SOFTWARE used to keep bugs out of Microsoft Windows programs has begun shedding light on one of the big questions in modern science: how stem cells decide what type of tissue to become.

Not only do the results reveal that cellular decision-making is nowhere near as complicated as expected, they also raise hopes that the software could become a key tool in regenerative medicine.

“It is a sign of the convergence between carbon and silicon-based life,” says Chris Mason, a regenerative medicine specialist at University College London. “World-class stem cell scientists and a world-class computer company have found common ground. It is work at such interfaces that brings the big breakthroughs.”