Innovation comes in many forms, molded into various outlooks, adapted to shifting time frames. Sometimes, technological and conceptual progress is undergirded by a more expansive view to encompass the bigger picture—think evolutionary theory or the widespread applicability of Sanger sequencing. Other times, innovation, especially in the life sciences, is achieved by zeroing in on the minute components that make biology tick—receptors, cells, organelles.
This year’s Top 10 Innovations highlight breakthroughs on this fundamental scale. Winning products that include cutting-edge single-cell protein and gene expression analyses, souped-up Cas9 proteins for CRISPR-based genome editing, and culture systems for research organoids illustrate the innovative drilling down into fine-scale biology. Other winners, such as a handheld blood-testing device and a biomarker detection system, underscore the importance of technological development ...
