Biology—The Path Ahead

Abstract: There has never been a more exciting time to study the science of living systems. Contemporary biology is a vibrant field which grows stronger year on year. Biological scientists have access to powerful new tools and techniques that even recently would have seemed like science fiction. We are enjoying ‘a wellspring of technical advancements’ [1]. The consequence is a deeper and wider understanding of living systems. Older approaches remain important and often essential, but new unbiased and often fast approaches are helping us to deploy our traditional approaches more rationally. The result of this synergy of old and new is an explosion in the field of biological sciences. It may seem daunting to consider what lies ahead and the challenges will be great, but the pace of discovery is increasingly rapid.[...]