'Science' ranks three research projects from Catalonia and Valencia among the top ten most important of 2011

BY BIOCAT

The prestigious journal Science has chosen the ten most important research projects of 2011, two of which included significant participation from centers in Catalonia and another that was spearheaded by a center in Valencia. This is the first time that scientific personnel from Catalan-speaking territories have been valued so highly in this journal’s annual selection, as can be seen on the Government of Catalonia Secretariat for Universities and Research’s Recercat website.

For the editors of Science, the most significant scientific breakthrough of 2011 was the clinical trial conducted by the University of North Carolina (United States) that has shown that antiretroviral drugs don’t only treat the HIV infection but also help prevent transmission of the virus. The study is entitled HIV treatment as prevention.

The nine finalists, which are not classified or ranked, include:

• The study on the bacterial ecosystem in the human digestive tract in which the Vall d’Hebron Hospital Research Institute (VHIR) and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) have participated.
• The study on the RTS,S vaccine for malaria in which the Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB) has participated in the clinical trial phase. 
• The research headed by the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), which has led to the production of a new type of molecule, called a zeolite, which can be highly useful in minimizing waste in the oil refinement process, in addition to other applications.