Through a deeper understanding of how DNA replicates, how cells function and how bodies develop, we can recognise what happens when biology goes wrong – and apply that knowledge to mitigate the negative consequences for human health.

By understanding how new mutations arise and respond to selection, we can predict the gene sequences that will evolve next and stay one step ahead in the evolutionary arms race between vaccines and pathogens.

Finally, by understanding how animals move and change their behaviour in response to climate change, we can predict which species will soon interact for the first time and where there is greatest risk of new zoonotic diseases emerging.

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Image: Fruit fly. Photo: Macrogiants via Wikimedia Commons