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An opinion article by Professor Koichiro Oka of Waseda University, Japan

- A leading precompetitive research collaboration center - Research organization for next generation automobiles

Ability to morph (change shape), propel itself and turn quickly in water (i.e. super-manoeuvrability) efficiently and silently, lending itself to future possibilities in surveillance and inspection

A ~147 million-year-old Jurassic-aged osteoglossoid osteoglossomorph fish Paralycoptera from outcrops at Lai Chi Chong has been described. This fossil represents the first dinosaur-era fish - as well as vertebrate - from Hong Kong to be identified.

Researchers have, for the first time, mapped the rapid urban expansion that has occurred across the whole of East-Southeast Asia in the last decade.

Scientists at Japan’s Kyushu University say polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes hold much promise in biotechnology and energy applications. The paper was recently published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

KAIST researchers discovered that the protein N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) unravels a single SNARE complex using one round ATP turnover by tearing the complex with a single burst, contradicting a previous theory that it unwinds in a processive manner.

Replacement of toxic chemical components by non-toxic natural analogs is a popular approach in sustainable projects. The study carried out at Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry (Moscow) has shown that partial replacement of chemical compounds by their natural analogs may surprisingly lead to even more toxic products.

KAIST researchers have discovered that brain somatic mutations in the MTOR gene induce intractable epilepsy and suggest a precision medicine to treat epileptic seizures.

Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a new technique, named Wooden-tip Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (WT-ESI-MS), for rapid and reliable detection of four common drugs-of-abuse, including ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine.

Molecules used to make optoelectronic devices can be engineered to have specific properties, making the production of high-performance optoelectronic devices more efficient, according to a paper in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

Organized by the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the Eighth International Symposium of Intimate Apparel was held at PolyU on 17 March to promote the exchange of the latest knowledge and development of intimate apparel among academics and industrialists.

Researchers from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, have designed and built a low cost apparatus to enable workers to roll out fibre sheets from a fibre roll onto a table which would make all cutting task easy. The apparatus design is ergonomical and reduces dust contaminating the work environment.

A research group led by Chengsi Pan and Tsuyoshi Takata at NIMS Global Research Center for Environment and Energy Based on Nanomaterials Science (GREEN), and Kazunari Domen at The University of Tokyo newly developed a water-splitting photocatalyst that is operable over a wider range of the visible light spectrum than before.

Researchers in Japan have jointly developed a robot with four arms and four crawlers which can perform multiple tasks simultaneously to help clean up the rubble left after the 2011 quake-tsunami disasters in Minamisoma, Fukushima.

Socially intelligent computers can turn difficult online negotiations into win−win situations through tactical information disclosure

An oxide/carbon composite outperforms expensive platinum composites in oxygen chemical reactions for green energy devices

A theoretical and experimental study could lead to improved catalysts for producing hydrogen fuel from waste biomass

The Singapore Bioimaging Consortium and Select Biosciences South East Asia are pleased to report on the success of The Clinical Applications of Stem Cells, which took place at The Academia, Singapore General Hospital Campus, Singapore on the 26-27 February 2015.

Published in PNAS, the first of its kind probe can rapidly trace tens of thousands of tagged proteins inside cells. With a response time within two minutes and at a quarter of the cost, the new fluorescent probe provides an inexpensive and effective tool for real-time monitoring of cell activities.

Enabling instant automatic identification of the presence of microorganism

Smaller and lighter electrical devices which convert electric power into radio waves and vice versa, or antennae is the key to the future of high-speed data transfer especially for three-dimensional imaging.

An opinion article by Professor Masayasu Kitagawa of Waseda University, Japan

Ms. Kavita S. Subramanian, a PhD student from the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya has been selected in the 2015 Novartis Next Generation Scientist (NGS) program. The NGS program is an intensive 3 month-long internships at the research site in Basel, Switzerland

Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a novel capsule with zein and pectin by taking the advantage of the substances' unique physicochemical properties.

Dental students at The National University of Malaysia (UKM) may soon be learning how to design and sculpt false teeth with dental wax using computer software of interactive instructional manual that renders animated three-dimensional images.

A cost-effective method uses fungi to convert palm oil waste to green products

Cheap, environmentally friendly solar cells are produced by minimizing disruptive surface layers

A laser-assisted fabrication process enables the processing of heat-resistant and crack-free materials

Tiny conjugated polyelectrolyte-nanoparticle probes produced by ultrasonication prove superior to commercial products