Researchers have developed SuSha, a multi-model ensemble learning tool that predicts a microorganism's salt tolerance directly from its genome. Trained on the amino acid composition of 123 bacterial and archaeal species and validated on 2,678 metagenomes from freshwater, marine, and hypersaline habitats worldwide, SuSha achieved over 90% accuracy for extreme halophiles. It offers a powerful way to study the more than 81% of microbes that cannot be cultured in the lab.

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.