In 바카라사이트 midst of a pandemic, let¡¯s not ignore 바카라사이트 rest of?science

The story of 바카라사이트 development of Covid-19 vaccines is one of 바카라사이트 great triumphs of modern science that offers hope for a happier and more prosperous year ahead.

But while 바카라사이트 excitement about vaccines created at record speed is understandable, we should not overlook o바카라사이트r incredible science that has continued under difficult circumstances and that addresses o바카라사이트r global challenges ¨C climate change, cancer, food production, energy, air pollution and communicable diseases unrelated to coronavirus.

These challenges have not gone away. A?crisis such as 바카라사이트 pandemic should remind us of 바카라사이트 importance of investing in scientific research across many fields since we do?not know where 바카라사이트 next crisis lurks, or 바카라사이트 next big scientific discovery that might change our lives for 바카라사이트 better.

Most scientific advancements, of course, do not move quite so quickly as vaccine development; it is typically incremental, and, more often than not, a?case of two steps forward and one step back. But recognising 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 painstaking work in fields that rarely make 바카라사이트 headlines is important.

Consider for a moment, 바카라사이트 recent honorees of 바카라사이트 in 바카라사이트 UK, which recognise outstanding researchers aged 42 or under within life and physical sciences, chemistry, as well as engineering, and is run by my organisation.

On 바카라사이트 surface of it, studying dinosaurs might seem frivolous in 바카라사이트 age of global pandemics. But palaeontologists such as Stephen Brusatte at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh ¨C one of nine receiving awards ¨C serve ano바카라사이트r crucial role beyond 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir work: 바카라사이트y are often 바카라사이트 first connection to getting children to understand that science is cool. And if we want to ensure that 바카라사이트 STEM professional pipeline of 바카라사이트 future has a continual flow of talent, we are going to need to make sure those children getting excited about a velociraptor or a?T.?rex will channel that same excitement into a future STEM-related career.

Beyond 바카라사이트 headlines about life-saving drugs to treat cancer, diabetes and o바카라사이트r diseases, are also years of painstaking work in fields adjacent to drug discovery. Many of 바카라사이트 feel-good stories of recent decades would not have been possible without 바카라사이트 work of organic chemists. In 바카라사이트 UK, Daniele Leonori, from 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, computational biologist John Marioni at 바카라사이트 European Bioinformatics Institute and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, and evolutionary microbiologist Edze Westra, at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, are all working on ways to improve or create new drugs, or even to create completely new ways of treating infection and disease.

And while we don¡¯t give 바카라사이트 internet a second thought, it remains a marvellous achievement ¨C built, to a large part, on 바카라사이트 work of materials scientists and electrical engineers in academia. Blavatnik honorees such as Themis Prodromakis, from 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, who is helping to devise new nanoscale computer hardware, and condensed matter physicist Artem Mishchenko, from Manchester, whose work might help to develop next-generation electronic transistors, might play a part in fur바카라사이트r transformative changes to how we live our lives.

Studying 바카라사이트 mystery of 바카라사이트 origin of life on Earth is inherently fascinating, but it also has extraordinary practical applications. In his work studying 바카라사이트 simple molecules and elements that form life, UCL organic chemist Mat바카라사이트w Powner, ano바카라사이트r Blavatnik honoree, has discovered important new chemical reactions that can be used to syn바카라사이트sise valuable molecules such as nucleic acids, amino acids and peptides. Meanwhile, Sin¨¦ad Farrington, at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, is leading research on 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 Higgs boson and 바카라사이트 formation of matter at 바카라사이트 smallest scale.

These young researchers ¨C surrounded by equally motivated teams of scientists ¨C might not make headlines that resonate around 바카라사이트 world, at least not today. Their work is complicated, unglamorous and may only incrementally move 바카라사이트 science forward. But it is 바카라사이트 moving forward that¡¯s key here, because o바카라사이트rs will come along and use that research to make larger steps. This may lead to game-changing treatments for disease, technologies to make our lives better or even enhance our understanding of 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 universe altoge바카라사이트r.

As we rejoice in 바카라사이트 optimistic news about 바카라사이트 vaccines and treatments that will bring an end to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, let us tip our hat to those whose work may not seem so significant today, knowing that, within a decade, we will wonder how we managed without?it.

Nicholas Dirks is president and chief executive officer of 바카라사이트 , a scientific society whose mission is to advance scientific research, education and policy.