Machine learning approaches are increasingly being used to aid small-molecule structure elucidation from mass spectrometry data. Surprisingly, however, current models often fail to outperform even simple baseline methods. Here we examine why these approaches fall short and propose strategies to overcome their limitations.

Nature Microbiology - Nature Microbiology asked members of the Global Grants for Gut Health Colloquium about the impact artificial intelligence is having on their microbiome research.

Centralized sorting of recyclable plastic from mixed waste should complement, not replace, sorting before collection.

Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02475-8Polygenic risk scores are not genetic predispositions

Analysis reveals the enzyme that allows some microorganisms to anchor their outer membrane to their cell wall.

OBSCORE is a machine learning-based risk prediction tool that uses a set of clinical features to stratify individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 27 kg m−2 by their 10-year risk of obesity-relat...

Scientists have discovered that chemicals produced by gut bacteria could act as an early warning system for future heart disease, potentially allowin...

PhD students reflect on how their supervisors made a meaningful difference — from quiet acts of kindness to career-shaping guidance.

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01518-8A recent study published in Nature Metabolism finds that the co-occurrence of chronic diseases, rather than any single condition, drives the progressive deterioration of glycaemic control in older adults, reframing glucose management as a multimorbidity-informed challenge.

Using dietary data from 8,931 participants in the WELL-China cohort, this study identifies a new diet rooted in traditional Chinese food elements associated with better adherence, favourable gut micro...

Age-related microbiome changes increase medium-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, driving GPR84-mediated myeloid inflammation, impaired vagal signalling and hippocampal dysfunction; targeting this gut–brain pathway restores memory in aged mice.

In a mouse model, environmental immunostimulation in early life led to cross-reactive adaptive immune memory and reduced type II immune responses to allergens, indicating a mechanistic relationship between environmental antigen exposure and subsequent allergy.

Using individual-level data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and fecal metagenomes of 14,979 individuals in Sweden, the authors examined the association between oral antibiotic use over 8 yea...

Nature Reviews Cardiology, Published online: 23 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41569-026-01257-zSchiattarella and colleagues propose a framework linking heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease as interconnected syndromes rather than coincidental comorbidities. The authors delineate shared metabolic, inflammatory and endocrine drivers and propose a shift towards coordinated strategies and integrated clinical algorithms to improve prevention, risk stratification, early detection and co-management of these disorders.

Reconstructing microbial genomes from 820 reef-building corals collected at 99 reefs across 32 islands throughout the Pacific Ocean highlights the importance of conserving coral reefs as vital reservoirs of molecular diversity.

Comprehensive large-scale studies of multi-national populations identified microbiome species consistently associated with favourable and unfavourable health markers, informing future studies of the human gut microbiome and its association with diet and cardiometabolic conditions.