Among the key findings and events that could emerge from the research world in 2011, according to Nature:

• The price of human-genome sequencing will drop to US$1,000 per genome.
• Patient-derived iPS cells will increasingly be used as models for studying medical conditions for which there are no good animal models, and little understanding of what is happening inside cells. They will also be used to screen potential drugs, and to probe why existing drugs help some patients but not others.
• NASA’s Kepler telescope will reveal an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star.