Science’s Breakthrough Of The Year: Cellular Reprogramming

December 22, 2008 | Source: Science Daily

In its annual list of the year’s top ten scientific breakthroughs, the journal Science has given top honors to research that produced “made-to-order” cell lines by reprogramming cells from ill patients.

The cell lines and techniques to produce them offer long-sought tools for understanding — and hopefully someday curing — difficult-to-study diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and type 1 diabetes.

Other scientific achievements named include direct detection of extrasolar planets, high-temperature superconductors, and faster, cheaper genome sequencing.