12 – 18 December 2016
The science events that shaped the year
Climate accords, controversial assisted reproduction and the CRISPR patent battle are among the year's top stories. Find source
Algorithms compete to predict recipe for cancer vaccine
Two US nonprofit organizations plan to find out by pitting a range of computer programs against each other to see which can best predict a candidate for a personalized vaccine from a patient’s tumour DNA. Find source
Finding the world’s unknown viruses — before they find us
One by one, the viruses have slipped from their hiding places in nature to threaten global populations — SARS, MERS, Zika. In each case, scientists have scrambled to identify the viruses and to develop vaccines or drugs to stop their spread. But they were always too late. Find source
Researchers rejuvenate aging mice with stem cell genes
Stem cells can spawn other types of body cells, but they have another striking capability—they remain young. Researchers have now harnessed this ability to boost the life spans of mice and refurbish some of their tissues. Find source
Scientists have developed an optical tractor beam to study cells
In a move ripped straight from the pages of a science-fiction novel, physicists in Germany have developed an optical tractor beam that can trap biological cells, such as blood, algae, and bacteria, inside a laser beam for high-resolution study. Find source
