Peer Reviewed

We’re all familiar with our body’s internal clock: it gives us cues on when to wake and when to rest, but it also can determine the rate and time of day at which your body most effectively heals wounds.

Using conventional X-rays and lasers to detect the atomic state of hydrogen is challenging, given its small size. A group of researchers may have overcome this barrier by unveiling a new visualization technique that employs an optical microscope and polyaniline to paint a better picture of how hydrogen behaves in metals.

SUTD researchers developed an advanced system of breast cancer cell detection with improved speed and sensitivity, using a viral mechanism to enhance the tool’s sensing accuracy.

Researchers identify RBFox1 as a key intrinsic regulator of heart muscle cell maturation, overcoming a major limitation in cardiac regenerative therapy and disease modelling and demonstrating for the first time that RNA splicing control can significantly impact this process.

Riding the momentum of the environment-aware agenda, SUTD researchers were part of an international collaboration that developed a sustainable approach to discover and identify materials for next-generation electronics.

A previously mysterious small RNA molecule in mice is found to play a crucial role in gene expression, and may be the first identified member of a new class of regulatory RNAs.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences a computational method to predict the placement of proteins on AFM substrates based on electrostatic interactions.

Researchers from Osaka University created an online space for conversation, collaboration and knowledge sharing among patients with rare diseases, their families, researchers and policymakers. A series of workshops generated evidence that could contribute to new policies in the field of rare diseases and explore ways that stakeholders could be involved in the process.

Researchers from Osaka University and collaborating partners have developed a new means of manipulating Mie scattering from nanostructures. By judicious choice of the laser illumination position with respect to the center of a nanostructure, one can strongly enhance optical responses that would not have been otherwise possible. This work is an important milestone in modern meta-photonics and will benefit computing and communication technologies.

Asteroids offer valuable windows into the early solar system, given that they are remnants of planetary embryos that failed to form into planets. A recent analysis of samples from Ryugu offered insights into the composition of water- and carbon-rich small bodies in the solar system.

Researchers from Osaka University investigated the thermal energy changes across nanopores that allow the selective flow of ions. Switching off the flow of ions in one direction led to a cooling effect. The findings have applications in nanofluidic devices and provide insight into the factors governing ion channels in cells. The nanopore material could be tailored to tune the cooling and arrays could be produced to scale up the effect.

- Professor Jong-min Choi’s research team at DGIST develops a stabilization technology that simultaneously increases efficiency and stability by applying MXene to quantum dot photovoltaic cells - The introduction of MXene is expected to improve the performance of various electronic devices

- DGIST Professor Dae-ha Seo's research team has successfully developed optical microscopy analysis technology, based on nanochemistry and machine learning, that can observe the phase separation phenomenon of the cell membrane - The technology accurately analyzes the nanoenvironment of the cell membrane and is expected to greatly contribute to disease mechanism research and diagnostic technology

- Doctor Heo Su-jin and Professor Jang Jae-eun’s research team from DGIST developed an ultra-small nano vacuum tube transistor that stably operates in atmospheric pressure without being affected by extreme environments.

A research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University focused on generative AI as an information-gathering tool in the medical field. The results showed that one of the generative AIs suggested mostly fictitious references, while the other suggested multiple references with the same level of accuracy as the researchers. The use of generative AI in literature search suggests the possibility of efficiently collecting a vast amount of medical information, provided that users are well aware that the performance of generative AI is still in its infancy and that not all information presented is necessarily reliable. It is advised to use different generative AIs depending on the type of information needed.

While anger and aggression are instinctive behaviors found across many species, leaving these emotions unchecked can lead to conflict and violence. In a recent study, researchers at Tohoku University demonstrated that neuronal-glial interactions in the cerebellum determine the degree of aggression exhibited by mice. This suggests that future therapeutic methods could adjust glial activity in the cerebellum to help reduce unwanted aggression.

Decreasing pancreatic beta cell numbers – the only cells that produce insulin – is a leading cause of diabetes. In a promising development, a research group has revealed that stimulating autonomic vagal nerves connected to the pancreas can improve the function and also increase the number of pancreatic beta cells in mice.

An international team of researchers led by Osaka Metropolitan University has elucidated the process by which the major flavonoids naringenin, apigenin, and genistein are metabolized in the body. These findings are fundamental in elucidating the correlation between the metabolism of flavonoids in the body and their potential health benefits.

TAIPEI, TAIWAN──For the first time, it is possible to follow, step-by-step and with atomic resolution, what happens when the enzyme DNA photolyase repairs ultraviolet light-induced DNA damage. An international team of researchers led by Academia Sinica, Taiwan, has taken snapshots of the repair process with extremely high time resolution and combined them into a film sequence. The research was published in the scientific journal Science on December 1, 2023.

SUTD researchers refine two-photon polymerisation lithography to create high-precision, nanoscale features, advancing 3D printing to enable the production of intricate components for use in high-tech applications.

Aids local governments in adapting to the threats of climate change

A new bacterial species discovered at the deep-sea hydrothermal vent site ‘Crab Spa’ provides a deeper understanding of bacterial evolution.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Nature Communications how they can control chirality inversion in α helical peptides.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Science Advances how they can accelerate and decelerate chirality inversion in large cage molecules using alkali metal ion binding.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Cancer Research how Kras and p53 mutations influence the tumor suppressor and promoter functions of a TGF- ß pathway. The findings may lead to a new approach for colorectal cancer therapy.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters high-speed atomic force microscopy studies that shed light on the possible role of the open reading frame 6 (ORF6) protein COVID19 symptoms.

Researchers from Osaka University found that HSP47, a collagen-specific chaperone, is a key determinant of body fat levels. HSP47 expression levels are upregulated with obesity and greater food intake and decreased with fasting, exercise, calorie restriction, bariatric surgery, and wasting syndrome, suggesting that HSP47 modulation has a profound effect on fat storage.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers and their colleagues have successfully detected an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray with an energy level comparable to the most energetic cosmic ray ever observed. The cosmic ray is set to be named after the Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu. No promising astronomical object has been identified in the direction from which this cosmic ray originated, implying the potential existence of unknown astronomical phenomena and novel physical origins beyond the Standard Model.

Researchers from Osaka University have shown that lysosomes, key organelles for maintaining cellular stability, can be repaired once damaged by a process termed microautophagy. They identified molecules called STK38 and GABARAPs as key regulators of this process. Depletion of microautophagy regulators lead to increased cellular senescence and a shorter lifespan, indicating the importance of this process. This study is highly significant for the achievement of healthy aging and points toward new therapies for age-related diseases.

Glass is a fundamental material. Yet its atomic structure still baffles scientists to this day. Researchers have developed a new way to quantify ring shapes in chemically bonded networks of glass, chipping away at some of the mysteries behind glass’s atomic structure.