Pressure Systems edition
Psychedelic Labs and Gut Biomes Remake Modern Medicine
October 18, 2026
What this edition shows
Clinical laboratories and medical researchers are turning to psychedelics, parasitic worms, and gut ecology to treat chronic neurological conditions and autoimmune disorders. From neuroimaging of psilocybin users to antibiotic resistance tracking in Nairobi communities, therapeutic models are shifting toward engineering complex biological ecosystems. This expansion of clinical science recalibrates microbial symbiosis and altered neurochemistry as targeted levers for physiological management.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 8 sources
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Giant bacteria could be living in your gut
Bacteria that are visible without a microscope are generally found in mangroves and fish, but an analysis of different species from around the world suggests they also reside in the human gut
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Can we harness the brain’s deep-cleaning system to prevent Alzheimer’s?
The glymphatic system is the brain's recently discovered network for flushing out toxins. Now, we're uncovering surprising ways to boost it to protect brain health
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Psychedelic drugs were once considered ‘revolutionary rocket fuel’, but could they be life-changing medicines?
The cover and title of Rich Haridy’s Trip Reports are reminiscent of a poster for a psychedelic rock band or a 1960s “happening”. They immediately suggest the book’s leanings. Trip Reports is a fascinating read at times. It’s written by a self-confessed “psychonaut” – someone with an avid and someti…
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Parasitic worms could hold the key to treating immune system diseases – here’s what we know
Roundworms. MRAORAOR/Shutterstock.com For millions of years, parasitic worms have had to survive inside animals without being destroyed by their hosts’ immune systems. To do that, they have evolved remarkably effective ways of dampening the immune response. Scientists are now trying to understand th…
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One with the world? A new look at brains transformed by psychedelics.
Participants meditated inside an MRI tube, with and without psilocybin.
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Are you a creature or a machine? How to live in ecological community in a time of AI
Writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry wrote that, 'the next great division of the world will be between people who wish to live as creatures and people who wish to live as machines.' (Unsplash) We have been bombarded in recent weeks with apocalyptic headlines about “artificial super-intelligence…
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Good gut bacteria vs bad: what we learnt about antibiotic resistance from a community in Nairobi
Years of antibiotic use have fuelled a rise in bacteria that can survive antibiotics. These antibiotic resistant bacteria are competing with and displacing other bacteria that are naturally present in the human gut, where they play a critical role in maintaining good health. Resistant bacteria have…
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LSD – from counterculture to clinical trials
From psychiatric research to counterculture and secret CIA mind-control experiments, LSD makes its way back to the lab.