- Статьи
- Science and technology
- Sharp logic prediction: what scientists will surprise the world in 2025
Sharp logic prediction: what scientists will surprise the world in 2025
Unmanned trucks on Russian highways, testing of the first cancer vaccine on patients, a cure against resistant strains of tuberculosis and the search for ancient ice. Such innovations and research await the inhabitants of the Russian Federation in 2025. Read more about innovations in domestic and world science in the forecast from Izvestia.
First cancer vaccine to treat patients
TheRussian cancer vaccine, created jointly by specialists of the N.F. Gamaleya Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology. N.F. Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology and N.N. Blokhin Research Center for Oncology. The vaccine will be used to treat patients in the fall, as planned according to the roadmap, which has now been approved by the Ministry of Health on this task for 2025. It will not be clinical trials, as the vaccine being developed is a personalized medicine, but obtaining permission to use this technology, the developers explained.
- In August-September 2025, we should obtain this permission to use the technology, develop the drug for the first patients and start injecting it into specific patients. We can also say that we hope for the earliest formation of a consortium of institutes, because we understand perfectly well that it is wrong to limit ourselves to one model of melanoma. We need to expand this technology to other cancers. First of all, small cell cancer. For example, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, and so on," said Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, in a conversation with Izvestia.
Search for ancient ice 1.5 million years old
Scientists of the 70th Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE) will search for ice 1.5 million years old and study bottom sediments of the subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica. A large-scale research program has been prepared, which includes continuation of drilling operations at Lake Vostok, penetration and stripping, study of the water column and bottom sediments. As well as drilling in the immediate vicinity of about 300 kilometers to take ancient ice cores.
- This is an absolutely grandiose project, very quickly realized, and now both employees of the institute and contractors are working there. By the end of the year the Vostok station should be put into full operation and the next wintering period, the 70th anniversary of the RAE, will be fully operational at Vostok station. This is a rather powerful structure with an area of 3 thousand square meters, 140 m long and 17.5 m high. Up to 35 scientists can work in summer, 15- in winter, absolutely safe and comfortable,- said Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) Alexander Makarov at the II International Scientific and Business Conference POLAR-2024.
Drug trials against resistant strains of tuberculosis
Specialists of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) have synthesized a molecule that may become the basis for the creation of a new drug against tuberculosis. Substances from the class of triazolopyrimidines during experiments on cellular models of infection in the laboratory showed high efficiency in suppressing the growth of pathogenic bacteria. According to the developers, in addition to combating the main disease, the compound can successfully counteract concomitant infections that often occur in patients infected with Koch's bacillus. Today, isoniazid and rifampicin are considered the best-known drugs for tuberculosis therapy. However, their effectiveness has been declining recently as microbes develop resistance to them.
- Our compounds remotely resemble isoniazid. They contain its structural analog. It turns out that the drug, on the one hand, consists of a fragment of an antituberculosis drug, and on the other hand, the molecule itself belongs to azopurines, which are traditionally included in antibacterial agents of various structures and a priori have biological activity, - said Grigory Zyryanov, chief researcher of the laboratory of advanced materials, green methods and biotechnology of UrFU.
At the next stage, the creators of the drug will have to determine the most effective version of the obtained compound, to identify the so-called compound-leader, and then assess its toxicity and modeling properties. Perhaps the substance will need additional modification. This will take from a year to a year and a half. Then it will be possible to move on to animal testing. More precise characteristics will be known after clinical trials on humans.
Development of a vaccine against Marburg virus
Tests of the Russian vaccine against Marburg virus will begin in 2025. The drug has already passed the first stage of clinical trials, which confirmed its safety and immunogenicity, but after that the work was frozen, Director of the Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told Izvestia.
- In 2022, we not only developed a polyvalent vaccine against Marburg and Ebola viruses, but also completed the first stage of clinical trials. However, in 2023, the Ministry of Health considered this threat irrelevant, and two years of work was not funded. From my point of view, the remaining stages of clinical trials can be conducted in 9-12 months," Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, told Izvestia in October 2024
The new vaccine is based on a hybrid genetically engineered adenovirus. The same principle is used in the Sputnik V drug. According to the scientist, in order to accelerate the creation of vaccines against any dangerous infections that could potentially cause a pandemic, it is necessary to certify the platform itself. Then the registration of its new versions for a specific virus and other diseases can be carried out under a simplified procedure.
Launch of the Bion-M satellite
In 2025, the Bion-M satellite is to be launched. On its board 1.5 thousand Drosophila flies, 75 mice, plants and microorganisms will be sent into space. The satellite will be launched into a polar orbit close to the one where the Russian orbital station will operate.
"Bion" - a series of domestic spacecraft for biological research. In particular, scientists are interested in the effects of radiation and weightlessness on living organisms. The first such vehicle, called Cosmos-605, was launched in 1973. In 2013, the first satellite of the Bion-M series was put into orbit. Then mice, Mongolian gerbils, geckos, snails, plants and colonies of various microorganisms visited space.
25 launches of Starship system
SpaceX may conduct up to 25 Starship launches in 2025. It is likely that all of them will be test launches. The company will test new modifications of the gas pedal and spacecraft, will work out its control during the flight and refueling in orbit. These tests are needed to prepare for the lunar mission. The company will also try to safely catch the second stage using the Mechazilla tower.
SpaceX will have to significantly increase its logistics operations to support future launches. The number of trucks delivering liquid oxygen, methane and water to the launch pad will almost quadruple - from 6,000 to 23,771 per year.
SpaceX will be able to increase the size and power of rocket stages. The new version of Starship, dubbed Starship 3, will double the thrust of the upper stage and increase the thrust of the first stage from 74 to 100 meganewtons. This makes the rocket three times more powerful than the legendary Saturn V, which was used by NASA to land men on the moon.
Ultra-powerful rocket engine
In 2025, Rosatom scientists will present a prototype of a plasma electric jet rocket engine with increased parameters of thrust (at least 6 N) and specific impulse (at least 100 km/s).
The average power of the engine operating in pulse-periodic mode will be able to reach 300 kW. In the future, such a facility will allow Russia to reach a new level of space exploration, interplanetary flights, and cargo exchange between the Earth and the Moon.
In 2023, Rosatom scientists manufactured a plasma gas pedal with an external magnetic field for a prototype plasma rocket engine with increased parameters of thrust (at least 6 N) and specific impulse (at least 100 km/s).
Watch will send text messages via satellite
Apple promises to add text messaging via Globalstar satellite to its Apple Watch Ultrа smart watch in 2025. It will activate automatically when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi connection. It will be the first watch available on the market with such capabilities.
The company is reportedly aiming to add the new feature to its smartwatch in 2025, and is also ramping up work on the blood pressure function in an effort to encourage hikers and health-conscious consumers to upgrade their devices.
ChatGPT will be used by one in eight people on Earth
OpenAI, the developer of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence system, predicts that next year the number of users of this service will reach 1 billion people. They plan to expand the audience by increasing the availability of chatbots, improving its functionality and integration into more platforms. Currently, millions of people around the world use ChatGPT.
Unmanned trucks will appear on major Russian highways
The company "Yandex" promises to launch unmanned trucks based on Chinese Shacman vehicles on the M-11 and M-12 highways. As well as on the Central Ring Road. Such trucks are already traveling along the M-4 "Don" highway both in test mode and for commercial transportation. Now the company is creating a digital map of the Central Ring Road. It is necessary for the movement of unmanned vehicles along this road.
