Microfluidic systems redefined biology by providing platforms that handle small fluid volumes, catalyzing advancements in cellular and molecular studies.

Beyond The Scientist’s coverage of COVID-19’s molecular underpinnings were many other stories highlighting the advances made in scientists’ understanding of the biology of cells.

Uncovering the components used by Aspergillus fumigatus to avoid intracellular destruction broadens our understanding of the mold’s pathogenesis. 

Altering the rate of respiration in mitochondria changes how fast neurons grow, making mouse neurons grow more like human ones and vice versa, a study finds.

A parasitic worm accumulates epigenetic DNA tags over its lifetime.  

A previously unknown kind of ribosome is responsible for folding sperm proteins, which decay before fertilization if prepared by other ribosomes.

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder. Age: 43

Chairman: Arnold Levine, chairman, department of molecular biology, Princeton University Barry Bloom, Weinstock Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator, department of microbiology and immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York Rebecca Buckley, professor of pediatrics and immunology, Duke University Medical Center Charles Carpenter, chairman, Office of AIDS Research Advisory Committee; professor of medicine,Brown University School of Medicine Don

As the necessity of cleaning up the environment moves to the forefront of the public's consciousness, researchers in increasing numbers have been enlisting some of the earth's tiniest creatures to help clean up highly polluted sites and reclaim soils and groundwater systems. Stimulated by advances in microbiology and biotechnology, the booming multidisciplinary field of environmental biotechnology focuses on the use of microorganisms to treat or degrade hazardous waste, encompassing the techniq