Natural Resource Today Weekly - Issue #141

Author

Rendy Mulaudzi
January 11, 2026

The most significant scientific findings you need to know today.

Wageningen University & Research:

Scientists have discovered that special enzymes in cannabis plants are responsible for making cannabinoids, which are important compounds best known for their medical use. The study appears in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

University of Sydney:

Researchers have found that people with type 2 diabetes are much more likely to develop heart failure. According to their findings, diabetes changes the structure of the heart. The research is published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

China Pharmaceutical University:

Scientists have found that pairing silybin with carvedilol is more effective in treating liver fibrosis than taking either drug on its own. The research is published in the journal Targetome.

University of California, Los Angeles:

A recent study in Environmental Science & Technology Letters reveals that people may still face smoke-related exposure risks even after wildfires have been extinguished.

State University of New York:

Sleeping longer on weekends could help reduce depression in youth, a new study reports. The findings are published in the Journal of Affective Disorder.

University of Twente:

Researchers have developed a new model that simplifies the assessment of earthquakes. The model is described in SIAM Journal on Computing.

Northeast Normal University:

Scientists have found that when microplastics are exposed to sunlight, they leak chemicals into rivers, lakes and oceans. The research is published in the journal New Contaminants.

University of Sao Paulo:

Scientists in Brazil are studying how human body cells and immune system keep people strong as they age, and how some Brazilians live well past 100 years. The research work appears in Genomic Psychiatry.

Newcastle University:

New research published in the International Journal of Cancer shows that 10-minute session of intense physical activity could suppress the progression of colon cancer.

National Taiwan University of Sport:

Breathing polluted air for a long time could lessen the health benefits of exercise, according to a study in BMC Medicine.