Japan

News

xray machine learning
26 Feb 2024
Analysis of materials can be done quicker and with less expertise with the help of proven machine learning techniques established in biomedical fields.
GPT4 chemistry
26 Feb 2024
GPT-4 shows promise as an aid to chemistry researchers, yet its limitations reveal the need for further improvements.
robotic head
26 Feb 2024
Researchers have developed a proof-of-concept system that allows robotic experiments to run without any human intervention.
molecular structure representation
26 Feb 2024
Researchers have developed an AI-driven system that can design novel molecules with any desired properties and suggest methods to create them using readily available materials.
robot hand on keyboard
26 Feb 2024
Researchers have combined machine learning with robotic process automation to speed up and simplify a time-consuming process.
cells
23 Feb 2024
A new technique allows researchers to map how the cellular “skeleton” adapts to external stress.
23 Feb 2024
Researchers from Osaka University have found that, after chronic social isolation, one form of ketamine—(R)-ketamine—is effective for restoring neuronal activation in a brain region known as the anterior insular cortex. This restored activation leads to improvements in social impairments in a mouse model of depression. Together, these findings indicate that (R)-ketamine is a promising treatment for social symptoms of depression and may lead to better quality of life for millions of people worldwide.
Innovative technology for the comprehensive analysis of membrane protein extracellular interactions.
22 Feb 2024
Innovative technology for the comprehensive analysis of membrane protein extracellular interactions.
22 Feb 2024
Researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University report in Nature Communications that TMEM16F, a transmembrane protein that facilitates the passive movement of phospholipids and ions across membranes, explores a larger conformational landscape than previously thought to perform its unique functions. The finding refines our molecular understanding of crucial physiological processes such as blood coagulation and COVID-19 pathogenesis, and highlights the importance of probing membrane proteins in native-like environments.
During masting, trees produce an increased amount of acorns. (Photo: Lea Végh)
22 Feb 2024
The effects of a phenomenon called tree masting on ecosystems and food webs can be better understood thanks to new theoretical models validated by real world observations.
Treatment with human MITO cells (bottom right) effectively suppresses myocardial fibrosis in rat models with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, compared to treatment with human CDCs (bottom left). Sham (top left) represents undamaged cardiac tissue, while Buffer (top right) represents damaged tissue without cell administration. (Masahiro Shiraishi, et al. Journal of Controlled Release. February 3, 2024)
21 Feb 2024
Regenerative therapy to treat heart failure is more effective when the mitochondria of the regenerative cells are activated prior to treatment.
19 Feb 2024
In a study recently published in Nature Genetics, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University explore chromatin accessibility, i.e., endogenous access pathways to the genomic DNA, and its use as a tool for gene editing.
16 Feb 2024
Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Journal of Cell Science on a novel role of the small Ca2+-binding protein S100A11 in focal adhesion disassembly.
16 Feb 2024
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University assess why post-operative symptoms such as pins and needles, sudden cold, burning, itching, and numbness in the limbs remain in patients suffering from cervical spondylotic myelopathy, even after surgery. The researchers also evaluated the patients’ satisfaction with postoperative treatment. They found that it was lower for those who still had paresthesia in their hands and feet, regardless of whether their motor symptoms had improved or not.
Artistic representation of nanospheres
15 Feb 2024
Coordination polymer crystals show promise as a new generation of light sources for industry and medicine.
metal bar
15 Feb 2024
A new method allows scientists to gather enough information about the properties of metals to enable the prediction of the properties of new materials.
15 Feb 2024
Researchers from Osaka University found that the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii activates another bacterial species, Fusobacterium nucleatum, to produce large quantities of methyl mercaptan, a compound responsible for bad breath. Disrupting this interaction could therefore help treat halitosis, and possibly also help prevent the development of more serious tooth and gum disease.
vaccine syringe
15 Feb 2024
Vaccines and therapies based on messenger RNA could be more readily delivered due to a non-toxic polymer that protects RNA and controls its release inside cells.
14 Feb 2024
Researchers from Osaka University and collaborating partners succeeded in biomanufacturing from chemically synthesized sugar for the first time in the world. With refinement of this technology, one can envision a future society in which the sugar required for biomanufacturing can be obtained "anytime, anywhere, and at high rate". In the future, biomanufacturing using chemically synthesized sugar is expected to be a game changer in the biotechnology field—including the production of biochemicals, biofuels, and food, where sugar is an essential raw material—ultimately leading to the creation of a new bio-industry.
14 Feb 2024
An innovative and more efficient way to produce fumaric acid that not only reduces carbon dioxide emissions, but also reuses waste resources to make biodegradable plastics
14 Feb 2024
Researchers from Osaka University have found that gargling with an antiseptic mouthwash can reduce so-called ‘bad’ bacteria in the mouths of patients with type 2 diabetes. Notably, this reduction in bacteria was accompanied by improved blood-sugar control in some patients. Given that the oral diseases caused by these bacteria have been linked to many other serious inflammation-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, this simple treatment may have widespread effects.
13 Feb 2024
The properties of supramolecular polymers are dictated by the self-assembled state of the molecules. However, not much is known about the impact of morphologies on the properties of nano- and mesoscopic-scale polymeric assemblies. Recently, a research team demonstrated how terminus-free toroids and random coils derived from the same luminescent molecule show different photophysical properties. The team also presented a novel method for purifying the toroidal structure.
13 Feb 2024
Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have solved a foundational problem in transmitting quantum information, which could dramatically enhance the utility of integrated circuits and quantum computing.
13 Feb 2024
Researchers including Kavli IPMU have used equipment originally intended for astronomy observation to capture transformations in the nuclear structure of atomic nuclei, reports a study in Scientific Reports.
3D structures
08 Feb 2024
A trained AI system learns to design cellular materials with specific target properties for a wide range of potential uses, including tissue engineering and energy storage.
yellow spheres
08 Feb 2024
A new coating for tiny vaccine carriers allows vaccines to remain in the body for longer.
glacier and marine snow
07 Feb 2024
Yokohama National University scientists are working towards creating a better tomorrow by addressing diverse challenges, from snow algae and tropical cyclones to AI cyberthreats, and much more.
Artist’s impression of an outflow of molecular gas from the quasar J2054-0005 (Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO))
01 Feb 2024
Theoretical predictions have been confirmed with the discovery of an outflow of molecular gas from a quasar when the Universe was less than a billion years old.
01 Feb 2024
Researchers from Osaka University and IMRA AMERICA demonstrated a 300 GHz-band wireless link that was able to transmit data over a single channel at a rate of 240 gigabits per second. The wireless communication system employs signal generators based on lasers that have ultra-low phase noise in the sub-terahertz band. This rate is the highest so far reported at these frequencies and is a substantial step forward in 300 GHz-band communications for 6G networks.
30 Jan 2024
A team of researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University assessed the feasibility of conducting cardiopulmonary exercise testing with the upper limbs as an alternative to the conventional method that uses the lower limbs. The researchers investigated the relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake during exercise stress tests using a cycle ergometer and an arm crank ergometer, and estimated maximal oxygen uptake. The study participants were 17 male collegiate athletes from rowing and cycling clubs. The results showed that the estimated maximal oxygen uptake for both rowing and cycling groups was lower on the arm crank ergometer than on the cycle ergometer. Additionally, this study showed that exercise testing using an upper extremity ergometer underestimates cardiopulmonary function, regardless of upper limb training status.

Events

03 Jul 2019
Asia's leading pharma industry event
09 Oct 2019
Asia's Premier Partnering Event for the Global Biotechnology Industry
05 Mar 2019
Accelerate your pathway to partnerships in Asia
28 Feb 2019
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal will be presented to Professor David W. W. MacMillan (Princeton University, USA), and the Silver Medal will be presented to Professor Chihaya Adachi (Kyushu University, Japan).
04 Oct 2018
ISTbM-6 with the 14th Hirata Award and the 4th Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award.
10 Jun 2018
The Kavli IPMU invites you gain insight into how physics predicts our Universe may exist alongside an infinite number of other universes, and how philosophy suggests the world as we know it may not exist at all.
22 Dec 2017
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal will be presented to Prof. “Bert” Meijer (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands), and the Silver Medal will be presented to Prof. Hiroaki Suga (The University of Tokyo, Japan).
20 Nov 2017
ISTbM-5 with the 13th Hirata Award and the 3rd Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award
03 Aug 2017
The International ERATO Itami Molecular Nanocarbon Symposium 2017 will be held on August 3-4, 2017 at Nagoya University, Japan. This symposium will focus on recent achievements in the synthesis, utilization, and analysis of structurally well-defined nanocarbons and related materials.
27 Jan 2017
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor Stephen Buchwald of MIT (USA) and the Silver Medal is awarded to Professor Masaya Sawamura of Hokkaido University (Japan).
12 Dec 2016
ISTbM-4 with the 12th Hirata Award and the 2nd Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award
17 Oct 2016
This symposium will highlight research and education for the creation of a healthy society toward the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The lectures and discussions cover the themes including the promotion of safe water environments, hazardous material elimination, and mother-and-child health.
27 Jul 2016
This year, we will hold its second symposium to further seek novel molecules and materials for dissecting and controlling mechano-nanoarchitectonics of life. Presentations in the symposium are made by a wide variety of speakers from material science, sensors and actuators, mechanochemistry, interfacial sciences, and of course biology.
26 Jun 2016
On behalf of the ISEE-ISES AC2016 Sapporo organizing committees, it is great pleasure to welcome you to the 5th ISEE Asia Chapter and the first joint symposium of ISEE and ISES, Asia chapter. The program theme is “Environment, Health, and Sustainable Society” and will be held in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan on June 26-29th, 2016.
13 Jun 2016
The First International Symposium on Advanced Soft Matter: Celebrating the Kick-off of the Global Station for Soft Matter, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Japan.
22 Jan 2016
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor Stuart Schreiber of the HHMI, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Harvard University, USA and the Silver Medal is awarded to Professor Zhaomin Hou of RIKEN, Japan.
25 May 2015
This international symposium brings together world-class scientists in biology and chemistry, including, Dr. Ashraf Brik (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel) and Dr. Feng Zhang (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, USA).
21 Oct 2014
GREEN Open Seminar will be held on 21st October, 2014, to have a lecture by Dr. Hiroaki Benten, Assistant Professor, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University.
27 Oct 2014
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor John F. Hartwig of the University of California, Berkeley, USA and the Silver Medal is awarded to Prof. Itaru Hamachi of Kyoto University, Japan.
12 May 2014
The 2nd International Symposium on Transformative Bio-Molecules 2014 is an annual event held by the ITbM, inviting prestigious speakers from around the world to enhance interdisciplinary research between molecular synthetic chemistry and plant biology.
01 Jul 2013
NIMS Conference 2013 will be discussing the latest innovations in nano electronics. Registration deadline is June 23 and abstract submission deadline is May 17.
15 Nov 2012
The Irago Conference 2012 (Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2012) will be held November 15-16, 2012 in Irago, Aichi prefecture, Japan.
04 Jun 2012
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) is pleased to announce “NIMS Conference 2012” to be held from June 4 to 6 2012. The theme is “Structural Materials Science and Strategy for Sustainability - Back to the Basics“
29 Feb 2012
The MANA International Symposium, jointly held with International Center for Young Scientist (ICYS) is organized once a year to disseminate the research results of MANA and ICYS to a wide audience.
17 Feb 2012
In this symposium, advancement of R & D especially on renewable electrical energy sources and structural materials for seismic safety using nanotechnology will be reviewed.
17 Nov 2011
This conference provides an ‘interdisciplinary-platform’ to enhance mutual understanding between scientists, engineers, policy makers, and experts from a wide spectrum of pure and applied sciences in order to resolve the daunting global issues facing mankind.
17 Oct 2011
This Conference focus on the development in micro and nanotechnologies. It will take place at Hotel Sinaia in Romania from 17th to 20th October 2011.
15 Sep 2011
SIBCON-2011 is the leading Conference in Siberia for learning the latest development on control systems, compound semiconductors, RF devices and microwave circuit applications.
19 Sep 2011
The ASAM-3 is organised by Kyushu University for interdisciplinary discussion between scientists from Asian universities, research institutions and companies on chemistry, physics and biology of advanced materials. Deadline for Early Registration is August 1, 2011

Researchers

National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Dr Ryota Tamate is a materials scientist at the Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan.
Nagoya University
Yukikazu Takeoka is a materials engineer at the Department of Molecular Design & Engineering at Nagoya University, Japan.
Hokkaido University
Daisuke Hirano is an assistant professor at the Ocean and Sea Ice Dynamics Group, the Institute of Low Temperature Science of Hokkaido University, Japan.
Hokkaido University
Jorge García Molinos is an aquatic ecologist broadly interested in global change ecology and macroecology.
I am a sociologist studying domestic violence and sexual violence situations and measures in Japan, and am the director of two NGOs, All Japan Women’s Shelter Network and Rape Crisis Center in Hiroshima. As an NGO activist, we, All Japan Women’s Shelter Network, submitted “The Request for the Prevention of DV and Child Abuse under the Condition of Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures” to the Japanese government on March 30. This letter of request drew more attention than we expected, and many newspapers and TV quickly covered the issue. A lot of people have talked about this online. The prime minister and minister of gender equality have since addressed the issue in statements, and the Cabinet has approved emergency funding for expanded consultation services.
Picture of Yuka Jibiki
As a young research practitioner, I’ve been working with more than 1,000 female college students who participate in study abroad programs. As a women’s school graduate, I believe in the power of female education in women’s school while there are sceptical views of its existence.
Picture of Sachiko Kawai
My research on how medieval Japanese royal women strategized to overcome disparity is relevant in a time when COVID-19 has exposed ongoing problems tied to the vulnerability of (Japanese) women and gender stereotypes (e.g. recent remarks by Tokyo Olympics chief Mori).
Tohoku University
I am engaged in the development of a new device for embryo evaluation which measures embryo oxygen consumption and a new medication for infertility. Recently, I focused on causative genes of disorders of sex development and searched pathogenic variants using a whole-genome reference panel constructed by Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization.
Tohoku University
Image of Professor Hirano-Iwata
I am a leading expert in the reconstruction of an artificial cell membrane as a novel system for screening side effects of drugs on the heart. This system can assess the potential risks of drugs that unintentionally interfere with the function of membrane proteins in the heart muscle.
Masako Tanaka is a practitioner, activist and academic focusing on gender and migration issues in Japan. She is a professor at the Department of Global Studies at Sophia University, Japan.
Kyoto University
Mitsuyo Wada-Marciano is a professor at the Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Japan. She is specialized in Japanese and East Asian cinemas with focus on digital media, disaster film, eco-cinema, and post-colonial cinema in cases of Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.
Hokkaido University
Madoka Ono is an associate professor at the Research Institute for Electronic Science/Green Nanotechnology Research Center at Hokkaido University and is the principal researcher at AGC Inc. Materials Integration Laboratories.
Tohoku University
Director of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University since April 2014, and also is a professor of Tsunami Engineering
Hokkaido University
Professor, Faculty of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Materials scientist studying structure and microstructure of metal and alloys by transmission electron microscopy. Specialize in light metals and quasicrystals.
Kyoto University
Masanori Shimono is an associate professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.

Giants in history

Ruby Sakae Hirose (1904 – 1960) was a Japanese-American scientist whose research contributed significantly to our understanding of blood clotting, allergies and cancer.
Haisako Koyama (1916 – 1997) was a Japanese solar observer whose dedication to recording sunspots – cooler parts of the sun’s surface that appear dark – produced a sunspot record of historic importance.
Michiaki Takahashi (17 February 1928 – 16 December 2013) was a Japanese virologist who developed the first chickenpox vaccine.
Toshiko Yuasa (11 December 1909 – 1 February 1980) was the first Japanese female physicist whose research on radioactivity shed light on beta decay – the process in which an atom emits a beta particle (electron) and turns into a different element.
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo (29 January 1856 – 13 June 1931) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist whose work led to a new understanding of preventing and treating tetanus, diphtheria and anthrax.
By isolating soil microorganisms and studying the compounds they produce, Satoshi Omura (born 1935) discovered almost 500 organic compounds with unique properties that were produced by these microorganisms, including many new antibiotics.
In 1915, pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa and his research assistant Koichi Ichikawa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
In 1915, Koichi Ichikawa along with pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
Reiji Okazaki (8 October 1930 – 1 August 1975) and Tsuneko (7 June 1933) were a Japanese couple who discovered Okazaki fragments – short sequences of DNA that are synthesized during DNA replication and linked together to form a continuous strand.
Tsuneko (7 June 1933) and Reiji Okazaki (8 October 1930 – 1 August 1975) were a Japanese couple who discovered Okazaki fragments – short sequences of DNA that are synthesized during DNA replication and linked together to form a continuous strand.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
Hideki Yukawa (23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 for predicting the existence of the pi meson subatomic particle. Japan’s first Nobel laureate, Yakawa also expressed his support for nuclear disarmament by signing the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955.
Shinichiro Tomonaga (31 March 1906 – 8 July 1979), together with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, for their contributions to advance the field of quantum electrodynamics. Tomonaga was also a strong proponent of peace, who actively campaigned against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoted the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Japanese chemist Kenichi Fukui (4 October 1918 – 9 January 1998) was the first Asian scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Together with Roald Hoffman, he received this honour in 1981 for his independent research into the mechanisms of chemical reactions.
Minoru Shirota (April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist who invented the popular fermented drink Yakult.
Japanese physicist Ukichiro Nakaya (1900-1962) made the world’s first artificial snowflakes. He started his research on snow crystals in the early 1930s at Hokkaido University, where there is an unlimited supply of natural snow in winter. By taking over 3,000 photographs, he established a classification of natural snow crystals and described their relationship with weather conditions.
The techniques that make industrial pearl culturing possible were developed over a century ago at the Misaki Marine Biological Station in Japan. The station’s first director, Professor Kakichi Mitsukuri, emphasized to Kokichi Mikimoto in 1890 that stimulating pearl sac formation was important for pearl growth, and they went on to successfully develop methods for culturing pearls.
The field of solid-state ionics originated in Europe, but Takehiko Takahashi of Nagoya University in Japan was the first to coin the term ‘solid ionics’ in 1967. ‘Solid-state ionics’ first appeared in 1971 in another of his papers, and was likely a play on ‘solid-state electronics’, another rapidly growing field at the time.
Chika Kuroda (24 March 1884 – 8 November 1968) was a Japanese chemist whose research focussed on the structures of natural pigments.
Motoo Kimura (13 November 1924 – 13 November 1994) was a Japanese theoretical population geneticist who is best remembered for developing the neutral theory of molecular evolution.
Osamu Shimomura (27 August 1928 – 19 October 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist who dedicated his career to understanding how organisms emitted light.
Kikunae Ikeda (8 October 1864 – 3 May 1936) was a Japanese chemist who discovered the fifth basic taste, umami.
Umetaro Suzuki (7 April 1874 – 20 September 1943) was a Japanese scientist best remembered for his research on beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, characterized by limb stiffness, paralysis and pain.
Kono Yasui (16 February 1880 – 24 March 1971) was a Japanese botanist who researched the genetics of poppies, corn and spiderworts and surveyed the plants that had been affected by the nuclear fallout after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hitoshi Kihara (1893 – 1986) was one of the most famous Japanese geneticists of the 20th century. One of his most significant contributions was identifying sex chromosomes (X and Y) in flowering plants.
Michiyo Tsujimura (17 September 1888 – 1 June 1969) was a Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist recognized for her research of green tea components.
A Japanese surgeon, Tetsuzo Akutsu (20 August 1922 – 9 August 2007) built the first artificial heart capable of keeping an animal alive.
Ogino Ginko (3 March 1851 – 23 June 1913) was the first registered female doctor to practise modern medicine in Japan.
Japanese geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi developed the first method and tools for measuring carbon dioxide in seawater