In South Asia, a region facing rapid economic growth, immense population pressure, and high climate vulnerability, the circular economy (CE) has become a critical imperative for sustainable development. This study provides a comparative overview of the CE landscape across eight South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The analysis reveals the CE transition is nascent region-wide, though India has advanced its policy landscape through a comprehensive suite of rules and missions and Pakistan is developing a national policy. The primary focus remains on waste management, evidenced by programs like Bhutan’s ‘Zero Waste by 2030’ vision, the Maldives’ Single-Use Plastic Phase-Out Plan, and Sri Lanka’s Clean Sri Lanka Programme. While Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is emerging for plastics and e-waste in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, a significant “policy-practice gap” persists, undermined by weak enforcement and governance fragmented across priority sectors like plastics, food systems, and textiles. Most major CE initiatives are catalyzed by international development partners, with regional programs playing a key role in funding innovation. Finally, while the informal sector is the backbone of material recovery, ensuring a just transition that improves working conditions and secures livelihoods remains a critical challenge. The absence of a cohesive regional framework limits collaboration. Scaling the circular economy in South Asia requires integrated national strategies, prioritizing a just transition for the informal sector, and establishing a regional platform for policy harmonization to create self-sustaining system through multi-sectoral involvement, including the business sector.
The European Commission launched a call to gather views on the potential for industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU. Companies, professionals, experts, academics and citizens are invited to share the main challenges and bottlenecks they encounter and suggestions to address them. The feedback will support the preparation of the Commission's proposal for Biotech Act II, an important element of the Commission work programme 2026, complementing other initiatives in this area, in particular the Bioeconomy Strategy and Biotech Act I. The Bioeconomy Strategy is followed by legislative proposals, with Biotech Act I focusing on health already published, Biotech Act II will follow this year. The Biotech Act II proposal aims to create an enabling environment for EU industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing to build a strong business case. This may include generating demand in lead markets and improving predictability for investors to encourage financial commitments within the EU. Untapped potential of industrial biotechnology and biomanufacturing can support a shift from virgin fossil feedstock the EU is heavily dependent on toward more sustainable inputs, strengthening EU resilience, self-sufficiency, and progress toward climate targets. The transition to a sustainable circular economy is a strategic EU priority. It can future-proof industry and offer consumers a broader choice of products made from sustainable materials. The call is open until 10 June 2026 through the 'Have Your Say' portal. More information See the call for evidence
image: The figure shows A. Experimental setup for free flight experiments equipped with a small microphone (left) and B. Frequency patterns of pulses and echoes measured with the built-in microphone (Right) view more Credit: Soshi Yoshida from Doshisha University Sound plays an important role for many animals, helping them navigate and hunt. Echolocation is the ability of animals like bats and dolphins to locate objects by emitting sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes. But detecting meaningful information in a noisy environment poses a major challenge for them. Bats operate by identifying weak prey echoes among complex background sounds generated by surrounding objects and their own movement during flight. To overcome this issue, these bats have evolved a highly sophisticated echo detection system that uses ultrasonic voices to perceive their surroundings with remarkable precision. Investigating this, a group of scientists led by Doctoral Student Soshi Yoshida, Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University (currently a JSPS Overseas Research Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History), together with Professor Kohta Kobayasi and Professor Shizuko Hiryu has uncovered a unique strategy used by greater Japanese horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus nippon) to improve prey detection under noisy conditions. The study published online in the journal Communications Biology on May 19, 2026, reveals that bats do not simply process sounds passively, but actively manipulate the sounds from the surrounding environment to enhance important signals. Horseshoe bats follow a phenomenon called Doppler shift compensation (DSC). Doppler shift is the change in the frequency or pitch of a sound or light wave caused by the movement of the source or the observer. When a bat flies, the frequency of returning echoes changes due to the Doppler effect caused by its motion relative to surrounding objects. To maintain these echoes within the most sensitive range of hearing, bats continuously adjust the frequency of their outgoing echolocation calls. So far, DSC has been primarily understood as a mechanism for stabilizing auditory perception. However, researchers suspected that this behavior may have another important function. “I have always been fascinated by bats’ ultrasonic sensing abilities and their use of physical phenomena such as the Doppler effect,” says Yoshida. “This inspired me to explore whether bats use frequency control more strategically than previously understood.” To explore this possibility, the researchers performed a series of experiments using 11 wild-caught greater Japanese horseshoe bats. Using phantom echo playbacks (artificially created echo sounds) and by changing the frequency and intensity of the echo sounds, they determined which sounds triggered a DSC behavior in bats. The team also used onboard microphones to record real echoes received by bats during free flight and prey capture attempts. By using tethered moths, the team studied the echoes created by insect wingbeats. Additional sound playback experiments helped them understand how bats reacted when certain sound ranges were blocked or hidden. The experiments revealed that bats control their echolocation calls to keep the highest-frequency echoes at a constant reference frequency (fref). Furthermore, this control creates a “silent frequency zone” above fref that is free from clutter echoes. This helps them detect important signals more clearly, including the faint echoes produced by the wingbeats of the flying insects. The findings also demonstrated that this silent frequency region plays a critical role in hunting success. Introducing a narrow-band noise artificially into the clutter-free frequency region led to a decrease in the bat’s hunting success. In contrast, noise produced outside this frequency range had minimal effects on the same. This confirms that the silent spectral window is not merely a side effect of echolocation but an adaptive sensory strategy that enables bats to hunt more effectively in noisy environments. Highlighting the significance of the study, Hiryu says, “I am truly delighted that this study has finally clarified the fundamental role of DSC, a question that has fascinated me since my PhD student days. Our findings show that bats actively shape the acoustic environment to enhance perception, manipulating the physical properties of echoes rather than relying solely on neural processing. This study reminded us once again of how remarkably intelligent bats are in their use of the acoustic world.” Overall, the study provides insights on how animals solve sensory challenges under natural conditions, especially in cluttered places such as forests. These findings may also have broader implications for wireless technologies, particularly those that rely on waves such as ultrasound, sonar, radar, and imaging systems. The strategic discovery in bats may inspire new approaches in which these sensing systems actively shape signal environments to extract important information even in noisy and complex conditions. About Soshi Yoshida, JSPS Overseas Research Fellow Dr. Soshi Yoshida received his Doctor of Engineering degree from the Graduate School of Life and Medical Sciences at Doshisha University, Japan, in March 2026 and is currently affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History as a JSPS Overseas Research Fellow. His research focuses on bat echolocation, bioacoustics, sensory ecology, and neuroethology, especially how bats use Doppler-shifted sounds for navigation and prey detection. In recognition of his contributions, he received the prestigious JSPS Overseas Research Fellowship, awarded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. About Professor Shizuko Hiryu from Doshisha University, Japan Shizuko Hiryu is a Professor in the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Information at Doshisha University. She joined IBM Japan, Ltd. in 1999 and obtained a Ph.D. in Engineering from Doshisha University in 2006. Her research interests include ultrasonic engineering, bat bioacoustics, and sensing. She has published extensively on these topics in scientific journals, including several papers on echolocation and acoustic simulations in bats. From 2014 to 2018, she served as a JST PRESTO researcher. She is a member of several academic societies and committees and has received numerous awards for her work on echolocation and bioacoustics in bats, such as the MEXT Young Scientists' Prize and the JSPS Award. Researcher profile https://researchmap.jp/Shizuko_Hiryu/?lang=en Lab page https://www1.doshisha.ac.jp/~bioinfo/index.html Funding information This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 21H05295 (H.S.), JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 24H00723 (H.S.), JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25H00745 (H.S.), JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 24KJ2144 (S.Y.). Media contact: Organization for Research Innovation Doshisha University Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0394, JAPAN E-mail：jt-ura@mail.doshisha.ac.jp Journal Communications Biology DOI 10.1038/s42003-026-10217-9 Method of Research Experimental study Subject of Research Animals Article Title Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus nippon) suppress clutter noise through echolocation frequency control to detect prey Article Publication Date 19-May-2026 COI Statement The authors declare no competing interests.
Brussels, 19 May 2026 – Scientists at VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps a widely used biological pesticide become more effective. The study, published in Nature Communications, reveals how bacteria produce ultra-strong protein fibers that form a molecular net, trapping infectious spores and toxins into a sticky film that enhances their ability to kill insect pests. A new piece of the biopesticide puzzle Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium widely used in eco-friendly pest control. It works by attacking insect larvae in two stages. First, it releases toxins that damage the insect's digestive system, creating an opening for spores to enter. The spores then germinate and multiply, consuming the insect from the inside. When the food source is depleted, the bacterium produces new spores and toxins that are released into the environment, ready to infect another insect. Because Bt targets only certain insects, it's considered safe for humans, other wildlife, and helpful insects like bees. In this way, spores and toxin crystals form an intricate pair in the life cycle of the bacterium. However, one long-standing question has puzzled researchers: how do these spores and toxins stay together in the environment long enough to infect insects effectively? Researchers at the VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology have now identified the answer: a previously unknown fibrous network they call ‘sporesilk’, a natural nanofiber net with remarkable properties. Using advanced imaging techniques, the team discovered that Bt spores and toxin crystals are embedded in a dense mesh of protein fibers just eight nanometers wide. These fibers form a highly organized, double-helical structure and are chemically crosslinked into an exceptionally stable material. The fibers assemble themselves and remain intact under extreme conditions, including heat, drought, harsh chemicals, and mechanical stress. “This is one of the most robust protein materials we’ve seen in nature,” says Prof. Han Remaut, senior author of the study. Keeping toxins and spores together “The sporesilk acts as a molecular net that clusters the spores and toxin crystals into compact ‘infection units’,” says Dr. Mike Sleutel (VIB-VUB). “So, when insect larvae ingest the bacteria, they receive both the infectious spores and the toxic payload at the same time.” When the researchers removed the gene responsible for these fibers, the clusters fell apart. As a result, the bacteria became less effective at killing insect larvae, with delayed mortality observed in experimental models. Conversely, adding the fibers, either through genetic engineering or by simply mixing in purified fibers, restored spore – toxin clustering and significantly increased insect-killing efficiency. “This could offer a practical way to develop more potent and reliable biopesticides while maintaining regulatory and environmental safety standards,” says Remaut. The study also hints at broader applications. Because of their extreme durability and self-assembling nature, these protein fibers may inspire new biomaterials for use in biotechnology and engineering. As agriculture seeks more sustainable solutions, understanding and harnessing natural systems like these could play a key role in reducing reliance on chemical pesticides. Journal Nature Communications DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-70495-z Method of Research Experimental study Subject of Research Cells Article Title Auto-crosslinking sporesilk fibers promote endospore and Cry toxin clustering Article Publication Date 11-Mar-2026
image: Theridion himalayana sp. nov. view more Credit: Devi Priyadarshini and Ashirwad Tripathy Vibrant, tiny, and sporting a bright red grin on its back, the Happy-Face spider is one of the most famous and recognisable arachnids in the world. For over a century, this cheerful-looking creature was thought to be a unique resident of the Hawaiian Islands, a biological curiosity found nowhere else on Earth. When researchers from the Forest Research Institute and the Regional Museum of Natural History discovered a new species of spider with the same unmistakable smile in the montane mountains of Uttarakhand, India, they knew exactly what to call it: Theridion himalayana, the Himalayan Happy-Face Spider. “The discovery was accidental because our survey was [originally] on ants”, said Devi Priyadarshini, a scientist at the Regional Museum of Natural History who co-authored the study. “But my co-author [Ashirwad Tripathy] kept sending me spiders from high altitude regions for identification. So, one fine day, when he shared this image from the underside of a Daphniphyllum leaf, I froze in shock because I had seen the Hawaiian spider during my master's programme itself, and I knew instantly we had a jackpot because of its striking resemblance. I asked him to send all morphs that he found, and that led to the discovery in the next few months, from October 2023 onwards.” Priyadarshini added that she was always interested in exploring high-altitude spiders because the landscape and vegetation are so different there than in the plains. “This almost came across as a gateway to look at other polymorphic species from this region.” Ashirwad also said that we could find more variations in the species if the surveys could be done extensively. The species name, himalayana, serves as a tribute to the mountain range where the spider was found at elevations of over 2,000 meters above sea level. “The name Himalayana was decided as the species name because we both wanted to pay our respects to the mighty Himalaya mountain ranges, which have been standing tall not just guarding our country but also holding a plethora of biodiversity within them”, Ashirwad said. “Since this spider was the first polymorphic from this region, we decided to make it an ode to the amazing mountain ranges.” The research, published in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics, identified 32 different colour variations, or “morphs”, of the species collected from three locations in Uttarakhand: Makku, Tala, and Mandal. DNA analysis revealed a genetic variation of approximately 8.5% from the Hawaiian happy-face spider, confirming it as a separate lineage that evolved independently in Asia. While the smiling patterns are striking, their exact purpose remains a mystery. “The reason behind the expression of polymorphism is also very complex and unique”, Priyadarshini explained. “These patterns definitely help them survive better in the wild, which is understood prima facie, but why do they resort to such patterns on their back, and what functional role in their life cycle does it exactly serve is yet to be deciphered. This is definitely indicative of a deeper genetic mystery.” Ashirwad also mentioned that the spider species was surrounded by critters which had similar colour patterns on their body. The study also noted that these spiders are frequently found on ginger plants (Hedychium species), mirroring the behaviour of their Hawaiian cousins. Since ginger is not native to Hawaii, the researchers are intrigued by the evolutionary connection. “How did the spiders choose an invasive species and ginger exactly?” Priyadarshini noted. “If T. himalayana is an elder cousin of T. grallator, although discovered 125 years later! Although this sounds like a tall claim now, it will be our further scope of work to establish any missing links, if at all, through Hedychium sps.” Journal Evolutionary Systematics DOI 10.3897/evolsyst.10.174338 Subject of Research Animals Article Title On the discovery of a new polymorphic Happy-Face Spider (Araneae, Theridiidae) from the Western Himalayas, India, with notes on its natural history Article Publication Date 24-Apr-2026