Tea plants are known for their ability to accumulate aluminum (Al), a trait that is beneficial for growth at optimal levels but may pose health risks when consumed in excess. This study identifies a key gene, CsWRKY17, that plays a crucial role in the accumulation of aluminum in the leaves of tea plants. By enhancing pectin deesterification in the cell walls, this gene helps facilitate the binding of aluminum, which is essential for managing Al toxicity. This discovery provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating aluminum accumulation in tea plants, offering potential strategies for breeding tea varieties with reduced aluminum content and improved safety.

As wildfire smoke becomes a growing public-health story in the Northeast, a first-of-its-kind study in Environmental Health finds that Canadian wildfire smoke in the summer of 2023 worsened asthma symptoms in children across Vermont and upstate New York—even though the fires were burning hundreds of miles away.

A blood biomarker yet to be used in cardiac arrest care can give a clearer picture of the extent of brain damage after a cardiac arrest. This has been shown in a large international multicentre study led by researchers at Lund University that has been published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Worldwide, around four million people each year suffer a sudden cardiac arrest

“This will transform care for these patients,” says researcher Marion Moseby Knappe.