Notable scientific events to take place in 2021

The whole world suffered from Corona 19 in 2020. However, science has steadily developed and various scientific discoveries are expected in 2021. What are some notable scientific events in 2021? Science catcher Nature organizes this and draws attention.

First, coping with environmental issues. It is argued that international cooperation at the new level of Corona 19 to curb climate change is needed, and the Paris Agreement already exists as an international agreement. It was a hot topic that the U.S. left the Paris Agreement in November 2020, but Joe Biden, the next President of the United States, is expressing his intention to return to the Paris Agreement. Efforts for carbon neutrality are drawing attention.

Next, we investigated the cause of the corona 19 virus infection. The COVID-19 vaccine team, led by the World Health Organization, will visit Wuhan, China in January 2021 to investigate the cause of the spread of Corona 19 infection. Experts expect new information about the origin of Corona 19 to be revealed within 2021.

Next is the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The development of the Corona 19 vaccine has been rapid, and in December 2020, two types of vaccines developed by Pfizer and Modena developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are starting vaccinations in various places. However, this vaccine should be stored at low temperatures. Currently, the effectiveness of Corona 19 developed by Novavex and Johnson & Johnson is being confirmed, and its effectiveness will be revealed in early 2021. Vaccines under development can be easily transported because they do not need to be stored at low temperatures like Pfizer and Moder or vaccines. Novavex plans to manufacture 2 billion doses per year, so we can expect numerous vaccines to spread around the world.

Next is easy access to academic papers. Although it requires a large monthly fee to access academic papers, the emergence of Sci-Hub, a site where anyone can read the papers for free, has made it possible to object to the need for a large subscription fee for academic papers.

To overcome this situation, a project called Plan S, funded by more than 20 organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is underway. Plan S already urges several journals, including Nature, to provide open access journals, and by 2021 several scientific journals will be able to provide open access journals.

Next is the deregulation of stem cells. Research on induced pluripotent stem cells using human embryos is being actively conducted. However, from an ethical point of view, there is a 14-day rule that human embryonic culture should be stopped on the 14th. The International Stem Cell Research Association has extended the 14-day rule and has established guidelines for recognizing more periodic cultures. If the cultivation time is extended, it is expected to lead to elucidation of the abortion mechanism.

Next is Alzheimer’s drug approval. Alzheimer’s is believed to be caused by amyloid. Biogen, a pharmaceutical company, is developing a treatment for Alzheimer’s using an antibody against amyloid, and its effectiveness will be confirmed in 2021. Of course, there are disagreements among scientists as to whether this treatment is effective for treating Alzheimer’s.

Next, explore Mars. In February 2021, the Chinese Mars rover, Tenwon 1, is scheduled to reach Mars and conduct an investigation. Tenwon 1 is equipped with a variety of equipment such as cameras, radars, and particle analyzers, and plans to explore Mars water and traces of life.

Next is the launch of the space telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to be launched in October 2021. The James Webb space telescope, developed with an investment of 8.8 billion dollars, has been observed more than 1.3 million times and is expected to have a Hubble ideal function that contributed significantly to astronomy.

Next is gravitational wave detection. A joint research team in Europe, North America and Australia is developing a gravitational wave detection method using neutron stars. Therefore, it is expected to detect gravitational waves generated by black holes. Related information can be found here .