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BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
“What started as a curiosity-driven, fundamental discovery project has now become the breakthrough strategy used by countless researchers working to help improve the human condition.”
—Jennifer Doudna, Winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and NAM/NAS Member
Opposite page: Depiction of gene-editing technology (iStock®)

Neuroscience and Neurological Diseases
Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
A “GPS” in the Brain
Role of the Brain in Hormone Regulation
Discovery of Opioid Receptors in the Brain
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Mapping the Olfactory System
Navigating Neuroplasticity
Diagnosing Huntington’s Disease
Gene Therapy for Infants
Three-Dimensional Mapping of the Brain
Genomics and Gene Regulation
An Unexpected Origin of Cancer
“Seeker” Cells
Reading Biological Blueprints
The Beginnings of Biotechnology
Tapping the Potential of DNA Replication
Sequencing the Human Genome
The First Cloned Animal
A Revolutionary Advance in Gene Editing
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing
Patenting DNA
Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation
Differentiating Self from Non-Self
Understanding the Vast Diversity of Antibodies
Infectious Proteins
Two Types of Immune Help
Recognizing Microbial Invaders
Triggering the Death of Cancer Cells
A Cell That Kills Other Cells
Engineering the Immune System to Defeat Cancer
Adoptive Cell Transfer to Treat Cancer
Metabolism and Bioenergetics
Understanding Photosynthesis
A Multifaceted Regulatory Mechanism
The Formation of Adenosine Triphosphate
Rapid-Effect Steroid Hormones
Expanding the Reach of Newborn Screening
Cancer-Causing Metabolites
The Progression of Multifactorial Disorders
Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Imaging
3D Imaging Through X-Ray Slices
Advanced Drug Delivery Systems
The Origins of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Increasingly Specific and Sensitive Imaging
The First Baby Conceived in a Laboratory
The First Artificial Heart
A Bridge to Heart Transplantation
Robotic Assistance in Surgery
Watching the Brain Function
Reprogramming Human Body Cells
RNA Vaccines
Scientific and Medical Ethics
Research Misconduct Exposed in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
After Tuskegee: Putting Human Subjects Research Guidelines in Place
The Birth of Clinical Medical Ethics
Bolstering Regulation of Research
Fabrication, Falsification, or Plagiarism of Research
Preventing Data Suppression in Clinical Trials
Added Oversight for Potentially Harmful Research
The Origin of HeLa Cells
Addressing Structural Racism and Health Inequities
#MeToo and #TimesUp in Science and Medicine
Genetically Modified Babies in China