Japan

A research group led by The University of Osaka has discovered that the DNA repair enzyme Polβ plays a crucial role in protecting the developing brain from harmful mutations. The study found that a lack of Polβ leads to a significant increase in small insertions and deletions of DNA, known as indels near CpG sites, which are important regulatory regions in genes. This accumulation of mutations could contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sensitive region detection for improved non-invasive cattle monitoring

What appears to be silver-blue pigment is actually structural coloration—an optical phenomenon that Encephalartos horridus creates through light-scattering wax crystals sculpted from a lipid compound that may date back to the dawn of land plants.

First direct observation of quantum Kelvin–Helmholtz instability reveals eccentric fractional skyrmions

A Japanese superconducting quantum computer, designed and built with homegrown components and software, went live on July 28th at The University of Osaka’s Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB). This achievement signifies Japan's technological prowess in quantum computing, demonstrating the nation's capacity to design, manufacture, and integrate a complete quantum system. Visitors to Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan will have the opportunity to interact with this cutting-edge technology through a dedicated exhibit.

Discovery of new therapeutic effects induced by CAR-T cell therapy

Environmental conditions affect reproduction times in model fish

Prognosis indicators may be detectable in canine test results

A team of theoretical researchers including Kavli IPMU's Hirosi Ooguri, and led by Kyushu University's Yuya Kusuki, have used thermal effective theory to demonstrate for the first time that quantum entanglement follows universal rules across all dimensions.

A joint research team from Japan has observed "heavy fermions," electrons with dramatically enhanced mass, exhibiting quantum entanglement governed by the Planckian time – the fundamental unit of time in quantum mechanics. This discovery opens up exciting possibilities for harnessing this phenomenon in solid-state materials to develop a new type of quantum computer.

Researchers at Tohoku University developed a method that uses an abundant, renewable biomass to ultimately create environmentally-friendly fuels.

Tsunami are rare yet one of the most devasting disasters. Researchers at Tohoku University worked together with Swiss RE International SE (Japan Branch) to develop science-based, cost-effective parametric insurance.

Bacteria in the digestive system may work to maintain balance directly and indirectly

Researchers at Tohoku University unveil a cool new technique that can visualize both the structure and elemental distribution of nanomaterials in frozen solvents.

A collaborative research team from Kanazawa University, the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, and the University of Strathclyde has developed a novel method for forming high-performance high-entropy alloy (HEA) films on various surfaces—without the need for costly alloy targets. By using a proprietary rotating target composed of multiple pure metal segments and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technology, the team successfully demonstrated a cost-effective and versatile approach to HEA film fabrication.

How mHealth app incentives drive health and transit in Japan’s Senboku New Town

A group of researchers led by The University of Osaka have identified a novel genetic mutation in Streptococcus pyogenes, a common bacterium which causes strep throat, significantly associated with severe invasive infections. A single mutation in the bacterial ferric ion transporter enhances bacterial growth in human blood. This mutation, unique to Japanese isolates, indicates a novel pathogenic mechanism. This world-first discovery offers a potential new target for treatments and preventive measures.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have used a miniature heater positioned over a nano-sized opening to gently unzip DNA’s double helix into a single strand for quick, efficient analysis. The device enables detection of longer DNA strands than before while using less power and improving accuracy. The technology could be used in handheld medical devices, helping doctors to diagnose disease and tailor treatments based on patients’ genes.

Researchers are one step closer to finding a common target for treating ALS - a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness.

For the first time, researchers at Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, quickly and efficiently measure the seafloor down to the centimeter-level using an unmanned aerial vehicle

Researchers at The University of Osaka developed a deep learning model for rapid building damage assessment after floods using satellite imagery. This research establishes the first systematic benchmark for this task and introduces a novel semi-supervised learning method achieving 74% of fully supervised performance with just 10% of the labeled data. A new, lightweight deep learning model named Simple Prior Attention Disaster Assessment Net or SPADANet significantly reduces missed damaged buildings, improving recall by over 9% compared to existing models. This work provides crucial design principles for future AI disaster response, enabling faster and more efficient life-saving operations.

A joint international research team has, for the first time, unveiled the crucial link between the structure of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the efficiency of lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction to ammonia, a promising eco-friendly approach to fertilizer production. Using in situ spectroscopy, the team directly observed the previously poorly understood SEI formation process, revealing that the ethanol-to-water ratio in the electrolyte significantly impacts ammonia conversion efficiency. This discovery opens a new avenue for sustainable fertilizer production by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a new program, “postw90-spin,” that enables high-precision calculations of a novel performance indicator for the spin Hall effect, a phenomenon crucial for developing energy-efficient and high-speed next-generation magnetic memory devices. This breakthrough addresses a long-standing challenge in spintronics research by providing a definitive measure of the spin Hall effect, overcoming ambiguities associated with traditional metrics.

As Japanese society increasingly gets global, a new study finds that its education system has not kept pace. Students with foreign roots face cultural and linguistic hurdles in schools that still operate on assumptions of homogeneity. Findings suggest a lack of teacher training on multiculturalism is contributing to isolation and missed learning opportunities for these students.

A team from The University of Osaka found that the intestinal flora works together with the OTUD3 and STING genes to aggravate ulcerative colitis, a disease with no cure that causes major intestinal pain and bloody diarrhea. When the OTUD3 gene is mutated, microbes in the intestinal flora trigger STING signalingOTUD, leading to inflammation in the colon. The intestinal flora and STING signaling may be important new targets for ulcerative colitis treatment.

When fermented with plant-derived bacteria, stevia leaf extract is toxic to pancreatic cancer cells but not to healthy kidney cells

Identification and characterization of a novel tRNA modification enzyme in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis

Researchers have created an alloy that maintains its special ability to act as a sort of temperature-activated memory foam at temperatures as low as -200°C – making it highly suitable for space equipment.

A study by The University of Osaka and the National Institute for Environmental Studies aimed to understand how different rewards influence citizen contributions to biodiversity data. Using the Biome app, 830 users joined a one-week experiment offering either cash, donation-based, or no incentives for posting nature photos. Cash increased total posts, while donations encouraged sharing of rare species. The study reveals how tailoring incentives can improve both the quantity and quality of biodiversity data collected through citizen science.

Rabi-like splitting is one of the key concepts in modern quantum technology. Fully understanding it can help us advance our knowledge in quantum information processing.