To celebrate the journal’s 25th anniversary, we asked 13 researchers to offer a glimpse of what their research field might look like in 2050. They consider how technological breakthroughs — for example, artificial intelligence-powered virtual cells — could transform our understanding of how molecules, organelles and cells behave in different contexts, revolutionize therapies and enable the design of resilient crops.
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Authors and Affiliations
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Monther Abu-Remaileh is a biologist and engineer at Stanford University. His laboratory develops and applies quantitative tools to study lysosomal pathways and subcellular metabolism. He is recognized for uncovering molecular mechanisms of metabolic adaptation and lysosomal dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases.
Chii Jou Chan is a biophysicist and assistant professor in the Mechanobiology Institute at National University of Singapore. His research aims to understand how tissue mechanics and fluid stress regulate mammalian folliculogenesis and ovulatory dynamics during development and ageing, using interdisciplinary approaches integrating biophysics, advanced imaging and computational modelling.
Polly Leilei Chen is an associate professor at the National University of Singapore. A cancer and RNA biologist with over 15 years of experience, she investigates RNA changes in cancer and develops RNA therapeutics. Polly has a key leadership role in advancing cancer and RNA research in Singapore.
Gozde Demirer is an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, USA. Her group’s interdisciplinary research develops various tools for plant genome and microbe engineering, working at the intersection of novel nanomaterials, synthetic biology and plant–microbe interactions.
Ana Fiszbein is a molecular and computational biologist at Boston University. Her research centres on splicing, transcription dynamics and RNA therapeutics. Her laboratory integrates high-throughput functional genomics, bioinformatics and molecular biology to investigate how RNA processing shapes gene expression. Her recent work focuses on developing algorithms to predict the impact of splicing disruptions and on designing RNA-based therapies to correct them.
Florian Jug received his PhD in computational neuroscience from ETH Zurich. At Human Technopole in Milan, he develops AI methods for the life sciences. His research focuses on generative models, multimodal data integration, and uncertainty quantification to bridge molecular, cellular, and tissue scales. By advancing AI as a trusted partner for biology, his overarching goal is to elevate the rate of scientific discovery through the methods and tools his team develops.
Ana Victoria Lechuga-Vieco is a junior group leader at IRB Barcelona’s Ageing and Metabolism Programme. Her laboratory focuses on mitochondrial biology, intercellular signalling and tissue regeneration, exploring how mitochondrial quality control and immune cell metabolism in ageing and disease can drive targeted therapies for preserving energy-dependent tissues.
Raphaëlle Luisier has degrees in bioengineering and bioinformatics. Her research focuses on studying RNA regulation and function in complex human disorders, such as cancer and neurodegeneration. To this end, her group is developing cutting-edge AI technologies for the integrative analysis of molecular, imaging and clinical data.
Julia Pagan studies protein degradation pathways, mitophagy and mitochondrial quality control at the University of Queensland, investigating how these processes safeguard cellular function in health and disease. Her team integrates advanced imaging, molecular biology and omics approaches to uncover the mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial turnover.
Benjamin Sabari is an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His laboratory investigates how the spatial organization of the nucleus regulates gene expression, with a focus on the role of transcriptional condensates in development and disease.
Sichen (Susan) Shao is an associate professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and an HHMI investigator. Her laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms of protein biosynthesis and quality control using approaches integrating biochemistry, cell biology and structural biology.
Liming Sun is a principal investigator at the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science (CEMCS), Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her laboratory combines mouse genetics with molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry techniques to decipher the molecular regulation of necroptosis signalling that balances cell survival and death, and to investigate the beneficial roles of necroptosis in tissue regeneration — a long-overlooked area.
Jan J. Żylicz is a stem cell biologist and an associate professor at reNEW Copenhagen. His laboratory focuses on how mammalian embryos interact with their environment, particularly how metabolism is coupled with epigenetics and cell-state changes. His team has recently uncovered metabolic principles of implantation and its links to histone acetylation.
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M.A.-R. is an advisor for Scenic Biotech. All other authors declare no competing interests.
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Abu-Remaileh, M., Chan, C.J., Chen, L. et al. Visions of the future of molecular cell biology. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 26, 735–740 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-025-00892-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-025-00892-7
