Science Announces Top 10 Research Advances Of 1998

The editors of Science (Washington, DC) have announced their picks for the year's 10 most important advances in science research. Each year, Science selects the advances from the past 12 months that have profoundly changed the practice or interpretation of science or its implications for society.

Accelerating Universe
Heading the list is the discovery that galaxies of the cosmos are flying apart at ever-increasing speeds. In this research project, two international teams of astronomers provided a glimpse into the destiny of the universe when they found that distant stars were rushing apart at an accelerating rate. This discovery implies that gravity is no match for the force that is pushing the universe outward in all directions and that the expansion may continue, perhaps indefinitely.

Circadian Clocks
The first runner-up accolade in the Science Top 10 list commends research into the ticking of the biological clock. Almost every organism on Earth keeps track of the 24-hour cycle between night and day using its "circadian clock," a built-in mechanism that researchers first explained in 1998. This year, a quick succession of discoveries shed light on how the molecular "gears" driving the circadian clock respond to light and temperature cues and how they work together in different organisms. The results showed a surprising commonality between clocks in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. What's more, it appears that fruit flies and mice—separated by nearly 700 million years of evolution—share the same timekeeping proteins. These developments may ultimately provide insight into overcoming jet lag and winter depression.

Potassium Channels
Through research into the structure of potassium channels, scientists were finally able to explain how cell membranes become permeable to ions that are essential for sending messages along nerves. These reactions represent the basic connections that allow people to see, think, taste, and touch. By identifying the structure of the channel down to the last atom, researchers opened new territory for understanding the roots of the nervous system.

Cancer-Fighting Drugs
A number of drugs including Heceptin, Tamoxifen and Raloxifene were added to the arsenal of cancer-fighting weapons in 1998, contributing to an outstanding year in the war on cancer. Researchers also began investigating other drugs in clinical trials. Coupled with these discoveries, a yearlong trend toward healthier lifestyles and keen media attention paid to some of the year's research advances raised public awareness of cancer.

Combinatorial Chemistry
In 1998, researchers continued to stretch the applications of combinatorial chemistry far beyond the traditional realm of pharmacology. This technique, which allows researchers to make and test hundreds of thousands of new compounds at once, was used to produce new molecules for drug discovery. Combinatorial chemistry also helped develop fuel-cell catalysts and other industrial compounds.

Genomics Milestones
The sequencing of several microbial genomes and the genome of C. elegans reached completion this year. The tiny C. elegans worm has long been a workhorse for a wide variety of biological research topics, and its genome is the first from a multi-cellular animal to be sequenced. The genetic information will allow researchers to break new ground in understanding the evolutionary relationships among organisms and will provide a set of essential tools for future research that covers everything from how embryos develop to how to identify targets for therapeutic drugs. Researchers also completed sequencing the genomes of a number of harmful pathogens this year such as syphilis, tuberculosis, and chlamydia.

Neutrino Mass
For years, researchers have been on the trail of neutrinos, the subnuclear particles long thought to have no mass. This year, an international team using the Super-Kamiokande neutrino detector in Japan claimed to have found evidence that neutrinos do have mass after all. If this discovery holds up, it should prompt a rethinking of the Standard Model.

Biochips
Researchers married biological research tools with microchip technology to create a flurry of novel micromachines in 1998. These tiny gadgets can do the work of many lab technicians at once, performing tasks including processing DNA, screening blood samples, scanning for disease genes, and surveying gene activity in cells. Major microelectronics firms have now entered the biochip business after taking notice of this technology's potential.

Seeding Quantum Computers
In 1998, researchers in the United States and Europe teleported information about the quantum state of a particle from one location to another, where it was used to help recreate an identical particle. This achievement is key for creating quantum computers—ultra-powerful machines that will one day offer incredible computing speed and power.

Molecular Mimicry
This year, two teams of researchers provided the first evidence of a link between autoimmune disorders and infections such as Lyme disease or herpes simplex virus 1. In some people, these infections turn into debilitating long-term illnesses even though the bacteria or virus that caused the infection is long gone. Researchers have now confirmed earlier suspicions that the infection causes the immune system to attack the body's own molecules. This development may lead to better understanding and treatment of a number of autoimmune disorders including diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Predictions for Hot Research Areas in 1999
According to the Science editors, up-and-coming research areas for 1999 include photonic band-gap materials and devices, millennial-scale climate change, carbon sinks and the global carbon budget, bioterrorism, aging and allergies. The 1998 top 10 list of science achievements was published in the Dec. 18, 1998 issue of Science.

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