A new review examines how the gut microbiota interacts with radiotherapy. Radiation can disrupt intestinal bacteria and metabolism, while microbial communities and their metabolites may influence tumor radiosensitivity and radiation-induced intestinal injury. The authors discuss microbiota-targeted strategies, including probiotics, dietary interventions and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-derived compounds, while emphasizing the need for further clinical evidence.

Reduced human mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 12.3% decline in global fire incidence, but fires increased in some countries. A study led by WANG Jianghao and GE Yong at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences helps explain this contrast: people can both ignite fires and keep them under control. The study appears in Cell Reports Sustainability on October 9, 2026.

A research team has developed a framework that combines machine learning with quantitative microbial risk assessment to predict pathogen concentrations and potential health risks in drinking water sources. 

A research team has traced five water-insoluble pesticides through the full production chain of jasmine tea, from their dissipation on freshly grown jasmine buds to their transfer during scenting and eventual presence in brewed tea.

A research team has identified CsBZS1, a cucumber gene associated with fruit development without pollination.