The Year of Miracles

The explosion of genetic discoveries shows no sign of letting up any time soon. New diseases are being added to the list every month, and biologists are rapidly parlaying gene- and SNP-disease links into a deeper understanding of how proteins and other molecules can misbehave to cause different medical problems in different people. And other scientists are working to advance the biology revolution (accompanying interviews). As a result of their efforts, many children born this year could very well be alive and healthy at the dawn of the next century, when they may look back in awe at the annus mirabilis of biomedical genetics in 2007.

Silver is a professor of molecular biology at Princeton. He is the author of "Challenging Nature." He has no financial ties to any biotech or drug firm.

Silver is a professor of molecular biology at Princeton. He is the author of “Challenging Nature.” He has no financial ties to any biotech or drug firm.

© 2007