2016: The science events that shaped the year

Climate accords, controversial assisted reproduction and the CRISPR patent battle are among the year's top stories.

News | 19 December 2016
Nature's 10
Nature profiles ten people who mattered in science this year, from AI developer Demis Hassabis to three-parent baby pioneer John Zhang.
News | 16 December 2016
2016 in pictures: The best science images of the year
Includes storms from space, southern stars and a striking cell.

Current Issue | 22 December 2016

Latest News

News | 23 December 2016
Scientists in Germany, Peru and Taiwan to lose access to Elsevier journals
Libraries pursue alternative delivery routes after licence negotiations break down.
News | 22 December 2016
Fatal French clinical trial failed to check data before raising drug dose
Revelation from drug firm Bial prompts criticism from pharmacologists.
News | 22 December 2016
2017 sneak peek: What the new year holds for science
Expect researchers to glimpse an event horizon, continue striving for quantum supremacy and brace themselves for a political hangover.
News | 22 December 2016
Bat banter is surprisingly nuanced
The racket that Egyptian fruit bats make when jammed next to each other contains information about food, sleeping arrangements and mating attempts.
News | 22 December 2016
Brain scan hints at first simple test for concussion
Small study suggests long-sought biological marker for brain injuries.
News | 21 December 2016
‘Gene drive’ moratorium shot down at UN biodiversity meeting
Freeze on genetic technology would have been a disaster, say scientists, but activists plan to renew the fight.

Research Highlights | 23 December 2016
Motor neuron disease: Nusinersen potentially effective in SMA
- Louise Adams
Nature Reviews Neurology
Research Highlights | 23 December 2016
Reproductive immunology: B cells, be shells?
B cells may protect against pre-term labour by responding to IL-33.
- Yvonne Bordon
Nature Reviews Immunology 17, 2–3
Research Highlights | 23 December 2016
Neuroimmunology: Could antibodies cause psychosis?
- Ian Fyfe
Nature Reviews Neurology
Research Highlights | 23 December 2016
T cells: Sorting memories
Expression of CX₃CR1 defines a new memory T cell subset that surveys peripheral tissues.
- Lucy Bird
Nature Reviews Immunology 17, 2–3
Research Highlights | 22 December 2016
Sensory systems: Smelling trouble
It is not known how mammals sense potentially life-threatening reductions in oxygen in the ambient air, but a novel mechanism has been found in mice that involves a novel subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons that express the soluble guanylate cyclase GUCY1β2.
- Sian Lewis
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Research Highlights | 22 December 2016
Systemic lupus erythematosus: iNKT cells guard the heart against disease
- Joanna Collison
Nature Reviews Rheumatology

Biological sciences
Biological sciences encompasses all the divisions of natural sciences examining various aspects of vital processes. The concept includes anatomy, physiology, cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics, and covers all organisms from microorganisms, animals to plants.
Earth and environmental sciences
Earth and environmental sciences cover all aspects of Earth and planetary sciences, and broadly encompasses solid Earth processes, surface and atmospheric dynamics, Earth system history, climate and climate change, marine and freshwater systems, and ecology. It also considers the interactions between humans and these systems.
Health sciences
The health sciences study all aspects of health, disease and healthcare. This field of study aims to develop knowledge, interventions and technology for use in healthcare to improve the treatment of patients.
Physical sciences
Physical sciences are those academic disciplines that aim to uncover the underlying laws of nature - often written in the language of mathematics. It is a collective term for areas of study including astronomy, chemistry, materials science and physics.

Comments and Opinion | 21 December 2016
Science advocacy: Get involved
Presenting science to politicians in a way they can understand can have good outcomes.
- Chris Woolston
Nature Jobs 540, 611–612
Comments and Opinion | 14 December 2016
Funding: Word perfect
Nervous about your grant application's chance of success? Get help to make every word count.
- Amber Dance
Nature Jobs 540, 471–473
Comments and Opinion | 14 December 2016
Turning point: Climate guardian
Turning to faith for the greater good.
- Virginia Gewin
Nature Jobs 540, 473