Zero‑alcohol drink advertising may not be as harmless as it seems, with new research showing it could increase teenagers’ interest in drinking full‑strength alcohol.  A study of almost 400 adolescents aged 15–17 found that teens who had seen — and especially those who liked — zero‑alcohol advertisements reported significantly stronger intentions to try the alcoholic versions of those brands.

Microplastics are now widely recognized as pollutants in oceans and waterways, but a growing body of research suggests they may pose equally serious risks on land. A new review highlights how microscopic plastic particles accumulating in soils can alter microbial genes that control essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health.

Never-before-seen 3D reconstructions of human liver tissue have been created at a cellular level. The details capture the spatial microstructure of multiple lobes of this multitasking organ. The reconstructions show how cirrhosis rearranges this intricate architecture and thereby alter the organ's biological activities. In addition, 3D liver maps with a high degree of cellular detail are critical to someday realizing the dream of bioprinting new organs for transplantation. 

A team of scientists led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), and Leipzig University has developed a new method to track the Earth’s greenness – a key indicator of vegetation health and activity – by calculating its centre of mass.