Recent breakthroughs in science?

“Recent” depends on the field, but several developments reported in 2023 and 2024 stand out. Some are already changing research or medicine; others are promising results that still need years of testing.

• CRISPR-based treatment: In late 2023 and early 2024, regulators in the UK and US approved the first treatments using CRISPR gene editing. The therapies are for sickle cell disease and, in the US, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. They are a major milestone, though treatment is intensive and access remains limited.
• AlphaFold 3: Published in 2024, this AI system predicts how proteins interact with other molecules, including DNA and RNA. It could help researchers explore biology and identify drug targets, but its predictions still need experimental checks.
• Malaria vaccines: The R21 vaccine joined RTS,S as a WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, and routine vaccination began in Cameroon in 2024. Wider use could help protect children in regions where malaria is common.
• JET fusion record: In its final experiments, the JET facility in the UK produced 69 megajoules of fusion energy over five seconds, a record for the facility. That is an impressive experimental result, not a demonstration of a power plant producing more energy than it consumes.
• Bennu asteroid samples: NASA’s returned samples gave scientists material from a carbon-rich asteroid to study in laboratories on Earth. The analyses can offer clues about the early solar system and the ingredients present on asteroids.

These advances show different kinds of progress: treatments reaching patients, better tools for basic research, and experiments that test the limits of what scientists can measure. Their real-world impact will depend on follow-up studies, safety, cost, and whether other teams can reproduce the results.