In the past decade, the idea that RNA is just a passive carrier of information has been overturned. Small non-coding RNA molecules are now known to be important regulators of gene expression and genome integrity. With recent technological advances, the molecular mechanisms of these RNA silencing pathways are becoming clearly defined, and their components are now being tested in clinical trials.

Recent revolutions in genomic technologies have led to a renewed interest in quantitative genetics. One of the main areas of study is the genetic basis of complex traits, which proved difficult to investigate until the advent of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. Findings from a wide variety of organisms — from plants to mice to humans — are now markedly improving our understanding of how genotype contributes to phenotype.

Neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia, depression and autism, are a huge burden on society, impairing the health of those affected, as well as their ability to learn and to work. After half a century of concerted effort, researchers are now making progress towards defining the biological basis of these diseases. Technological advances in the areas of genomics and large-scale studies, as well as the development of new animal models, are improving our understanding of these diseases and are offering the prospect of fundamentally different options for treatment.

Small-molecule catalysts are vital for countless chemical reactions. The development of these catalysts, which include transition-metal complexes and small organic molecules, is being stimulated by Insights into the mechanisms of existing small-molecule catalysts, by advances in computational chemistry, and by inspiration drawn from enzymes and from the challenges of making natural products.

Inflammation forms the basis of many physiological and pathological processes. Much is known about how inflammation is initiated, develops and resolves over the short term. But less is known about the causes and consequences of chronic inflammation, which underlies many human diseases. Recent studies have extended our understanding of chronic inflammation and the cross-talk that occurs between inflammatory responses and other physiological and pathological responses.

Improvements in techniques to manipulate light and matter are facilitating exciting applications of quantum mechanics. Scientists from diverse areas of research are now seeking to harness and exploit quantum coherence and entanglement for quantum simulations and quantum information processing.

The capacity of most tissues to regenerate derives from stem cells, but there are many barriers to the use of stem-cell-based therapies in the clinic. Such therapies, however, have the potential to improve human health enormously, and knowledge gained from studying cells in culture and in model organisms is now laying the groundwork for a new era of regenerative medicine.

The technological advances of the past decade have helped researchers to characterize the molecular basis of cancer. With this knowledge, drugs targeted at specific molecules have been designed. New diagnostics, or biomarkers, for cancer are now urgently needed to determine which of these new drugs a patient is most likely to benefit from.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death worldwide and will become even more prevalent as the population ages. New therapeutic targets are being identified as a result of emerging Insights into disease mechanisms, and new strategies are also being tested, possibly leading to new treatment options. Improving diagnosis is also crucial, because by detecting disease early, the focus could be shifted from treatment to prevention.

Proteins are the most diverse and versatile set of biological macromolecules, having crucial roles in all biological processes. Now that researchers have identified whole complements of proteins (proteomes) for many cell types, they are pushing the frontiers of protein science: from the regulation and function of single protein dynamics to the evolution and inhibition of protein-protein interactions.

Interactions between symbiotic or pathogenic microbes and the hosts they colonize are central to both health and disease. This rapidly advancing field is now bearing the fruits of interdisciplinary efforts by microbiologists, immunologists, cell biologists, geneticists and ecologists.

In 2008, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will come into operation at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. The highest-energy accelerator ever built, it heralds a new era in particle-physics research, in which we hope to complete the standard model and even go beyond, into a new realm of physics.