In today's Good News, researchers make a groundbreaking step forward in the quest to develop a blood test able to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome. And in another medical breakthrough, a patch covered in teeny, tiny nanoneedles that goes on painlessly could soon replace traditional, and often invasive, biopsy methods.

Catherine Garcia
The Week Digital

A simple diagnostic blood test could be on the way for patients dealing with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome. The debilitating condition, thought to affect up to 3.3 million people in the U.S., causes extreme tiredness and brain fog and can take several years to diagnose. In a breakthrough, researchers from Edinburgh University identified biomarkers for ME in blood samples, a potential first step in developing an accurate blood test for the condition.

A plan from the Inter-American Development Bank could unlock billions of dollars in private investment for renewable energy in developing countries. Under the proposal, public development funds would buy up private green-energy loans in poorer countries — currently off-limits to many mainstream investors due to rules about creditworthiness — and securitize them for institutional funds. The plan's architect, Avinash Persaud, said it could transform climate finance, kick-starting a virtuous cycle of investment ahead of November's COP30 summit.

We may already have the genetic mechanism necessary

A new skin patch could soon provide a "painless and less invasive" alternative to biopsies, according to scientists from King's College London. The patches are covered in tens of millions of nanoneedles, 1,000 times thinner than a piece of human hair, and unlike biopsies, they do not remove tissue. Instead, the patches extract molecular "fingerprints" from cells, including proteins and lipids, which are then analyzed. This "opens up a world of possibilities" for "advancing personalized medicine," said lead researcher Dr. Ciro Chiappini.

Armando López Pocol has spent 25 years reforesting Guatemala's highlands, planting up to 25,000 trees a year through the Chico Mendes Project. Despite fires, including some suspected cases of arson, and no government funding, he and his volunteers continue planting, boosting the environment and local economy through ecotourism and education. "We all just want a green planet so all future children can have a clean environment, clean water, pure oxygen and food," Pocol said to The Guardian.

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