Natural Resource Today Weekly - Issue #142

Author

Rendy Mulaudzi
January 18, 2026

The most significant scientific findings you need to know today.

Chinese Academy of Sciences:

A recent study in Beverage Plant Research reveals that coffee contains compounds which may help against type 2 diabetes.

Nutrition and Cancer Research Network:

Researchers in France have found an association between common food preservatives and cancer. The study is published in The BMJ.

Chinese Academy of Sciences:

Scientists have found that air in Guangzhou and Xi’an, two big cities in China, has higher levels of microplastics than previously suggested. The findings are published in Science Advances.

Arizona State University:

A new study shows that excessive heat disrupts the ability of honeybee colonies to maintain stable hive temperatures. The research is published in Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology.

Harvard Medical School:

Scientists have found that, in some people, gut bacteria can produce alcohol inside the body. As a result, they may feel drunk even without consuming any alcoholic drinks. The findings are published in Nature Microbiology.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

Scientists have developed a new pill that can send a wireless signal after being swallowed, confirming it was ingested. The study describing this breakthrough is published in the journal Nature Communications.

University of Exeter:

Scientists have identified a new type of diabetes in babies. According to their findings in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, this diabetes is linked to genetic changes in the TMEM167A gene.

Chinese Academy of Sciences:

Global oceans absorbed unprecedented amounts of heat in 2025, according to a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro:

Deforestation pushes mosquitoes to rely on human blood instead of wildlife. This is according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

Yale School of Medicine:

Researchers have identified that some drugs prescribed for dementia are associated with patient falls. The study is published in JAMA.