Peer Reviewed

Researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences have developed a novel set of simplified Tai Chi exercise for visually impaired elderly people. They also found the new exercise good for improving their sense of balance control and reducing the risk of fall.

A chemical probe that can differentiate between chemical tags adorning DNA could provide insights into how nature switches genes on and off

A new model of intracellular signaling via calcium ions will assist in understanding the effects of calcium fluctuations

The draft genome of the Chinese cabbage could underpin genetic improvement of brassica vegetable and oil crops

Scientists have developed a new way to create Terahertz radiation - or T-rays, the technology behind full-body security scanners. They say their new, stronger and more efficient T-rays could be used to make better medical scanning gadgets and may one day lead to innovations similar to the “tricorder” scanner used in Star Trek.

GE Global Research, the central technology development arm for GE Healthcare and all of GE’s businesses, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Singapore’s Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Latest news from Nature 19 January 2012

Latest news from Scientific American 17 January 2012

High-tech plastics for better food and medicine packaging as well as more durable paints and varnishes will be developed by a new Industrial Coating and Packaging (ICAP) consortium, helmed by the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), a research institute of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Backed by strong support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Charities Trust, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has brought together multi-disciplinary expertise for the establishment of Hong Kong's first Design Institute for Social Innovation.

Prof. Dr. Sherif A. El-Safty, a Principal Researcher of the Materials Recycling Design Group, Research Center for Strategic Materials, National Institute for Materials Science developed a nanomaterial which enables simple detection and removal of arsenic from drinking water.

Latest news from Nature journals 16 January 2012

A particular type of age-related macular degeneration in the Japanese population is linked to four regions of the genome

Fast and sensitive detection and identification of air-borne gases is now possible using a newly developed sensor

Wrapping palladium nanoparticles inside a self-assembled polymer matrix makes catalysts easier to retain and recycle

For me, in the flood of news a headline bears special importance for Northeast Asia security. The guideline reiterated by President Hu Jintao about boosting the "cultural soft power" of China recognizes that "culture has increasingly become a major element bringing together the people and the creative power of Chinese nationality".

NIMS is collecting basic data on natural minerals produced in various regions and inorganic materials with different chemical compositions as a tool for selecting suitable materials, and will make this information available in a NIMS Materials database (MatNavi).

Latest news from Nature 12 January 2012

After a lengthy study spanning over four years, Professor Pauline Cho from the School of Optometry at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and her research team concluded that orthokeratology not only can correct refractive error, but also effective in slowing the progression of myopia.

Latest news from nature journals 9 January 2012

Experts from around the world, including two Nobel Laureates, converge at A*STAR IMRE’s M3 @ Singapore 2012 conference to present cross-disciplinary innovations for applications ranging from energy to sensors.

Researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center, collaborating with scientists from Italy, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, have found promoters for olfactory receptor genes using nanoCAGE technology, which enables comprehensive analysis of transcription start sites (TSSs) from tiny biological samples.

A diet supplemented with a specific probiotic bacterial strain increases the lifespan of mice

A computational strategy that reveals how environmental interactions affect protein shape could steer more sophisticated approaches to drug design

Discovery of a molecular basis for type 2 diabetes reveals how fatty diets can interfere with control of blood sugar levels

The National Institute for Materials Science succeeded in realizing superconductivity in fullerene nanowhiskers, which are a nanosized carbon material that is lightweight and has a fine fibrous shape - A Giant Step toward the Birth of Lightweight, Flexible Superconducting Materials

The Nano Electronic Materials Unit, MANA, NIMS selectively grew polymer nanowires using only irradiation with a pulsed laser, in a region limited to the area of irradiation. They also succeeded in imparting diverse functionalities to the nanowires by doping with various species of nanomaterials.

Latest news from Nature 5 January 2012

The striking colors of butterfly wings or peacock feathers are examples of so-called ‘structural color’ in nature. You see these colors due to the reflection of certain wavelengths of light from the birds’ feathers.

The National Institute for Materials Science succeeded in fabricating mesoporous Prussian blue, in which an extremely large number of nanosized pores (mesoporous) are formed in the crystal structure of the material.