Comment in 2026

Rapid global expansion of photovoltaics is driving degraded module flows to emerging markets. This flow occurs amid limited regulatory oversight and recycling capacity, posing substantial environmental risks to importing regions. Mitigating these risks necessitates cross-border governance and traceable end-of-life systems.

In October 2024, Valencia, Spain, suffered extreme rainfall that triggered devastating flash-floods. Within a few hours, rainfall accumulations exceeded typical annual totals, breaking the national record for one-hour rainfall in Spain. This event is considered the most destructive weather-related disaster in contemporary Spain in terms of human and economic losses. Calvo-Sancho et al. show that human-driven climate warming significantly intensified the storm, making the disaster markedly more destructive than it would have been in the pre-industrial era¹.

Yang et al. summarize that Klebsiella pneumoniae affects infectious and non-infectious disease via gut colonization; commensals provide colonization resistance, but K. pneumoniae adapts via multiple mechanisms.

This comment highlights a new study by Ribeiro et al.¹ which investigates how single-neuron spikes influence the surrounding cortical network in vivo. By comparing induced and background spikes through the lenses of decodability, sensitivity, and criticality, this work highlights how local perturbations interact with ongoing network dynamics to reveal multi-faceted signatures of critical neural computation.

Modern 3D X-ray imaging reveals internal structure, density, and dynamics across multiple scales, overcoming fundamental limitations of 2D projections. These 3D and multidimensional imaging techniques are transforming materials characterization in disciplines from medical diagnostics to electronics and planetary science.

Child malnutrition is high in Mozambique despite multiple policies and programs to improve the situation. In this Comment, the authors discuss the reasons for the lack of progress.

Black soils feed the world yet remain undervalued in food and climate governance frameworks. A policy package, including global monitoring as public infrastructure, co-designed and place-based solutions based on tailored tools, planning that fits land and people, mobilizing alliance with finance and force, and mainstreaming black soils in global pacts, can contribute to improving land quality and stabilize yields where it matters most.

The growth of pangenomics has been rapid, as data and tools improve over time. However, care should be taken to avoid the misuse of pangenome and related terms, with clarity and precision taking precedent over fashion and trends.

U.S. select agent regulations ignore easily assembled DNA fragments, making synthesis screening ineffective regardless of accuracy. We acquired unregulated DNA collectively sufficient for a skilled individual to generate 1918 influenza from dozens of providers, demonstrating that fragments must be regulated as select agents.

Biodegradable collections of Lagrangian sensors may enable sustainable mapping of environmental parameters. The authors evaluate bioinspired designs, sensing targets, communication methods, power supply strategies, and future directions for these platforms.

Substandard and falsified medicines are a global health threat. The fight against them is a regulatory and research challenge; here, the authors argue the importance of global and regional oversight, monitoring of, and research into the extent of the issue.