International science collaborations: When scientific studies become a global endeavor

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• December 16, 2022

Insight summary

Genetic research and drug development can be costly and time-consuming projects. However, as new collaboration technologies become available, scientific institutes from numerous countries are increasingly sharing their genetic databases and findings to conduct more comprehensive biological studies that can potentially cure many diseases. The long-term implications of increased international science collaboration could include faster drug and vaccine developments and increased funding for research across industries.

International science collaboration context

As scientific research advances, countries and universities are finding it better to pool their resources to fast-track discoveries. A high-profile example of such a collaboration was the global research initiative that tackled the COVID-19 pandemic. 

March 2020 was difficult for many as the pandemic began taking hold in countries worldwide. However, for Nevan Krogan, a systems biologist, it presented a unique opportunity. Through Krogan's work with the Quantitative Bioscience Institute (QBI) at the University of California San Francisco, he built a network of collaborators eager to apply their skills to tackling this global problem. Soon they were joined by many others as the scientific community mobilized to try and understand and defeat COVID-19.

Other cross-country collaborations have yielded exciting results. An example is the 2022 mapping of human blood stem cells. Researchers from the German University of Tübingen and Australia's Murdoch Children's Research Institute utilized cutting-edge single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics technology. These tools allowed scientists to identify the unique genetic networks and functions of thousands of individual cells and reveal the location of these cells in an embryo. According to Dr. Hanna Mikkola from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), who led the study, this discovery could help treat blood cancers such as leukemia and inherited blood disorders, including sickle cell disease.

Disruptive impact

International scientific collaborations on biological research open up innovations in medical technology. Sharing databases, knowledge, and expertise may lower costs and prevent data biases. For instance, throughout the 2010s, most genetic research studies were often accused of fixating on European genetic information instead of including more diverse samples.

One of the most significant global scientific research collaborations was launched in May 2022. Called the Human Cell Atlas, the project aims to map all 37.2 trillion human cells in the body for the very first time. The team consists of 130 software engineers, mathematicians, computational scientists, biologists, clinicians, and physicists from Israel, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK, and the US. Scientists believe that by mapping the human body at an unprecedented level of detail, they will better understand how human bodies work. This knowledge may aid in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating diseases.

The team used machine learning algorithms to connect cells with 6,000 single-gene and 2,000 complex genetic diseases. The AI tool also discovered cell types and gene programs involved in illnesses, which provides a springboard for future studies. In addition to capturing histological images of the tissues, the researchers also gathered information on the microbial communities living in different parts of the human gut. The Human Cell Atlas plans to have a first draft ready by 2024 and expects a complete atlas prepared by 2030.

Implications of international scientific collaborations

Wider implications of international scientific collaborations may include: 

• Long-term and in-depth studies of human biological and genetic makeup, which can lead to preventive diagnoses and personalized medicine.
• More sophisticated synthetic biology systems that can mimic real-life biology, including live robots and body-on-a-chip.
• Faster drug and vaccine development as countries share technologies and experiments.
• More diverse medical research that covers all ethnicities and racial profiles, this trend may lead to more equitable healthcare.
• Increased funding and partnerships among national health departments, public research organizations, and universities.
• Similar collaborations being applied to a more diverse array of hard, fundamental science disciplines.
• Collaborations that invite researchers from less developed nations in an effort to share information and best practices with remote or less funded scientific communities.

Questions to consider

• What are the other potential benefits of internal collaboration on scientific research?
• How can governments better support these kinds of research?