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Green subsidies (carrots) are now becoming a more politically acceptable climate policy option compared with corrective regulations (sticks). However, researcher show that carrots without quick and appropriate sticks will not be sufficient to reach the deep decarbonization goal in the long run.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has recently caused outbreaks in dairy cattle herds in the United States. Here, the authors describe the clinical features and associated economic impacts of an outbreak at a farm in Ohio between March and April 2024.

The variability in clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection is partly due to deficiencies in production or response to type I interferons (IFN). Here, the authors describe a FIP200-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway, independent of canonical autophagy and type I IFN, that restricts SARS-CoV-2 replication, offering insights into critical COVID-19 pneumonia mechanisms.

Climate surveys are common in the global north but remain limited in the global south. Through a large-scale survey in seven global south countries, this study examines public climate knowledge and identifies their most trusted information sources and preferred climate policies.

Bhattacharjee and Schaeffer et al. map exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in 94 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), finding increased EBF practice and reduced subnational variation across the majority of LMICs from 2000 to 2018. However, only six LMICs will meet WHO’s target of ≥70% EBF by 2030 nationally, and only three will achieve this in all districts.

Big data from MOT tests in Great Britain shows that early battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were less reliable than internal combustion vehicles. Here Nguyen-Tien et al. show that rapid technological advancements mean newer BEVs have comparable lifespans, even when more intensively used.

In peripheral artery disease (PAD), this randomized trial assessed whether nicotinamide riboside (NR), with and without resveratrol, improved walking, compared to placebo. Here, the authors show that NR meaningfully improves 6-min walk, and resveratrol did not add benefit to NR alone.

Methyl bromide (CH₃Br) is an important ozone-depleting substance whose use is regulated under the Montreal Protocol. However, the spatial-temporal patterns of China’s national CH₃Br emissions remain unclear. Here, the authors find that China’s top-down emission estimates exceed bottom-up estimates by 60%.

NiFe-based catalysts are promising for water oxidation in alkaline electrolytes, but their dynamic structure under operation hinders the establishment of design principles for improved catalytic performance. Now a water oxidation mechanism on mixed NiFe hydroxide catalysts is proposed that involves dissolved FeO₄²⁻ species acting as co-catalysts.

Because life scientists are now using the Web not only for information gathering, but also for e-commerce, bio-portals business plans are looking more tenable.

Counterfeit medicines sold online are a global scourge. Although erectile dysfunction drugs are well known to be heavily counterfeited, illicit vendors are rapidly expanding to other drugs and devices in the sexual health arena. International multidisciplinary cooperation is needed to address key patient safety concerns resulting from such markets.

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

The PSA (KLK3) genetic variant rs17632542 is associated with reduced prostate cancer risk and lower serum PSA levels, although the underlying reasons are unclear. Here, the authors show that this PSA variant reduced proteolytic activity and leads to smaller tumours, but also increases invasion and bone metastasis, indicating its dual risk association depending on tumour context; the variant is associated with both lower risk and poor clinical outcomes.

Fosgaard et al. use a longitudinal data set of tobacco purchasing behavior from Denmark from 2019 to 2020 to estimate changes in tobacco use during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic there was a sustained decrease in tobacco purchases.

Recombinant glycoproteins produced in animal cell lines often bear the nonhuman sialic acid N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). Ghaderi et al. show that two monoclonal antibodies in clinical use differ with respect to addition of Neu5Gc and propose that drug developers should consider the consequences of the Neu5Gc modification.

A selection of individuals from the biotech ecosystem give their views on the challenges facing the sector over the coming years.

The increasing production of lithium-ion batteries and plastics presents significant challenges to resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity. This study highlights the utilization of spent lithium cobalt oxide cathodes as photothermal catalysts to transform various waste polyesters into valuable monomers.

Comprehensive policy measures are needed to close the emissions gap between Nationally Determined Contributions and emissions goals of the Paris Agreement. Here the authors present a Bridge scenario that may aid in closing the emissions gap by 2030.

Resistance to first line treatment is a major hurdle in cancer treatment, that can be overcome with drug combinations. Here, the authors provide a large drug combination screen across cancer cell lines to benchmark crowdsourced methods and to computationally predict drug synergies.

Since February 2012, the FDA has identified widespread infiltration of counterfeit bevacizumab into the US drug-supply chain. This Perspectives uses this case study to highlight the continued lack of information, knowledge, and solutions necessary to protect patients against future breaches in the drug-supply network, as well as the need for collaborative efforts to enhanced surveillance for counterfeit medicines and improve communication of risk information.

An untargeted mass spectrometry analysis of a biological sample will detect both biological molecules and compounds that are derived from, for example, diet and the environment. This Review examines the design of such experiments, how to process and interpret the vast amount of data that are produced, and how far we are from being able to use mass spectrometry to inventory the world around us.

Combining the precision of CRISPR’s DNA searching ability with the speed and scalability of electronics, we have developed an ‘electronic DNA search engine’, called a CRISPR–Chip, which not only enables DNA detection without amplification, but also showcases the untapped potential of merging molecular biology with nanomaterial electronics. Here, we discuss highlights and challenges on the journey from the initial idea to the commercialization of the CRISPR–Chip.

In this Review, Szajewska, Scott and colleagues discuss the evidence for antibiotic-mediated perturbation of the gut microbiota and whether probiotics can help restore an antibiotic-disrupted microbiota.

Results from the phase 2/3 clinical trial of gantenerumab or solanezumab in dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease reveal no beneficial effects on cognitive measures despite a significant reduction in amyloid plaques and other key biomarkers in those treated with gantenerumab.

Advanced vascular occlusion, a leading cause of death in Western countries, can be treated by CABG surgery. Autografts are the gold-standard treatment, but prosthetic grafts are under development as an alternative source of vessels. Vascular tissue engineering is a fast-moving area of research that promises soon to allow the synthesis of responsive, living conduits, with properties similar to those of native tissue.

Complementary genomic features associated with pathway activation, gene dependency and drug sensitivity are uncovered using REVEALER.

Hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder are associated with substantial harms to both the individual and others. This Primer discusses the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and management of these disorders, and also summarizes screening, prevention and the quality of life issues faced by individuals with these disorders.

Global alcohol consumption has increased in the past two decades and is projected to increase further. In this Review, Loomba and colleagues discuss the global epidemiology of alcohol-associated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, including risk factors, trends and projections.

Cryo-EM reveals how transthyretin moves, offering insights into ligand binding and amyloidogenesis. The work highlights the utility of cryo-EM in studying small proteins and uncovering targets for structure-based drug design in transthyretin amyloidosis.