In a first, researchers successfully treated a genetic liver disease by injecting the CRISPR gene editing tool directly into a person’s body. A new treatment for a rare, deadly disease While a multitude of inoculation options were crucial to curbing the spread of the virus, these two mRNA therapies are especially poised to change the course of the pandemic-and the future of preventative medicine. The vaccines also fended off hospitalization nearly 100 percent of the time. In clinical trials, both of the two-dose regimens were at least 94 percent effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19. This duo of shots also work remarkably well. If a vaccinated person comes into contact with SARS-CoV-2, those antibodies can spring into action, reproduce, and destroy the virus before it replicates out of control, thwarting the disease. Those proteins then attach to specialized immune cells, triggering the system to recognize them as invaders and develop antibodies against their ilk. Our bodies quickly destroy the errant mRNA instructions, but not before our cells build the corresponding proteins.

The vaccines carry mRNA with instructions for making a protein found on the outside of SARS-CoV-2, the novel virus that causes COVID-19. They work by harnessing messenger RNA, the genetic bits of code that tell our cells how to make proteins. They are the first so-called mRNA vaccines-a technology that has been in development for decades. The jabs are unlike any other inoculation on the market today. And, all the while, our push against the pandemic netted gains in prevention, testing, and treatment that will form the backbone of our resistance to the disease for years to come. A new hair-washing system creates a luxurious lather with less water, a spin on steelmaking spits out a mere fraction of the carbon, a clever AI plans airline routes for maximum efficiency, and a simple riff on a remote control zaps the need for disposable batteries. But what we found instead inspired quite the opposite reaction: Faced with the challenges of limited resources, a chip shortage, and an ongoing pandemic, engineers, developers, and scientists did a lot with what they had.Īcross all our 10 categories, gains in efficiency showcased our collective drive to optimize our world. So, as we gathered to debate the winners, we were well prepared to be, well, underwhelmed. COVID-19 vaccines on their way into the public’s arms sparked hope, but signs of a looming supply-chain pinch left us wondering about the potential of the year in innovation to come. When we wrapped last year’s Best of What’s New awards, the PopSci staff wasn’t certain about what lay ahead.

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