Research on active biomaterials for implantation in the human body could lead to in-situ repair and regeneration of damaged tissue as an alternative to surgery and a cure for some diseases.

Advances in the next 3 to 10 years are expected to make DNA microarray technology ever more widely accessible, reaching a commercial scale that promises to speed the discovery of new biomedical applications in the next several decades.

Mathematical modeling and analysis of large data sets promise to enable application of knowledge obtained from explorations of the human genome to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

A wide range of technologies, from pharmaceuticals to implantable devices, and specialised cognitive or behavioural training (leading to regional brain activation through functional imaging), will enable extensions of human bodies, senses, and capabilities. This will lead to redefinition of various boundaries: natural versus artificial, alive versus dead, individual versus collective.

Multidisciplinary efforts by astrobiologists are expected to increase our understanding of the origins of life on this planet and could result in finding biospheres beyond Earth.

Completion of the 2010 Project to understand the function of all genes in a model plant is expected to support the development of crops, plants of industrial usefulness, and medicinal plants.

Nanoshells could revolutionise oncology by enabling precisely targeted therapies that could replace chemotherapy and radiation.

Interaction between personal electronic products, mediated by human skin, may lead to new, and greater use of, invasive applications.

Chemical-based drug development is likely to be displaced by methods based on biotechnology, promising to make possible individualized drug formulas that are more efficacious than 'blockbuster drugs' in the treatment of disease.

The first practical biochemical nanocomputing devices are probably a decade or more away, but their development is being fueled by massive investment in research in the genomic sciences and nanotechnologies.

Drugs for non-clinical conditions promise to be used widely by select population segments as forms of self-medication to optimise performance.

Biological research is stimulating work in new realms of mathematics, and new maths is contributing to advances in biology. Growing synergy between the two disciplines promises to accelerate progress in both fields in coming decades.

The field of bioinformatics may grow over the next two decades, but not fast enough to meet increasing demand for bioinformatics expertise from pharmaceutical and other biochemical industries.

The next 20 years are likely to witness a revolution in our understanding of the human brain, with implications for virtually every domain of human activity, from mental health to software design and academic performance and real-life decision- making.

Advances in technology and medicine, as well as the expiration of patents on medicine, will open up wider opportunities in health care in developing regions.

Two new types of 'intelligent' polymers may be a source of design innovation over the coming decade, especially in the biomedical field. Mass commercial applications may follow.

In tandem with the development of inexpensive tools to sequence the genome of various species, the merger of evolutionary and developmental biology will enable us to study evolutionary variation in a methodical way, learning how organisms evolve and change their form. Evo-devo could enable us to develop medical interventions to prevent birth defects and heriditary diseases. Ultimately, evo-devo could enable us to construct organisms from their component genetic data.

Testing of DNA with nanowire sensors is likely to replace traditional DNA tests, making such testing less expensive, faster, and more widely available as a diagnostic tool.

The ability to rapidly genotype plants is expected to contribute to improvements in human and ecoystem health in the next decade.

Promising research is expected to lead to vastly improved detection and treatment of cancer within the next 10 years.

The tools of computational biology may be applied at an increasing rate to pharmaceutical innovation in the next 20 to 50 years, resulting in a faster, less costly, and more tailored approach to drug development.

Stretching the realm of possibilities, biological physicists and engineers are treating cells as tools that can be mechanically reworked for environmental and biomedical purposes. Expect new applications in the next 10 to 20 years but also intense debate about unintended consequences.

Smart materials -- a variety of materials engineered for special qualities and capable of interacting with the larger environment -- are likely to proliferate in the coming decades, serving purposes from protecting and healing us to saving energy.

Stem cell research is likely to lead to a new kind of cell-based medicine that regenerates the body, but practical and ethical challenges mean safe and effective treatments may be decades away.

New discoveries by cell biologists regarding the role of RNA in gene regulation have provided researchers with a powerful tool that will likely have wide-ranging impact. These discoveries have also spurred the formation of biotechnology companies aiming to develop RNA-based therapies.

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