In 1953, Watson and Crick ushered in the modern era of medical science. In a 1000-word report, they described 鈥淎 Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid鈥� and humbly suggested that this structure 鈥渉as novel features which are of considerable biological interest.鈥�¹ Fifty years later, with completion of the sequencing of the human genome, these bookend scientific advances changed the landscape of modern biomedical science.

Today, discoveries and innovations in biological sciences and biotechnology continue to revolutionize medical research, resulting in some advances that could not have been imagined even a decade ago. Progress in molecular biology, genomic sciences, cellular and tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, proteomic technologies, bioengineering, bioimaging, and computational methods are among the many advances that have served to accelerate the tempo of biomedical research, to create unprecedented opportunities for advancing medical science, and to hold promise for improving clinical care and health outcomes. These sciences are the basis for the revolutions in personalized medicine.