Reviews in this Insight, which highlights important advances in biology, include self-organization of tissues, Fanconi anaemia and its links to genomic stability, the possibility of slowing ageing with drugs that target mTOR, metabolism of inflammation and how this is limited by AMPK activation, and the role of neuron signalling in autism.

From the discovery of the Higgs boson to the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, 2012 was an eventful year in science. Nature's end of year round-up reviews the highs and lows in research and science policy.

After decades of modest advances, psoriasis research has caught fire. The drug pipeline is full of novel agents. Research into the role of the immune system in this skin disease is bearing fruit. Genetic studies hint at the condition's starting point. And now psoriasis is a proof-of-principle disease for other chronic inflammatory conditions.

Humans are the longest lived primates, with life expectancy in some developed nations surpassing 80 years. Of course, that doesn't stop us wanting more time. Research into the mechanisms of ageing is yielding Insights, many of them diet-related, into how we might not only live longer but also stay healthier as we do.

On 1 January 2013, the world can go back to emitting greenhouse gases with abandon. The pollution-reduction commitments that nations made as part of the Kyoto Protocol will expire, leaving the planet without any international climate regulation and uncertain prospects for a future treaty. Natureexplores the options for limiting — and living with — global warming.

Despite a huge worldwide cancer research effort, the rates of surviving many forms of the disease have barely changed. Now, intensified collaborations between oncologists and physical scientists are bringing fresh perspectives to that effort. Interdisciplinary teams are starting to bear fruit in the form of mathematical and computer models, nanomedicine and high-tech diagnostics.

Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are a threat to global health. This Insight focuses on some of the underlying biology that can contribute to these disorders, including the central nervous system's control of metabolism, circadian rhythms, cancer metabolism and mitochondrial disorders, as well as metabolic phenotyping.

As recently as the mid-1990s, autism was thought to be a rare disorder that led to severe mental disability. But since then its reported incidence has ballooned, and it is thought to encompass conditions that vary widely in character and severity. Still, its causes, treatments and even definition remain to be pieced together.

Today more nations — from China and India to Singapore, Brazil and South Korea — are taking their place at the high table of research alongside the traditional science superpowers. At the same time national boundaries are being transcended through collaboration networks and ‘brain circulation'. In this special issue Natureexamines how the movement of people and ideas will change how science is done, how it is funded and the questions that it addresses.

From subatomic particles to cosmic-scale phenomena, Nature Outlook Physics Masterclassuses the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2012 to launch an examination of some of the biggest breakthroughs in physics — including conversations between physics laureates and the young researchers who hope to emulate them.

Stress can take many forms, from a backlog of e-mails to the trauma of war. And if stress is particularly acute or prolonged, it can damage the mind, triggering conditions from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. Now researchers are getting to grips with how stress can alter the biology of the brain, and tip a mind into illness. Here, Naturetakes a look at what they have learned so far about the impacts of adversity — and the secrets of resilience

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) robs tens of millions of people of the ability to easily draw in the air they need to live a normal life. Although this incurable, progressive condition is difficult to diagnose, a bevy of new treatment options — including drug combinations, artificial lungs and dietary supplements — could give COPD patients a breath of fresh air.