Key Scientific Innovations of 2021
The year 2021 was marked by remarkable scientific breakthroughs and an array of groundbreaking accomplishments across various fields, including:
Fastest Vaccine Development in History
The development, testing, and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines occurred in an unprecedentedly short timeframe compared to traditional vaccine rollout timelines. In December of the previous year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for adults against the COVID-19 virus.
Thanks to the dedication of researchers and American volunteers who participated in clinical trials, the vaccine became available for children as well. Additional vaccines, such as Sinopharm, received approval as well. This vaccination initiative has undoubtedly saved countless lives by alleviating severe symptoms of the virus, despite its mutations and the emergence of new variants. Scientists remain optimistic about the efficacy of these vaccines.
Regeneration of Limbs
A Japanese scientist discovered that certain slime creatures can deliberately sever their heads, after which a completely new body develops within weeks. Research has shown that the severed head can live independently while the vital organs and limbs regenerate. This phenomenon is attributed to plant-like algae consumed by the slugs, enabling them to perform photosynthesis.
Interestingly, the discarded body can survive for several weeks before dying. Researchers believe that these marine mollusks employ this remarkable strategy to evade predators or to recover from infestations by parasites attacking their lower body.
Brain-Computer Interface Technology
This innovative technology offers significant hope for individuals with paralysis, enabling them to control robotic limbs, wheelchairs, keyboards, and other devices simply by thinking about moving their bodies.
The prestigious BrainGate research team developed the world’s first high-bandwidth wireless system, capable of transmitting brain signals with speed and clarity equivalent to traditional wired systems. Clinical trials yielded astonishing results, allowing two individuals with quadriplegia to signal, tap, and write on a tablet with accuracy and speed.
First Malaria Vaccine for Children
Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases globally, transmitted by mosquitoes and responsible for half a million deaths annually, predominantly in Africa. More than half of malaria-related fatalities occur in children under five years old.
After a century of effort, scientists have finally developed a safe and effective malaria vaccine, representing the first vaccine against a parasitic disease. In October, the World Health Organization authorized the vaccine for use among all at-risk children.
Diabetes Type 1 Treatment
Utilizing stem cells, a groundbreaking clinical trial was conducted to treat a 64-year-old man suffering from Type 1 diabetes. He received infusions of insulin-producing cells derived from stem cells, enabling his body to produce insulin independently.
Despite the impressive trial results, it is still premature to make definitive conclusions about this treatment, as studies and trials will continue over five years involving a total of 16 patients.
Discovery of New Exoplanets
Scientists from NASA verified the existence of 301 new exoplanets. Thanks to NASA’s new deep learning technology, ExoMiner, the confirmation of these planets, which orbit stars other than our Sun, was achieved, raising the total number of confirmed exoplanets to 4,870.
Surgeons Perform First Successful Arm and Shoulder Transplant
In January, surgeon Jean-Michel Dubernard achieved a historic milestone by performing the world’s first successful arm and shoulder transplant in France. The operation was a resounding success, enabling 49-year-old Félix Gretarsón, who lost both arms in an electrical accident in 1998, to regain normal functionality, including the ability to bend his biceps and grasp objects.
NASA Launches the Most Powerful Space Telescope Ever
After decades of hard work, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful and advanced scientific observatory in the history of space exploration, on December 25, 2021, from French Guiana aboard an Ariane 5 rocket.
This telescope is expected to unveil the mysteries surrounding the origins and evolution of Earth, the solar system, and galaxies, and will directly observe parts of the universe that have never been visible before. The telescope will take approximately 30 days to travel nearly one million miles to its designated location in space, followed by another six months before its instruments begin to operate.