You may be reading this newsletter with your morning brew. After all, the UK is nation of tea lovers. But in spite of that, nearly every tea leaf we drink is grown and imported from overseas. Now, scientists are exploring whether UK-grown tea could not only thrive in our cool, damp climate but also offer surprising health benefits and a more sustainable future.

Faecal transplants (sometimes called “poo pills”) are a way to place good bacteria from a healthy person’s stool into a patient’s gut, and they’re increasingly popular for treating an array of conditions, from irritable bowel syndrome to Parkinson’s. But a new study warns that when donor microbes end up in the wrong part of the gut, they may disrupt metabolism and immunity. So what’s the alternative? Scientists may have a better idea.

And in a remote Andean village, researchers are working to decipher a vast archive of “khipus”, which are knotted and tasselled cords once used by the Inca. These centuries-old strings may hold detailed records of major events and ritual life, and may even track climate change.