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An analysis based on data from the Global Dietary Database shows mean animal-sourced food intakes among children and adolescents increased modestly from 1990 to two portions per day in 2018, but remain low in sub-Saharan Africa, India and Bangladesh.

Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study reveal declines in chronic respiratory disease mortality between 1990 and 2023—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—but the burdens on people affected remain substantial.

Contrary to the view that urbanization is a major driver of the global rise in obesity, the global increase in body-mass index is shown to be mostly due to increases in the body-mass indexes of rural populations.

Global Burden of Disease estimates show that between 1990 and 2023, the prevalence and burden of drug use disorders, inclusive of amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine and opioid use, have been increasing in high-income countries, particularly in the USA.

Changes in vegetation responses to precipitation may be hydroclimate dependent. Here the authors reveal contrasting trends of vegetation sensitivity to precipitation in drylands vs. wetter ecosystems over the last 4 decades and identify increased CO2 as a major contributing factor.

Nature Index ‘Research Leaders’ survey also finds that scientists in North America and Europe are much more likely to say they intend to leave research.

Dolphin ecologist Tadamichi Morisaka discusses common dolphin behaviours that could explain the encounters with people.

This paper reports the design and spinning of intrinsically red-colored artificial silk fibers. A mini-spidroin variant is engineered as a fusion with the red fluorescent protein mCherry, expressed at high yields in E. coli fed-batch fermentations.

Systems of electron spins in nuclear-spin-rich hosts are gaining attention for quantum memory applications. Using spin ensemble studies, the authors propose transition metal ions in halide double perovskites as promising candidates, featuring long electron spin coherence and deterministic nuclear spin control.

Enhanced drought frequency and magnitude have impacted tree mortality, leading to multiple examples of regional-scale dieback. This Review outlines the mechanisms leading to mortality, including carbon starvation and hydraulic failure.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide and transcriptome-wide association studies of aortic stenosis identify more than 200 independent risk loci and provide insights into its genetic architecture.

Guidance on how to decarbonize the economy while limiting impacts on jobs and ensuring stability is scarce. Now a study finds that relying on a carbon tax alone falls short, whereas combining industrial regulations, subsidies and a modest tax is the most promising approach to achieve sustainable growth with green jobs.

Spider silk formation involves tightly regulated protein assembly, influenced by pH and the presence of ions. Here, single-molecule mass photometry reveals that mini-spidroin interactions are influenced by millimolar concentrations of sodium and potassium, which may control the formation of spidroin clusters.

The predicted increase in frequency of droughts and rising temperatures in Europe will lead core populations of a temperate plant to an evolutionary dead-end unless they acquire genetic alleles that are present only in extreme edge Mediterranean, Scandinavian, or Siberian populations.

Global warming is causing widespread coral mortality through bleaching. Here, simulations of coral eco-evolutionary dynamics forecast strong population declines in the 21st century. Coral reefs may collapse by 2100, unless global warming is limited to 2 °C, enabling corals to adapt and persist.

In this Perspective, the authors demonstrate how concepts and models from landscape ecology and complex adaptive systems science can be used to explore the dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases in urban environments.

Thirty years of forest demographic data, combined with recent ecophysiological measurements, reveal that intense Amazon droughts sharply increase tree mortality once soil moisture falls below a threshold, and that these hot droughts will become more frequent and intense as Earth warms towards hypertropical conditions.

Engineered Escherichia coli strains expressing a colibactin antitoxin, ClbS, on the surface prevent the genotoxic effects of colibactin released by genotoxin-producing bacteria in the mouse gut.

Burden of major disease is projected to increase in England and many other countries. Here the authors model the impact of reducing eight known risk factors for disease burden, such as BMI and smoking, between 2023-2043 in England and report that reductions in risk factors may not substantially reduce the major illness burden by 2043 due to population ageing.

Early high-resolution images of two 2021 novae reveal eruptions unfolding in multiple stages with colliding outflows that produce shocks and gamma rays, reshaping our understanding of stellar explosions.

Non-nutritive sensory components of high-fat diet, such as bacon flavour, are sufficient to impair metabolic health in offspring in mice.

Florfenicol amine hijacks intrinsic resistance in Mycobacterium abscessus, highlighting that antimicrobial resistance mechanisms can be harnessed for antibiotic activation.

The role of mosquito saliva proteins in viral infection remains incompletely understood. Here, the authors show that sialokinin facilitates viral dissemination while suppressing immune response and inflammation in chikungunya virus-infected mice.

Combining two global datasets, the authors show that peak vegetation growth has been increasing linearly for the past 30 years, with similar proportions of NDVI variation attributable to expanding croplands, rising CO₂ and intensifying nitrogen deposition.

Globalization has accelerated the spread of mosquito species that transmit human diseases. This global analysis reveals that 45 disease-vector mosquito species have been introduced to non-native regions worldwide, mostly after 1950 with 12 new species recorded outside their native ranges since 2000.

Higher temperatures are associated with more violence-related hospital visits, particularly for younger individuals and those with lower income or educational attainment, according to an analysis of Medicaid claims from 1999 to 2012.

Refugee populations have been at high risk of COVID-19 but the impacts of the pandemic on healthcare-seeking and diagnosis of other conditions are not well described. Here, the authors use data from a network of refugee centres in Germany to explore impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on incident diagnosis patterns.

By mapping oxidatively damaged bases and abasic sites at single-nucleotide resolution in human cells, Takhaveev et al. observed transcription-related strand biases, patterns mirroring cancer mutational signatures, and captured the action of the anticancer drug irofulven.

Here, the authors develop a retinal laser treatment that precisely activates protective heat shock proteins and cellular recycling mechanisms in pig eyes, safely avoiding tissue damage through accurate, real-time temperature control.

TDP-43 dysfunction in ALS/FTD causes faulty splicing of the KCNQ2 ion channel, leading to toxic protein buildup, neuron hyperactivity and a potential new biomarker and treatment target using RNA-based therapies.

In this Consensus Statement, an international panel of experts present an overview of the latest developments in the field of cholangiocarcinoma. A set of consensus recommendations and research priorities is provided.

This study presents real-time observation of plasmon-driven hot carrier creation. Auger heating is operative in enhancing carrier energy beyond single-photon excitation. These findings open new avenues in plasmonic energy conversion and photocatalysis.

This year marks the mid-point for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 14 (‘Life below water’). We asked a range of researchers working across marine science, conservation, policy and implementation to reflect on priorities for action on ocean health and biodiversity over the next seven years.

Harmful algal blooms threaten water resources across the globe. This study quantifies how temperature affects the occurrence and concentration of microcystin in lakes across the United States and finds that regions with temperatures that promote high microcystin concentrations will shift to higher latitudes in the coming decades.

Estimates from the Global Dietary Database indicated that 2.2 million new type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cardiovascular disease cases were attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages worldwide in 2020, with the highest burdens in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Here, authors present a Digital Twin framework for urban parking and mobility in Caserta. By integrating distributed sensor data with machine learning and generative AI, the system enables real-time monitoring, forecasting, and scenario simulation to support smarter urban management.

This study explores the relationship between telomere length and clonal hematopoiesis. Splicing factor and PPM1D gene mutations are more frequent in people with genetically predicted shorter telomere lengths, suggesting that these mutations protect against the consequences of telomere attrition.

Some innovative higher-education institutions are reimagining pedagogy by prioritizing local needs over research and international student recruitment. Anna McKie visits one of them.

Proteins are often modified by complex carbohydrates (N-glycans). Here, authors identified gene regulators of this process and uncovered links between plasma protein Nglycosylation, metabolic and liver diseases, and anti-inflammatory proteins.

Heat increases heart rate across vertebrates. Here, authors pinpoint a motif in the HCN4 channel that governs heat-driven heart rate acceleration and demonstrate its conserved role in other HCN channels, revealing a conserved mechanism linking temperature to membrane excitability.