Outlook in 2013

Most people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis never get the disease, but predicting who will is turning out to be a complex problem.

Combinations of anti-TB drugs are difficult to overcome because they attack Mycobacterium tuberculosis in different ways.

Once tuberculosis takes hold in a population it can be hard to control, but scientists are finding new ways to understand and stop its spread.

Drought has wreaked havoc throughout history, destroying crops and causing famine and conflict. And it could be getting worse.

Farmers would benefit from better long-range weather forecasts. What else can science provide to help them decide what to plant?

Plants may be getting a little help with their tolerance of drought and heat.

Farmers must develop new approaches if they are to keep producing crops as water supplies dwindle.

The threat of insects to agriculture is set to increase as the planet warms. What action can we take to safeguard our crops?

What should governments do to enhance sustainable agriculture and mitigate droughts?

Improved crops have helped farmers maintain yields in times of drought. But as climate change looms, will the gains keep coming?

Leukaemias are cancers of the blood or bone marrow. But how do they form, and can they be treated?

Bruce L. Levine and Carl H. June explore how to make engineered immune cells that can eradicate cancer widely available.

Enzymes that modify gene expression without changing the DNA sequence are now viewed as central to the development of leukaemia — and may lead to new drugs.

Leukaemia treatments must eliminate the versatile cells that can bring the cancer back to life years later.

Leukaemia in children is highly curable, but many survivors suffer severe, even life-threatening, long-term effects. Scientists are seeking ways to deliver a safer cure.

Beginning treatment with a combination of drugs should help to stop drug resistance developing, says Charles L. Sawyers.

Stem cells from the umbilical cord are among the latest weapons in the fight against leukaemia.

Better designs for clinical trials and the use of combination therapies may improve leukaemia treatment.