The nominating institute University of Malta on the breakthrough:
Schembri-Wismayer and Jasra’s method for rapidly producing pluripotent stem cells uses small-molecule inducers without a feeder layer, resulting in reduced risk and much greater clinical use potential. This is a major improvement over other methods currently on the market. Safe and high-quality iPSCs, specific to an individual, will help researchers develop new therapies faster, with all cell types, potentially benefitting millions of patients.
Tags: Bio-Tech, Science Policy, Resilience, Med-Tech