Peer Reviewed

Researchers from Tohoku University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency have discovered a new spintronic phenomenon: a persistent rotation of chiral-spin structure. The development paves the way for further application in oscillators, random number generators, and nonvolatile memory.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have discovered a novel defensive response to SARS-CoV-2 that involves the viral pattern recognition receptor RIG-I. Upregulating expression of this protein could strengthen the immune response in COPD patients.

Chirality, the lack of symmetry in matter, is an important issue in a myriad of scientific fields, ranging from high-energy physics to biology. Using magnets, a collaborative research group have furthered our understanding of how chiral information is transferred and memorized.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have shown that an antigen-based test for quantifying SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples is simple, rapid, and more conducive for mass-screening.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore and Tohoku University have demonstrated that an array of electrically connected spintronic devices can harvest a 2.4 GHz wireless signal, which can be used to power and charge small electronic devices and sensors.

Revelations from a fly study could improve our understanding of protein malnutrition in humans.

DGIST scientists have found a novel way to control magnetic spins in a localized space.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have developed a rapid, efficient protocol for cross-coupling reactions, vastly expanding the pool of chemicals that can be used for the synthesis of useful organic compounds.

Landslide tsunamis are difficult to simulate because of the complex interaction between soil and water. But now, researchers from Tohoku University have come up with a hybrid numerical method that allows for relatively accurate simulations.

Scientists from Hokkaido University have used species survey and climate data to identify two marine biodiversity refugia in the Eastern Bering Sea – regions where species richness, community stability and climate stability are high.

Neurone-like junctions made of mixed oxide-based materials could reduce the massive energy consumption of artificial intelligence operations.

Upcoming Solar System exploration missions will search for extraterrestrial (ET) life, but ET life may not be like Earth life. A new mass spectrometry analysis technique may allow for process-based ways to find ET life that is compositionally alien.

Scientists reveal that the deterioration of modern concrete and asphalt structures is due to the presence of trace quantities of organic matter in these structures.

Researchers from Tohoku University have unveiled an ion-selective smart porous membrane that can respond to outer stimuli. Until now, scientists had struggled to apply smart porous membranes to porous thin films of below 10 nm. The developed membranes, however, are applicable to porous thin films with a thickness of 8 nm, paving the way for new applications in molecular separation and sensing applications.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have shown how glasses that apparently look frozen can crystallize, which could contribute to the improvement of the stability of glassy materials

Acetone, a volatile solvent used for everything from removing nail polish and cleaning textiles to manufacturing plastics, could get a sustainability boost from a new strain of bacteria engineered by a research team based in Japan.

A group of researchers have discovered that the cells that line the surfaces of organs or specific tissues – epithelial cells – asymmetrically release two types of exomes with distinct protein compositions. Their discovery could help understand how cancer spreads.

A stable isotope of helium, 3He, was produced by the Big Bang and a remnant of the solar nebula. 3He is included in ocean island basalts, such as in Hawaiian volcanos, indicating it has been stored somewhere in the deep Earth and carried up to the surface in upwelling plumes. New computer simulations demonstrate that even in small amounts, helium can be dissolved in liquid iron at ultrahigh-pressure conditions, suggesting that there is a reservoir in the Earth’s core.

New algorithms are much better at estimating the security level of encrypted data.

Quantum supremacy is now one step closer to realization thanks to a new comprehensive guideline for the solid-state spin qubit. The breakthrough was made by a research group from the University of Chicago, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Ajou University, and Tohoku University.

Scientists have recreated the reaction by which carbon isotopes made their way into different organic compounds, challenging the notion that organic compounds, such as amino acids, were formed by isotopically enriched substrates. Their discovery suggests that the building blocks of life in meteorites were derived from widely available substrates in the early solar system.

Cells breathe, to an extent, exchanging gases, taking in energy sources from the environment and processing it. Now, researchers from Tohoku University have shone a light on the process in a new way.

A team of scientists has found that women’s football was common across Japan between the Meiji restoration and the start of the Second World War. In the process, they also uncovered the oldest known photograph of women playing football in Japan, from 1916.

A facile synthesis of two types of pyrrole-fused azacoronene with planar and double-concave π-structures was achieved. The two electron-rich azacoronenes were found to interact with electron-deficient π-electron compounds depending on their three-dimensional structures. Azacoronene with a curved structure was found to be less aromatic than those with a planar one based on macrocyclic π-conjugation.

An international research team has unearthed more about the crustal growth history of the Central African shield—one of the oldest continental pieces on the planet that formed part of the supercontinent Columbia.

A research team, led by researchers from Tohoku University, has defined the events that punctuated the crustal history Northeast Japan. Their study has revealed the main ages of the events that shaped the geological roots of Japan.

Scientists have shown that the biological molecule PD-L1 is a potential target for the treatment of metastasized oral malignant melanoma in dogs.

A mitochondrial peptide called MOCCI has a surprising sidekick, and they work together to regulate inflammation and immunity, Singapore researchers reveal.

Protons are the next big thing when it comes to fuel cell technology. The subatomic exchange produces power on a scale that challenges contemporary solid-state fuel cell technology, used to help power space shuttles. To realize the proton-based technology sooner, an international team of researchers have developed a hybrid material that effectively transports protons at high temperatures and humidity — two major challenges in past attempts.

Devices that can see shortwave infrared light, which is invisible to the naked eye, could soon become cheaper and more accessible to a broader consumer base.