgenomics.com

BGI Genomics

www.bgi.com/us

Bio-Rad Laboratories

www.bio-rad.com

Integrated DNA Technologies

www.idtdna.com/pages

Janelia Research Campus,

Howard Hughes Medical

Institute

www.janelia.org

Featured participants

Lonza Bioscience

www.lonza.com

South China University of

Technology

www.scut.edu.cn/en

Suzhou Institute of Biomedical

Engineering and Technology,

Chinese Academy of Sciences

english.sibet.cas.cn

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

www.sanger.ac.uk

CALL FOR PAPERS

ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGES WAIVED UNTIL 2022

Plant Phenomics is a Science Partner Journal published in afliation with the State Key Laboratory of

Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU) and distributed by

the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Plant Phenomics publishes novel

research that advances both in Geld and indoor plant phenotyping, with focus on data acquisition

systems, data management, data interpretation into structural or functional traits, integration into

process based or machine learning basedmodels, and connects phenomics to applications and other

research domains.

Submit your research to Plant Phenomics today!

Learn more: spj.sciencemag.org/plantphenomics

The Science Partner Journals (SPJ) program was established by the American Association for the Advancement of Science(AAAS), the non-proGt publisher of the Science family of journals. The SPJ program features high-quality, online-only,Open-Access publications produced in collaboration with international research institutions, foundations, funders, andsocieties. Through these collaborations, AAAS furthers its mission to communicate science broadly and for the beneGt ofall people by providing top-tier international research organizations with the technology, visibility, and publishing expertisethat AAAS is uniquely positioned to oOer as the world’s largest general science membership society.

Learn more at spj.sciencemag.org

@SPJournals@SPJournals

ProMab Biotechnologies offers a proprietary CHO-K1 stable cell line

development service for research and biopharma applications.

2600 Hilltop Dr, Building B, Richmond, CA 94806

1.866.339.0871 | info@promab.com

Custom Stable Cell Lines

Discover more | www.promab.comDiscover more | www.promab.com

All products are for research only

Antibody & Protein Stable Cell Lines For Drug Development

Indicator

Anti-species lgG-FL

Primary

antibody

Cells or beads

with antigen

Drug / physical selection

Transfection

Transfect host cells with plasmids encoding

gene of interest

Selection from Pool of Transfected Cells

Various selection techniques are used to

pick cells stably producing the protein of

interest

Clonal Screening and Selection

High expressing clones are screened

and selected for further characterization

Cell Line Characterization

Each clone is characterized by its stability

and production

Expansion and Downstream Evaluation

Top producing clone is selected for

expansion and cell banking