With 2011 nearly over, it is a good time to take a look back at the most interesting research and science stories that we covered at Nature Middle East throughout the year.

Over the next few posts, we will look at each section and highlight the stories that attracted the highest number of readers from around the world and why they are important or interesting.

To start it off, here is a list of the top 5 research highlights published in 2011:

1. Gene mutations causing primordial dwarfism discovered: This research highlight looked at two Nature Genetics papers that identified the genetic origin of Meier-Gorlin syndrome, a condition that results in slowed growth and smaller body sizes in humans which start taking place prenatal. it involved Saudi Arabian researchers and looked at large consanguineous families in Saudi Arabia to identify four genes responsible for the condition.
2. Solid materials with liquid properties: In this research, published in Nature Materials, researchers, used a computer to simulate how they can produce a new metamaterial that possesses features of both solids and liquids. Simulating vibrations at certain frequencies would make it behave as a liquid while at others it would behave as a solid, opening the possibility for many uses, such as helmets that can withstand much bigger impacts without transmitting the shock to the head.
3. A genetic mutation that leads to glaucoma: Researchers from Tunisia, Sweden and the United States identified a genetic mutation that decreases the size of the eye. This makes the iris more likely to obstruct the angle where drainage usually occurs, which can lead to the angle-closure glaucoma, which affects some 16 million people worldwide.
4. Embryonic development disorders linked to two genes: In this Nature Genetics paper, researchers managed to identify two mutated genes that gave rise to three rare foetal developmental disorders, Carnevale, Mingarelli, Malpuech and Michels, confirming that all three were actually symptoms of one condition dubbed 3MC. These genes encode proteins that may play a role in embyrogensis and in craniofacial development.
5. High-performance solar-power panels: Researchers from the United States and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, managed to produce new flat-panel solar thermoelectric generators that had an efficiency around seven times higher than the best results produced in the past by similar panels. They used a nanostructured thermoelectric material covered by wavelength-selective solar absorbers and enclosed in a vacuum to produce these results

That’s it for the most exciting research conducted or partly conducted in the Middle East for 2011. Tomorrow we’ll have a list of the top science news stories that affected the region.

What was your favorite research highlight on Nature Middle East in 2011? Tell us what you think in the comments section below!