World's top scientists predict 3 fields VinFuture will honor this year

The VinFuture Prize always aims to honor breakthrough research, bringing practical and highly effective solutions to urgent human problems.

Professor Gurdev Singh Khush, co-winner of the VinFuture 2023 Special Prize for Scientists from Developing Countries, highlighted three important research areas that are likely to receive attention this year.

One is climate change and environmental degradation – issues that have far-reaching impacts on food and water security. “Any research that aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, develop sustainable agriculture , and ensure people have access to clean water will certainly be of high value,” he said.

With 60 years of experience in researching and developing disease- and pest-resistant rice varieties, Professor Khush understands how increasingly severe climate change is negatively impacting sustainable agricultural development.

Sharing the same view, Professor Martin Andrew Green, the main prize winner of VinFuture 2023, said that the solar energy industry is booming and this is one of the best opportunities to combat climate change.

From the perspective of someone who has spent decades researching to improve the efficiency of silicon solar cells, Professor Green believes that the technology still has a lot of potential to develop. “Solar energy is now providing electricity at very low cost in many countries, and this is considered the third energy revolution - after the agricultural and industrial revolutions,” he said.

Energy security is another key area. With the world’s population growing and energy demand increasing, the search for sustainable and reliable energy solutions is more urgent than ever. Innovations in renewable energy technology, energy storage and energy efficiency will play a key role in meeting this challenge.

He points out that solar technology and sustainable materials are making significant strides. Cost is the biggest driver, he says, as it helps technologies gain a foothold in the commercial market. A technology that is cost-competitive will grow rapidly, as has been seen with solar. As deployment scales up, the use of environmentally friendly, recyclable, and sustainable materials becomes more important.

Finally, global health is also a top concern. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of preparing for and responding quickly to infectious diseases.

In this field, Professor Jens Juul Holst, winner of the VinFuture 2023 special prize for scientists researching new fields, commented that research on microRNA has great potential in solving global health challenges.

According to him, microRNA is opening up new directions in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and many other diseases. The development of microRNA-based therapies promises to create a revolution in medicine, bringing hope to millions of patients worldwide.

As a member of the VinFuture Prize Council this year, Professor Green revealed that the number of nominations for the Prize was impressive. He also revealed that this year's nominations were divided into major groups, such as materials science, agriculture, climate, health and care, environment, mathematics, artificial intelligence, communications, and computer science.

Minh Khoi

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