3 January: OpenAlex, a free online index with metadata about over 200 million scientific documents is launched. The graphs visualize recent developments of science based on this data.10 January: The first successful xenogeneicheart transplant, from a genetically modified pig to a human patient, is reported.
7 January – Progress in cancer pre-screening, screening and early detection is reported: metabolomicbiomarkers in blood (4 J.),[17][18] circulating protein biomarkers (7 J.),[19][20] and an optical biopsy system with a fine-needle probe (6 J.).[21][22]
The first known deformation of an exoplanet is detected by the CHEOPS mission, which finds that WASP-103b is being strongly influenced by its parent star's close proximity, making the planet shaped like an ellipsoid instead of a sphere.[29][30]
A study reports the likely detection of an extreme SEP event that hit Earth ~9000 years ago and, unlike known Solar storms, unexpectedly happened near a Solar minimum.[31][32]
12 January: The ~14 Myr old Local Bubble drives nearby young star formation.12 January: Mutations are shown to not be random – frequency can vary between regions.
Molecular biologists show that the common assumption that mutations are "random" is wrong – mutation frequency can vary across regions of the genome, with such DNA repair- and mutation-biases being associated with various factors.[35][36]
Astronomers report, based on new spatial and dynamical constraints, that the Local Bubble, a ~1,000-light-years wide superbubble, is driving nearly all recent star formation near the Sun and that it originates ~14 Myr ago.[37][38]
13 January
NASA reports that Earth's global average surface temperature in 2021 was tied with 2018 as the sixth warmest on record, while the past eight years were collectively the warmest years since modern recordkeeping began in 1880.[39]
19 January: Antibiotic resistance contributed to ~5 M deaths in 2019 according to a first global assessment.
19 January
In a first global assessment, scientists report, based on medical records, that antibiotic resistance may have contributed to ~4.95 million deaths (1.3 M directly attributed) in 2019, more than e.g. AIDS.[50][51] Increased antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate this global health challenge.[52][53]
A report recommends a number of measures such as, broadly described, building resilience to scientific misinformation and a healthy online information environment and not having offending content removed.[54]
20 January –UNESCO announces a major new coral reef off the coast of Tahiti, stretching 3km and in "pristine" condition, discovered by marine biologists as part of the Seabed 2030 Project.[55][56]
22 January – According to a space monitoring company, a Chinese satellite, SJ-21, grabs an unused satellite and throws it into an orbit with a lower risk for the space debris to collide.[57][58]
Chinese scientists at the Wuhan University and other institutions report in a preprint the detection of the closest MERS-CoV relative in bats to date, NeoCoV, and PDF-2180-CoV that can efficiently use bats' ACE2 for cell-entry. The to-date unreviewed preprint finds that one mutation could result in a 'MERS-CoV-2' that, like SARS-CoV-2, can use humans' ACE2 receptor and has both a very high fatality (MERS-CoV had a mortality of around 35%)[62] and high transmission rate, and hence represents a risk to biosafety and of potential zoonotic spillover.[63][64] According to one report, the WHO stated that further study would be required to find out "whether the virus detected in the study will pose a risk for humans".[65] The study also emphasizes the need for pathogen/spillover surveillance.[66][64]
The CDC confirms the Omicron variant causes less severe disease than previously dominant variants.[69] The novel Omicron subtype 'BA.2' did not initially show an increase over this lower virulence.[70][71][72] Nevertheless, in the U.S., the daily new COVID-19 deaths were higher during Omicron dominance than during Delta's during fall[73] and the high volume of hospitalizations can cause indirect harm via local health care system strains[69] beyond less severe but non-mild disease effects.[73]
26 January
Scientists regrow the missing legs of adult frogs, which are naturally unable to regenerate limbs, within 1.5 years using a five-drug mixture applied for a day via a silicone wearable bioreactor.[74][75]
Astronomers at the ICRAR report the discovery of a repeating transient with an unusually slow spin, occurring just three times an hour. It is believed to be a new class of neutron star or a white dwarf, located ~4,000 light-years away.[78][79]
Researchers report the development of a technology that enables searching the planetary collection of nucleic acid sequences. The open source supercomputing-based Serratus Project identified over 130,000 RNA-based viruses, including 9 coronaviruses. While such and related endeavors and data are reportedly risky themselves as of 2021,[80][81] the project aims to improve pathogen surveillance, the understanding of viral evolutionary origins and enable quickly connecting strange emerging illnesses to recorded viruses.[82][83]
31 January – Researchers find evidence that reading on electronic devices can reduce comprehension. Reading text on a smartphone was found to promote overactivity in the prefrontal cortex and reduce sighing frequency compared to reading text on paper.[84]
February
9 February: A new test at the Joint European Torus achieves a breakthrough of more than twice (59 M J) the previous fusion energy generation record set in 1997.
The IAU announces the Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference to coordinate or aggregate measures to mitigate the detrimental effects of satellite constellations on astronomy.[92][93][94]
Scientists report the development of artificial tooth enamel from aligned assembled hydroxyapatitenanowires, a biomimetic material that has superior properties to natural tooth enamel and shows potential for use in dentistry (if found, made or further developed to be compatible with the mouth environment).[99][100][101]
4 February –COVID-19 pandemic: A study by the CDC finds that surgical masks worn at indoor public venues can reduce the chances of testing positive for COVID-19 by 66%, while tightfitting N95 and KN95 masks can reduce the odds of infection by 83%.[104][105]
The largest and most accurate computer simulation to date of the local Universe is presented. It covers a volume of 600 million light-years from Earth and includes over 130 billion simulated particles, spanning its complete history from the Big Bang to the present.[113][114][115]
A breakthrough in fusion energy is reported at the Joint European Torus in Oxford, UK, with 59 megajoules produced over five seconds (11 megawatts of power), more than double the previous record set in 1997.[120][121]
Results from the first controlled trial of caloric restriction in healthy non-obese humans, CALERIE, are published, confirming benefits and identifying a key protein that could be harnessed to extend health in humans.[124][125][126][127]
15 February – NASA publishes its latest Sea Level Rise Technical Report, an update of the 2017 edition, which includes projections for sea-level rise through to the year 2150. The agency warns that sea levels may rise as much over the next 30 years as during the previous 100.[136][137]
18 February – Neurobiologists demonstrate a Wnt7a-based approach to repair the blood–brain barrier, via GPR124/RECK agonists, as a treatment for diseases of the brain in mice.[142][143]
21 February – A new therapy called CINDELA is reported by scientists in South Korea, which uses CRISPR-Cas9 to kill cancer cells without harming normal tissues.[144][145][146]
22 February – A study uses 'years of potential life lost' (YPLL) to show that firearms have become the largest co-cause of traumatic death (or are associated with its causes) in the U.S. in 2017 and 2018 (1.42 M YPLL), slightly more than from motor vehicle crashes.[147][148] One year earlier, a study suggested the global 'mean loss of life expectancy' (LLE) from all forms of direct violence is about 0.3 years, while air pollution accounts for about 2.9 years.[149]
UN researchers publish a comprehensive study about climate change impacted wildfires with projections (e.g. a 31–57% increase of extreme wildfires by 2100) and information about impacts and countermeasures.[152][153]
Scientists report the largest detailed human genetic genealogy, unifying human genomes from many sources for insights about human history, ancestry and evolution. It demonstrates a novel computational method for estimating how human DNA is related via a series of 13 million linked trees along the genome, a tree-sequence, described as the largest global family tree.[159][160][161]
One of the firstscientific reviews about the association between strength training and mortality indicates that such activities are associated with a "10–17% lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, diabetes and lung cancer".[166][167]
The IPCC releases the second part of its Sixth Assessment Report on climate change. It suggests that any further delay in concerted global action would mean missing the rapidly closing window to secure human wellbeing and the planet's health against cascading impacts of which some would become "irreversible".[168][169]
Researchers report that the widely used supplementsglycine and NAC when combined as "GlyNAC", which previously showed various beneficial effects in humans i.a. in a small trial by the authors,[196]can extend lifespan by 24% in mice when taken at old age.[197][198]
8 March – Researchers report SARS-CoV-2 variantrecombinant viruses that contain elements of Delta and Omicron – Deltacron (also called "Deltamicron").[209][210][211]Recombination occurs when a virus combines parts from a related virus with its genetic sequence as it assembles copies of itself. It is unclear whether Deltacron – which is not to be confused with "Deltacron" reported in January – will be able to compete with Omicron and whether that would be detrimental to health.[212]
Researchers report that, on average, the elderly played "a leading role in driving up GHG emissions in the past decade and are on the way to becoming the largest contributor" due to factors such as demographic transition, low informed concern about climate change and high expenditures on carbon-intensive products like energy which is used i.a. for heating rooms and private transport.[216][217]
Scientists demonstrate limits and the scale of challenge of genetic-editing-based de-extinction, suggesting resources spent on more comprehensive de-extinction such as of the woolly mammoth may currently not be well allocated and substantially limited.[221][222]
Using graphene and molybdenum disulfide, Chinese scientists create a transistor gate with a length of 0.34nm, equivalent to just one carbon atom, by exploiting the vertical aspect of the device.[223][224]
10 March
A study estimates that "relocating current croplands to [environmentally] optimal locations, whilst allowing ecosystems in then-abandoned areas to regenerate, could simultaneously decrease the current carbon, biodiversity, and irrigation water footprint of global crop production by 71%, 87%, and 100%", with relocation only within national borders also having substantial potential.[225][226]
A study reports that excess mortality data suggests that between Jan 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2021, ~18.2 million people died worldwidebecause of the COVID-19 pandemic (compared to 5.94 million reported deaths). It notes that further research could help distinguish the proportions directly caused by COVID-19 from those caused by indirect consequences of the pandemic.[227][228]
14 March – Impact and reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in science: at least one journal enacts a immediate publishing boycotts against Russia-located researchers or institutions (before 14 Mar).[233] Researchers caution that a surge of various diseases is to be expected due to the war (15 Mar).[234] Scientists warn that policy-makers should not abandon sustainable farming practices to increase grain production in response to resulting food insecurity, but change "the demand side which can lead to both a more resilient and more sustainable global food system" (18 Mar)[235] – such as limiting the import of animal feed (10 Mar)[236] – and e.g. expanding wheat production in high-productivity areas (22 Mar).[237] Scientists explain why the Ukraine biolabs conspiracy theory is disinformation (11 Mar).[238] Scientists describe dangers of nuclear energy facilities within war-zones and bombing/shelling of or near them – as well as of waste-sites[239] – by Russia.[240][241]
Researchers report that over 80% of the growth of methane emissions during 2010–2019 was caused by tropical terrestrial emissions.[246][247]
Results of a study suggest that many earlier brain–phenotype studies ("BWAS") produced invalid conclusions as reproducibility of such studies requires samples from thousands of individuals due to small effect sizes.[248][249]
Scientists report evolution experiments of self-replicating RNA showing a segment of how life may have emerged on Earth (abiogenesis) e.g. from RNA world conditions – from the long self-replicating RNA chemicals to diverse complex molecules.[252][253]
Before formal publication of the 'Global Carbon Budget 2021' preprint,[255] scientists report, based on Carbon Monitor[256] data, that after COVID-19-pandemic-caused record-level declines in 2020, global CO2 emissions rebounded sharply by 4.8% in 2021, indicating that at the current trajectory, the 1.5°C carbon budget would be used up within 9.5 years with a 2⁄3 likelihood.[257]
24 March: Scientists describe and quantify the biophysical mechanisms by which forests influence climate.
23 March – A far-UVC (ultraviolet light) air purification system is demonstrated by scientists, which can reduce levels of an airborne pathogen by 98% within minutes. This is equivalent to 184 air changes per hour – better than HEPA air cleaners – and is proposed as a solution for COVID-19 and other future pandemics.[258][259] On 9 March, a study reports promising results of tests of durably biocide treated air filters for preventing the spread of airborne pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, including of field trials onboard public rail transport.[260][261]
24 March
A physical speed limit for electronic computers, optoelectronics, of approximately one petahertz (1015 Hz) is reported. This theoretical maximum is about 100,000 times faster than modern transistors.[262][263]
Scientists review the biophysical mechanisms by which forests influence climate, showing that beyond 50°N large scale deforestation leads to a net global cooling, that tropical deforestation leads to substantial warmingfrom non-CO2-impacts, and that as well as how standing tropical forests help cool the average global temperature by more than 1°C.[264][265]
25 March – Genetic engineers report field test results that show CRISPR-based gene knockout of KRN2 in maize and OsKRN2 in rice increased grain yields by ~10% and ~8% and did not find any negative effects.[268][269]
30 March –WHL0137-LS, also known as Earendel, is reported as the farthest individual star ever discovered, its light having taken 12.9 billion years to reach Earth.[270][271]
↑Oei, Martijn S. S. L.; Van Weeren, Reinout J.; Hardcastle, Martin J.; Botteon, Andrea; Shimwell, Tim W.; Dabhade, Pratik; Gast, Aivin R. D. J. G. I. B.; Röttgering, Huub J. A.; Brüggen, Marcus; Tasse, Cyril; Williams, Wendy L.; Shulevski, Aleksandar (2022). "The discovery of a radio galaxy of at least 5 MPC". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 660: A2. arXiv:2202.05427. Bibcode:2022A&A...660A...2O. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142778. S2CID246823634.
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