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[Comment] Diversifying antimalarial treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Uganda

Antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is on the increase in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, the current first-line treatment of uncomplicated P falciparum malaria is with one of the six different artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), in which the short-acting artemisinin component rapidly reduces the initial parasite burden, and the slower eliminated and less potent partner drug is needed to clear the remaining parasites. Artemisinin resistance emerged in the Greater Mekong Subregion of southeast Asia two decades ago, but has over the past few years emerged independently in several African countries, including Uganda, and is spreading.

[Comment] Shaping opportunities for future clinical trials in tuberculosis

One key aspect of current trials in tuberculosis therapy is to evaluate shorter regimens.1 For decades, drug-sensitive tuberculosis has been treated with a 6-month regimen, but more recent evidence supports an alternative 4-month regimen containing rifapentine and moxifloxacin.2 However, the 6-month regimen is still widely used globally due to challenges, such as cost and licensing status, which complicate the procurement of rifapentine and moxifloxacin.

[Comment] Reassessing sotrovimab's role in COVID-19: insights and implications

The development of anti-spike monoclonal antibodies by pharmaceutical manufacturers during the COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented effort that helped save thousands of lives. In this issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the RECOVERY Collaborative Group provides another milestone of evidence in the management of COVID-19, namely the efficacy of sotrovimab.1 Among the anti-spike monoclonal antibodies authorized so far, sotrovimab is probably the most resilient in treating patients who have been admitted to hospital.

[Comment] Now is the time to integrate serology into routine infectious disease surveillance

Syndromic and virological surveillance are essential for epidemic intelligence, which can be defined as the capacity to effectively identify, monitor, understand, and forecast infectious disease outbreaks. However, as traditional surveillance systems only detect a small and potentially variable proportion of all infections, they can hardly be used to track the total infection burden and the build-up of immunity. This impedes our ability to understand and forecast epidemic dynamics. In an Article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Hai Nguyen-Tran and colleagues1 showed how setting up a relatively small serological surveillance scheme in children in the USA could nicely complement traditional surveillance systems.

[Editorial] Urgent need for infection prevention and control in prisons

According to the Global Prison Trends 2025 report, global incarceration rates reached 11·5 million people per day in May, 2024—an all-time high. The report also highlighted issues of overcrowding, with 120 countries operating above their prison capacity. Most individuals in prisons are already susceptible to infectious diseases before their incarceration due to low socioeconomic backgrounds, pre-existing conditions, and substance misuse. These vulnerabilities are exacerbated by carceral factors such as overcrowding, poor ventilation, and poor access to health care, leading to amplified infectious disease transmission in prisons.

One and done is not enough: Study challenges traditional evolutionary research

Every living being must cope with a changing world—summer gives way to winter, one year it floods and the next is a drought. It's obvious that populations of plants and animals must constantly face new challenges, says University of Vermont scientist Csenge Petak. But what's not obvious is how these changes in the environment affect evolution.

Tax-avoiding firms face higher investment costs due to lack of transparency

Companies that engage in aggressive tax avoidance may be saving money in the short term, but they are paying a hidden price in the eyes of investors. According to a new study by the University of Portsmouth, tax transparency is rewarded in capital markets while secrecy raises the cost of finance.

Wafer-scale solid-state nanopores fabricated using extreme ultraviolet lithography

At this year's IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2025), imec, a research and innovation hub in advanced semiconductor technologies, presents the first successful wafer-scale fabrication of solid-state nanopores using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Solid-state nanopores are emerging as powerful tools for molecular sensing but haven't been commercialized yet. This proof of concept is a crucial step toward their cost-effective (mass) production.

Five family Christmas games that reveal how we think, communicate and connect

For many families at Christmas, the one time of year when everyone finally ends up in the same room, suggesting a game is often the best strategic move for a fun evening. At its best, this sparks an hour of genuine connection. At its worst, it revives old rivalries faster than you can say "draw four" or break into your favorite victory dance.

The first alien civilization we encounter will be extremely loud

For decades, science fiction writers have tried their best to prepare us for eventual contact with aliens. Their efforts are dominated by several recurrent tropes. There's the invasion by a warlike species, there's the highly-evolved species trying to communicate with our primitive species, there's the benevolent aliens come to save us from ourselves, and there's the mischievous anal-probers and medical experimenters.

Prehistoric elephant footprints documented for first time in Murcia's fossil dunes

An international team, involving researchers from the University of Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences in Granada and the University of Huelva, has identified the first fossilized vertebrate footprints from the Quaternary period in fossil dune deposits in Murcia, attributed to the elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, known as the straight-tusked elephant.

Climate modeling for communities, with communities

Earth system models offer insight into how climate change will affect communities. But residents of those communities are rarely consulted on the design and deployment of these models, which can lead to the models being misused in local decision-making. To bridge this divide, Cheng et al. collaborated with Indigenous communities in two regions to model the effects climate change will have on their land.

Europe's food ecolabels based on life cycle assessment need a common language

On the shelf in a European supermarket, two packs of pasta sit side by side. Both claim to be "climate friendly." One carries a bright green "A" in a traffic-light scheme. The other shows a neat carbon footprint value: 1.8 kg CO₂ per kg. Which one is better? Which one should you choose?

Outdoor bouldering as a source of microplastics? First evidence from vegetation studies

A research team at the University of Bayreuth has experimentally investigated how the popular climbing discipline of bouldering affects vegetation and the surface structure of natural rock formations. In their recently published study in the journal People and Nature, the researchers call for nuanced management strategies that reconcile recreational use with the conservation of rock habitats.

Scientists discover a molecular switch that protects crops from freezing cold

The onset of sudden cold spells can threaten plant survival, especially during early growth phases. But how do plants detect low temperatures fast enough to initiate life-saving changes? Researchers at Chonnam National University have identified a hidden molecular "off-switch" that quickly reprograms root development to withstand the adverse cold conditions.