The Innovation | Innovation Focus in 2024

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From Moon to Mars exploration, from the progress of the global large-scale scientific facilities to the wide application of superconducting materials and solid-state batteries, from the development and application of nuclear energy to environmental protection against Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), and the rapid reconstruction of human lifestyles by Artificial Intelligence (AI) ...... The Innovation’s editorial team presents a review of the major scientific breakthroughs in 2024 (Figure 1).

2024年科技创新的焦点有哪些？

      从月球探测到火星探测、从全球大科学装置的建设成果到超导材料、固态电池的广泛应用，从核能开发应用到新污染物的环保治理、人工智能飞速重构人类生活方式……《创新》编辑团队回顾了2024年的科学突破。

The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), or the Chang’e program, named after the Chinese goddess of the Moon, was launched with official approval in January 2004. A series of Chang’e probes have successfully completed their missions, starting with Chang’e 1 on 24th October 2007 that achieved lots of original scientific and technical breakthroughs. In 2024, the Chang’e 6 probe successfully landed in the Apollo basin in the southern hemisphere and brought back lunar soil from the far side of the moon for the first time. This provided significant insights into the evolution of lunar geology, the history of moon surface collisions and the rules of matter migration, among other things. The initial research results demonstrated the proof of lunar far side volcanism 2.8 billion years ago, filling in the critical gap between 3.2 Ga and 2.0 Ga. Furthermore, a Chinese research group developed a novel method that could produce massive amounts of water through the reaction between lunar materials and hydrogen found in surrounding lunar soil, which lays a solid foundation for human living on the moon in the future. With the success of the Chang’e 6 mission, China’s space exploration has moved toward new horizons, such as the construction of a scientific station on the moon, and broken fresh ground for deep space exploration and resource development.

      中国探月工程，又称“嫦娥工程”，于2004年1月由中国政府批准立项。自2007年10月24日以来，嫦娥系列探测器先后成功发射，取得了一系列原创性科研成果和关键技术突破。2024年，嫦娥六号探测器成功在月球背面的阿波罗撞击坑着陆，并首次从月球背面带回样品, 为人类研究月球地质演化过程、表面撞击历史、物质迁移规律等重大科学问题提供关键信息。首批研究成果揭示月球背面约28亿年前仍存在年轻的岩浆活动，填补了月球玄武岩样品在该时期的记录空白。中国的科研团队基于嫦娥五号采集的月壤，提出一种在月球原位开采大量水的变革性方法，为未来的月球探索和人类生存奠定了基础。随着嫦娥六号任务的成功，中国的航天探索将迈向新的高度，推动月球科研站的建设，并为深空探测和资源开发开辟新天地。

Major breakthroughs in the exploration of Mars continued in 2024, while stunning discoveries in the field of botany that sheds light on the possibility of Mars colonization even the settlement of exoplanets. A Chinese research team carried out a study on a plant species from the extreme environment of the desert in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, known as the toothed-ribbed bryophyte (Syntrichia caninervis), and revealed that it possesses an astonishing ability to survive in extreme conditions. It can tolerate more than 98% dehydration of its cells, ultra-low temperatures of up to -196℃, and over 5000 Gy of gamma radiation. Th team showed it could survive and retain regenerative ability in the simulated conditions of Mars that combine multiple adversities. This significant discovery implies that open-air plant cultivation on Mars would be possible, and the future colonization of exoplanets will no longer be a dream, which is a milestone for human interstellar immigration.

      2024年，火星探测继续取得重大突破，与此同时，植物学领域的惊艳发现为火星移民甚至定居系外行星带来了曙光。来自中国的科研团队对新疆沙漠地区极端环境的一种植物——齿肋赤藓开展的研究发现，该植物具有惊人的极限生存能力，能耐受自身98%以上的细胞脱水，-196°C超低温速冻，以及超过5000 Gy伽马辐照，且在复合多重逆境的火星模拟条件下仍能存活并保有再生能力。这一重大发现意味着在火星露天植物栽培成为可能，未来地外行星拓殖也将不再是梦想，对于人类的星际移民具有里程碑意义。也许不是最重要最关键的一步，但却是第一步！人类走出地球，殖民外星球不再是梦，科幻正在逐步变成现实！终有一天，我们终将到太阳系外的某个星球上，种着菜，栽着花。

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has achieved significant breakthroughs in science, industry, and daily life. The most notable achievement in 2024 was the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry being awarded to AI pioneers. John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton who received the Physics Prize for their foundational discoveries and inventions that enabled machine learning through artificial neural networks. David Baker won the Chemistry Prize for his work in computational protein design, while Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper were honored for their work in protein structure prediction. These advancements underscore AI’s transformative impact on fundamental research. In September, OpenAI released ChatGPT o1, that demonstrates a leap in AI’s capabilities far surpassing earlier versions even human experts in solving complex problems. This iteration has made remarkable strides in science, programming, and mathematics, excelling in deep reasoning and multi-step tasks. It performed remarkably in benchmarks such as the International Mathematical Olympiad, achieving an 83% accuracy rate compared to its predecessor’s 13%. The o1 series, which includes o1-preview and o1-mini models, prioritizes deep thinking before generating responses, making it particularly effective in science, coding, and mathematics. Also in September, Tesla unveiled its fully autonomous Robotaxi “Cybercab”, a vehicle with no steering wheel or brakes, relying entirely on AI for navigation. This breakthrough marks a key milestone in driverless transport, signaling a shift toward placing trust in intelligent algorithms to handle critical tasks.

      2024年，人工智能在科学、工业和生活中取得重大突破，首次有AI科学家荣获诺贝尔奖。约翰·霍普菲尔德与杰弗里·辛顿因神经网络研究获物理学奖；戴维·贝克、德米斯·哈萨比斯与约翰·朱珀因在蛋白质设计与结构预测领域的成就获化学奖，AI深刻变革了基础学科研究。九月，OpenAI 推出 ChatGPT o1，展现超越人类专家的复杂问题解决能力，在科学、编程和数学领域进展显著，其数学奥赛准确率达83%。同月，特斯拉推出完全自主驾驶的 Robotaxi“Cybercab”，无方向盘或刹车系统，彻底依赖AI导航，标志无人驾驶新时代。人工智能引领地球科学发展与突破：深度学习技术与地下流体监测数据相结合，实现地震前兆信号的有效识别；多模态遥感大模型将重塑对地观测领域的技术生态，为环境治理和资源管理带来革命性进展。

In 2024, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and biomedicine has made remarkable progress, driving efficiency and innovation in precision medicine. AI technology, exemplified by AlphaFold 3, is revolutionizing the field of protein structure prediction. This advanced model achieves unprecedented accuracy in predicting the complex structures of nearly all molecular types found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), including proteins, nucleic acids, small molecules, ions, and modified residues. The success of AlphaFold 3 not only highlights the immense potential of deep learning frameworks in biomolecular spatial modeling but also significantly advances our understanding of cellular functions and the principles of drug design, thereby accelerating the drug development process. In reproductive medicine, AI tools like OvaRePred are widely used for personalized ovarian reserve assessment and menopause prediction, enhancing precision and efficiency in fertility management. In biomarker detection, AI integrated with advanced platforms enables more convenient at-home testing and real-time health monitoring. Moreover, AI has demonstrated exceptional performance in oncology, from image analysis to treatment optimization, offering personalized therapeutic pathways. These breakthroughs not only improve clinical outcomes but also reduce healthcare costs, providing new strategies to tackle global challenges such as aging populations and declining birth rates.

      2024年，人工智能（AI）与生物医药的结合取得了显著进展，推动了精准医疗的高效创新。以AlphaFold3为代表的AI技术在蛋白质结构预测领域引领变革，这一先进的模型能够以前所未有的精确度预测包括蛋白质、核酸、小分子、离子和修饰残基在内的几乎整个蛋白质数据库（PDB）中存在的所有分子类型的复合物结构。AlphaFold 3的成功不仅展示了深度学习框架在生物分子空间建模中的巨大潜力，而且极大地推进了我们对细胞功能和药物设计原理的理解，并正在缩短新药研发周期。在生殖医学中，AI工具如OvaRePred被用于个性化评估卵巢储备和预测更年期，助力生育管理的精准化和高效化。生物标志物检测方面，AI与先进检测平台结合，实现了更便捷的家庭检测与实时健康监控。此外，AI在癌症诊疗中展现出卓越性能，从图像分析到治疗方案优化，为患者提供了个性化治疗路径。这些突破不仅改善了临床效果，还显著降低了医疗成本，为解决全球性挑战如人口老龄化和出生率下降提供了新思路。

Transition metal compounds are important platforms for exploring unconventional superconductivity. In these materials, high-T_c superconductivity and tunable quantum phenomena are highly desired for the future applications of superconductors. This year, the signature of superconductivity below 80 K in the bilayer La₃Ni₂O₇ discovered in July 2023, was finally confirmed by multiple teams. Zero resistance evidences have been shown not only in La₃Ni₂O₇ single crystals, but also in La₂PrNi₂O₇ polycrystals with 97% diamagnetic volume. Bulk superconductivity is also realized in the trilayer system La₄Ni₃O₁₀. Extensive experimental and theoretical studies indicate that nickelate superconductors are strongly correlated unconventional superconductors with potential for further breakthroughs in T_c. Besides transition metal compounds based on Cu, Fe and Ni, superconductivity was also discovered in the V-based kagome family AV₃Sb₅ (A=K, Rb, Cs), with the attention of scientists having expanded to Cr and Ti-based kagome compounds, discovering the unconventional superconducting materials such as CsCr₃Sb₅ and CsTi₃Bi₅. The emerging superconductors in transition metal compounds push the fundamental research of superconductivity to a new stage by digging their huge potential as quantum materials.

      过渡金属化合物是探索非常规超导电性重要平台。人们期待从中寻找到更多的高临界温度超导体，或发现可调控的丰富关联量子现象，从而推进超导材料的实用化进程。去年，镍氧化物材料被认为可能存在80 K的高压诱导超导电性，今年终于被多个研究团队证实。人们不仅在双层La₃Ni₂O₇单晶中观测到了零电阻态和奇异金属态，在La₂PrNi₂O₇多晶中实现了60 K以上的零电阻和97%的抗磁体积，也在三层镍氧化物La₄Ni₃O₁₀中实现了块体超导电性。大量的实验和理论研究表明镍基超导体属于强关联非常规超导体，其临界温度仍有突破的可能性。在铜、铁、镍等过渡金属化合物之外，人们还在笼目结构钒基材料AV₃Sb₅（A = K、Rb、Cs）体系发现了超导电性，并把视野拓展到了钛基和铬基笼目材料，成功发现了新一类非常规超导体CsCr₃Sb₅和CsTi₃Bi₅等。越来越多的过渡金属非常规超导材料不断涌现，将超导基础研究带入了一个崭新的阶段，也进一步挖掘了超导作为量子材料的巨大应用潜力。

Large scientific facilities provide powerful experimental conditions and play an important role in basic scientific research. These facilities require advanced technologies and equipment, continually driving the development and application of new technologies. 2024 has witnessed significant achievements made by such facilities worldwide. To name a few examples: In June, it was reported that the new-generation controllable nuclear fusion device “Huanliu-3” has for the first time discovered and realized an advanced magnetic field structure, which is expected to enhance the control and operational capabilities of future fusion devices. In September, the resistive magnet developed by the High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, produced a world-record steady magnetic field of 42.02 Tesla, providing experimental conditions for exploring new phenomena and new laws under extreme conditions. An article in the November volume of Nature noted that the Solenoidal Tracker at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States has for the first time imaged the shape of an atomic nucleus based on high-energy heavy ion collision methods, enabling the study of quark-gluon plasma and providing novel and independent measurement methods for studying nuclear structure across energy scales. On November 20, the main body of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory in Guangdong was completed. It is due to officially commence operations in 2025, with the aim of determining the mass hierarchy of three types of neutrinos and contributing to understanding of fundamental physics problems such as the asymmetry between matter and antimatter, cosmic evolution, star formation, and supernova explosion mechanisms.

      大科学装置能提供强大的实验条件，在基础科学研究中发挥着重要作用。这些装置需要先进的技术和设备，从而不断推动新技术的研发和应用。2024年见证了全球诸多装置取得的重要成果和进展。6月，新一代可控核聚变装置“中国环流三号”首次发现并实现了一种先进磁场结构，有望提升未来核聚变装置的控制运行能力。9月，中国科学院合肥物质科学研究院传来消息，其强磁场科学中心研制的水冷磁体产生了创世界记录的42.02特斯拉稳态强磁场，为探索极端条件下的新现象和新规律提供实验条件。11月《自然》刊文，美国布鲁克海文国家实验室利用相对论重离子对撞机上的螺旋径迹探测器，首次基于高能重离子碰撞方法成像原子核结构，既能研究极端物态夸克胶子等离子体，也为跨能量尺度研究原子核结构提供新颖和独立的测量手段。11月20日，江门中微子实验探测器主体全部建成，计划2025年正式运行，对三种中微子做质量测序，有助于理解正反物质的不对称、宇宙演化、恒星形成和超新星爆发机制等基本物理问题。

Nuclear power, which uses nuclear reactions to produce electricity (i.e., fission, fusion and decay) is one of the most powerful sources of energy. In January 2024, The Innovation reported that China’s HL-3 tokamak magnetic confinement fusion device had made a notable breakthrough, achieving a high-confinement mode of operation with a plasma current of 1 megaampere. In the same month, remarkable advances related to stellarators (the second most funded magnetic confinement fusion approach in the world after tokamak) were also summarized in the journal. Owing to the absence of disruptions and lack of any need for a current drive and associated recirculating power, stellarators has inherent advantages over tokamaks in achieving steady-state operation, with the development of high-temperature superconducting magnet technology the transformative key. Big achievements in promising ultra-long-life (e.g., 50 years) nuclear batteries, which generate power via nuclear decay reactions, have drawn intense attention this year. For instance, Li et al. proposed a micro-nuclear battery architecture that includes a coalescent energy transducer incorporating ²⁴³Am into a luminescent lanthanide coordination polymer, leading to an 8,000-fold enhancement in energy conversion efficiency. Moreover, both Beijing Betavolt and California Infinity Power claimed to have developed small-size nuclear batteries with stable power output up to 50-100 years without the need for charging or maintenance. Such exciting progress in harnessing nuclear power shows it has a bright future.

      核能是利用核反应（如裂变、聚变和衰变）发电的最强大的能源之一。在2024年1月，《创新》期刊报道了我国首次实现1兆安培等离子体电流下的高约束模式运行，标志着我国可控核聚变磁约束装置向高性能聚变等离子体运行迈出重要一步。同一时期，“仿星器”（即世界上仅次于托卡马克的第二大磁约束核聚变装置）研究计划，由于不需要中断，不需要电流驱动和相关的再循环功率，也取得重要进展。此外，通过核衰变反应发电的超长寿命（例如50年）核电池也在今年发展迅猛，引起了人们的高度关注。例如，李凯等人提出了一种微核电池结构，通过将²⁴³Am（镅）加入发光镧系配位聚合物中，形成一个聚结能量换能器，从而可将能量转换效率提高了8000倍。此外，北京Betavolt和加州Infinity Power都声称，他们已经开发出了可以实现稳定输出长达50-100年的小型核电池，并且无需充电或维护。所以，未来的终极能源是什么？毫无疑问，核能会是答案之一。

Among the serious environmental pollution problems that come with development of industrial civilization, the emerging contaminants have become a new focus of concern due to higher ecological, environmental and health risks. Although they have low environmental concentrations, emerging contaminants come in a wide variety of types. As our understanding of hazardous chemicals deepens, the number of identifiable emerging contaminants continues to grow. These emerging contaminants are characterized by environmental persistence and biological accumulation, allowing them to remain in the environment for long periods and to spread through the food chain. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are typical examples: They have been widely used worldwide due to their fire resistance, high stability, and durability. Recent research shows that drinking water sources in the United States have been severely contaminated by PFAS, with more than 20% of the population facing safety risks related to drinking water quality. This is not an isolated phenomenon, making international cooperation particularly important. Governments of all the nations involved must increase cooperation, thoroughly implement emerging contaminant management, and improve effective monitoring to ensure sustainable development.

      工业文明的发展引发了严重的环境污染问题。在众多环境污染中，新污染物由于具有隐蔽性、环境持久性、生物毒性等特点，存在较大的生态环境和健康风险，成为世界各国关注的焦点问题。伴随着对化学物质的环境和健康危害认识不断加深，高风险的新污染物种类还会持续增加，这进一步加剧了治理难题。全氟化合物是新污染物的典型代表，由于其耐热性、高稳定性和生物累积性，已经在全球范围内广泛使用。然而，据最新的研究数据显示，美国的饮用水源受到了严重的全氟化合物污染，超过20%的人口面临着饮用水水质的安全隐患。这一现象并非孤立事件，在世界其他国家与地区，新污染物风险同样严重突出。因此，各国政府亟需加强合作，深入落实新污染物治理，制定科学的环境标准，加强有效的监测管理，改善生态环境质量，以确保人类的共同安全和可持续发展。

The development of novel antibiotics represents a critical breakthrough in addressing the global challenge of antibiotic resistance. As resistant bacterial strains rapidly spread, the efficacy of traditional antibiotics in treating infectious diseases has diminished, posing a severe threat to public health and the stability of healthcare systems worldwide. In 2024, scientists utilized graph neural networks to predict the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of millions of compounds, successfully identifying new structural classes of antibiotics. Using explainable models, they unveiled the relationship between chemical substructures and antimicrobial activity, making the predictions more intuitive. Among the newly discovered compounds, some demonstrated strong activity against drug-resistant pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). This approach not only advanced the application of artificial intelligence in drug development but also enhanced drug design efficiency, reduced development timelines, and proposed an efficient and scalable framework for exploring chemical space to address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The emergence of new antibiotics brings renewed hope for combating resistant infections, laying the foundation for addressing global health crises and reinforcing humanity's defenses against future threats.

      新型抗生素的研发为全球抗生素耐药性问题提供了关键性的突破和解决方案。随着耐药菌株的迅速扩散，传统抗生素在治疗感染性疾病中的疗效日益下降，威胁着公共健康和全球医疗体系的稳定。2024年，科学家利用图神经网络预测数百万种化合物的抗菌活性和细胞毒性，成功识别出新的抗生素结构类型，并通过可解释模型揭示了化学亚结构与抗菌活性的关系，使预测结果更为直观。在新发现的化合物中，一些对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）和耐万古霉素肠球菌（VRE）等耐药病原体展现了强抗菌活性。这一方法不仅推动了人工智能在药物研发中的应用，还提高了药物设计效率，缩短了开发周期，针对抗菌药物耐药性问题提出了高效且可扩展的化学空间探索框架。新型抗生素的出现，不仅为治疗耐药性感染带来了新希望，也为抗击全球性健康危机奠定了基础，为人类未来的健康防线注入了强大动力。

原文链接：https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(24)00204-2

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→洋板块地质与川藏铁路工程地质关键区带

→华北克拉通太古宙构造热事件时代及演化

→中条山地区涑水杂岩新太古代烟庄正长花岗岩年龄及成因：对华北克拉通地壳演化的制约

→俯冲带结构演变解剖与研究展望

☞地学与健康

→"同一健康"视角下医学地质学的创新发展

→优化生态环境保障人民健康

☞古生物学

→地史时期生物对冰室气候形成的作用

☞沉积和盆地动力学

→下扬子地区早古生代晚期前陆盆地沉积特征与盆山过程

→陆相断陷盆地陆源碎屑与碳酸盐混合沉积研究进展

→渤海海域秦南凹陷东南缘沙一段混积岩优质储层成因及勘探意义

☞石油地质学

→非常规源岩层系油气形成分布与前景展望

→”双碳”目标下我国油气产业发展的思考

→我国陆上未来油气勘探领域探讨与攻关方向

☞地球物理学

→从高分辨率地震层析成像看青藏高原软流圈的物质运动