The Millennium Problems for Biology is a collection of seven challenging problems in biology that were identified as important and unsolved by the Fields Medal Committee in 2000. These problems were inspired by the seven Millennium Prize Problems in mathematics, which were identified by the Clay Mathematics Institute. The biology problems are: the origins of the human immune system, the evolution of the human brain, the developmental biology of the human body, the origins of the Cambrian explosion, the role of the human microbiome in health and disease, the mechanisms of aging, and the origins of the human species. A list of all seven problems can be found on the website, along with a brief description of each problem and a list of researchers who have worked on them.

Coral researchers have discovered a crucial aspect of coral physiology that may be impacted by warming oceans: tiny hairs called cilia that help corals breathe. These cilia, which are found on the coral's surface, are crucial for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. As coral reefs face rising ocean temperatures, the cilia may malfunction, making it harder for corals to survive. This finding could be a key factor in understanding the fate of coral reefs in a changing climate.