Outlook

Germany's Excellence Initiative was highly debated. With its successor approved, scientists are asking whether equality and scientific freedom can be preserved in a world of competition.

Two decades after the genocide in Rwanda, the country is harnessing science and technology to rebuild its economy.

Australian politicians are embracing innovation as the wellspring for future wealth, but will it come at the expense of basic and fundamental research?

The Gulf nations are injecting billions of petrodollars into research in an effort to ensure a sustainable post-oil future.

We can't live without it, but many of us struggle to live with it. Pain has an essential biological function, but too much — or the wrong sort — ruins lives and puts a sizeable dent in economic productivity. By David Holmes, infographic by Mohamed Ashour.

The 'war on drugs' has left many in developing nations with no access to strong painkillers. But governments in these countries are learning to stop worrying and love the poppy.

People with neuropathic pain have struggled to find relief with conventional drugs. Researchers are investigating whether more meaningful pain classifications could help.

For thousands of years people have sought explanations for pain and ways to ease it. Despite a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the sensation, much remains baffling, and the search for better treatments continues. By Stephanie Pain

Although genetics studies have so far failed to revolutionize pain treatments, some researchers think that a host of discoveries are just around the corner.

Pain researchers' arguments for using only male rodents in preclinical pain research don't hold up to scrutiny, says Jeffrey S. Mogil.

Technology for peering into the brain is revealing a pattern of pain, and differences between the acute and chronic forms.

Armed with a clearer understanding of how placebos work, researchers are suggesting that inactive substances might be used to mitigate chronic pain.

The dearth of treatment options for chronic pain has led to widespread over-prescription of strong opioids. But some innovative thinking is building a promising pipeline.

There is a long list of unknowns about the causes and symptomatology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But the research challenges can be distilled into four key areas.

Infections have long been thought to cause irritable bowel syndrome, but it has not been clear how. It seems that pathogens might be changing the behaviour of our gut microbiota.

Drugs for irritable bowel syndrome have so far been limited, but a promising stream of options could soon enter the market.

For years, researchers have tried to find biomarkers that could aid the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, and point to its underlying causes. But will one test ever be enough?

The latest iteration of the Rome criteria should improve diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, says Brian E. Lacy.