Biology Week is an annual event organised by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB). The week aims to celebrate everything related to biology and raise the profile of the achievements and essential work bioscientists conduct worldwide.

In 2023, to recognise Biology Week which ran from 16 to 20 October, we invited our social media followers to share their thoughts on the future of bioscience and the areas of research making the most impact on the world.

The responses to our questions provide valuable insights into the thoughts of our community on the future of bioscience. Here's what we found:

Molecular bioscience has paved the way for many advances in medical fields. Which area of research do you think will have the biggest impact on medicine?

Cell and gene therapy is believed to be the most transformative area in the medical field, receiving 34.7% of the votes. Personalised medicine follows closely, with 30.7% of respondents highlighting its potential. Vaccines and antimicrobials, essential in combating infectious diseases, received 23.8% of the votes, while regenerative medicine, focusing on repairing or replacing damaged tissues, received only 10.9%.

Which do you think could be the most important technological advancement for the future of molecular biosciences?

Regarding technological advancements in molecular biosciences, genome editing technologies, seen as the future's game-changer, secured 41.5% of the vote. This technology allows precise changes to an organism's DNA, potentially curing genetic diseases. Machine learning, which is revolutionising data analysis and predictive modelling by enabling computers to learn and make decisions without being explicitly programmed, was chosen by 30.2% of respondents. Omics sequencing technologies, crucial for understanding biological systems at a molecular level by sequencing and analysing an organism's DNA, RNA, and proteins, received 17.7%. Biophysics, which explores the physical principles underlying biological processes, received 10.6%.

In which area of climate research can molecular bioscience have the biggest impact?

In climate research, it is expected that molecular bioscience's most significant impact will be addressing human health impacts, with of votes. This area of impact is crucial as it focuses on understanding and mitigating the health risks associated with climate change. Energy and biofuels, vital for sustainable energy solutions, were highlighted by 29.5% of the respondents. Efforts in sustainability in agriculture, essential for food security and environmental health, received 19.3%, while air quality and pollution, critical for a healthy environment, was noted by 4.9% of respondents.

The survey results highlight the diverse and essential areas where people believe molecular bioscience will shape our future, from transformative medical advancements to critical technological innovations and impactful climate research.

Further reading

• Gene Therapies 
• Vaccine Strategies 
• Plant Genomics 
• Sustainable agriculture and food security 
• 'Omics in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Health 
• Evolution of biophysical tools for quantitative protein interactions and drug discovery 
• AI told you so: navigating protein structure prediction in the era of machine learning 
• A promise for neuronal repair: reprogramming astrocytes into neurons in vivo 
• Microbial pathways for advanced biofuel production 
• Functional biology and biotechnology of thermophilic viruses