Taiwan

A Taiwan-oriented study in Gut shows that gastric cancer is shaped by complex interactions between environmental exposure, microbes, host, and tumor biology. The findings reveal distinct cancer routes and targets linked to prognosis and potential treatment opportunities.

By placing single-atom-thick adlayers of p-block metals on commonly employed gold electrodes (d-block), a research team at National Taiwan University has successfully quantified the "interfacial hopping integral" between molecules and electrodes. This new model establishes a universal descriptor to predict conductance trends in single-molecule junctions, resolving long-standing variations in molecular measurements.

HBsAg seroconversion, durable HBsAg loss, and the presence of anti-HBs are considered indicators of an almost complete cure of chronic HBV infection, which is viewed as a goal that is rarely achieved with current antiviral treatments. Researchers from the College of Medicine of National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital identified that the undetectable circulating HBV RNA after HBeAg-seroconversion is an important predictor of HBsAg seroconversion.

A team of researchers from Taiwan has developed PanMETAI, an AI-powered platform that analyses metabolic fingerprints in a simple blood sample to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages—when treatment is most effective—achieving up to 94% diagnostic accuracy.

Pink1-mediated Parkin activation is insufficient to allow Parkin binding to dysfunctional mitochondria in NME3-defective cells. NME3-regulated lipid signal separates mitochondria from endoplasmic reticulum tethering for PINK1-mediated Parkin binding on depolarized mitochondria.

We uncover moiré-induced electronic reconstruction in PtSe2/PtTe2 heterobilayers, where interfacial hybridization, geometric corrugation, and spin–orbit coupling generate emergent flat bands and distinctive eye-shaped band splitting, as directly confirmed by combined DFT and ARPES measurements.

Chemists at National Taiwan University and collaborators discovered that a seemingly solid, nonporous crystal can “come alive” when heated. A two-step transformation releases trapped molecules, drives a vivid blue → green → yellow glow, and even propels the crystal forward through bubble-powered motion.

In our recent JACS paper, we demonstrate that AI-designed ubiquitin-fold proteins achieve extraordinary stability not by tightening their hydrophobic cores, but by reorganizing surface charges to program a structured hydration shell. Using solution NMR and molecular dynamics simulations, we decode this “hydration shield” as a sequence-encoded and engineerable mechanism for extreme protein resilience.

Researchers developed a compact device that converts sunlight and waste heat into clean hydrogen fuel while simultaneously purifying water. This innovative system improves energy efficiency and offers a promising solution for sustainable energy and environmental remediation.

Researchers in Taiwan demonstrate that installing solar panels above clam ponds can simultaneously support aquaculture and renewable energy under increasing climate stress. Using real-world farm data, the study shows that moderate shading lowers pond temperatures, reduces water demand, and generates clean electricity. This reveals novel, practical synergies across the Water–Energy–Food–Climate–Land nexus.

A new meta-analysis shows that when people eat may be as important as how long they eat. Eating earlier in the day appears to support better metabolic health than eating late, even within time-restricted eating patterns.

A collaborative team from National Taiwan University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University identified an alternative strategy to regulate an immune enzyme linked to cancer and inflammation.

National Taiwan University researchers have developed an ultrahigh-solid-loading (83 vol%) yet highly flowable suspension for 3D printing that produces ceramic parts with extremely low shrinkage and 100% density, overcoming a major barrier in precision ceramic manufacturing.

This study demonstrated a new strategy for engineering the surface and functional properties of 2D SrTiO₃ perovskite nanoplatelets through the hydrothermal transformation of Aurivillius phase Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ nanoplatelets. We successfully synthesised both heterostructural SrTiO₃/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ photocatalyst which exhibited significantly higher H2 evolution rate than those of traditional heterojunction photocatalysts.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy before surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may produce major pathological response in about one-third of the surgical patients. The clinical and pre-clinical research highlighted that the formation of organized immune hubs within the tumor (tertiary lymphoid structure) after ICI therapy is critical for the induction of antitumor immunity.

Scientists at the National Taiwan University Cancer Center and National Taiwan University Hospital have shed light on rare but important situations where radiotherapy to one tumor is accompanied by cancer growth or metastasis at untreated sites.

By utilizing the GaAs substrate miscut, we can modulate the superconducting critical temperature, current, and magnetic field of wafer-scale Al nanofilms grown by molecular beam epitaxy by approximately 10%, 100%, and 1000%, respectively. Our approach points to a simple method of tailoring grain architecture and superconductivity in Al, which is a critical requirement for advancements in quantum computation and engineering.

A fast and efficient tool could change the way researchers collect tiny therapeutic packages from cell cultures, offering a low-cost approach that avoids lengthy processing and complex procedures.

CO2 reduction to storable fuels or valuable chemical products provides a carbon-neutral cycle that can mitigate the rapid consumption of fossil fuels and increasing CO2 emissions. Although solar-driven CO2 reduction holds great promise for sustainable energy, the role and control of atomic-level active sites in governing intermediate formation and conversion pathways remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate a capped VLS growth method employed to grow continuous ultrathin alloy films of molybdenum vanadium sulfide with sulfur vacancies, i.e., Svac-Mo1-xVxS2. The findings indicate a correlation between the density of Svac and the vanadium concentration, leading to the formation of V–Svac pairs, which serve as the active sites for CO2 reduction under solar light with water.

1. Simple, scalable protection for silicon-based Li-ion batteries: A low-cost polymer–ceramic coating dramatically reduces electrode damage caused by silicon expansion. 2. Much longer battery life and improved safety: The coated electrodes last hundreds more charge cycles while maintaining high efficiency and stable operation.

A collaborative team of four professors and several graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemical Science and Technology at National Taiwan University, together with the Department of Applied Chemistry at National Chi Nan University, has achieved a long-sought breakthrough. By combining atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a Hadamard product–based image reconstruction algorithm, the researchers successfully visualized, for the first time, the nanoscopic dynamics of membrane rafts in live cells—making visible what had long remained invisible on the cell membrane.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed a modular platform to reprogram tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), transforming them from oncogenic messengers into safe, customizable drug delivery vehicles through precise molecular editing.

A decade-long study of Northern Taiwan's cities reveals that heat risk inequality evolves with urbanisation characteristics and the connection between green space deficit and heat risk was not a general phenomenon.

Researchers at National Taiwan University reveal that combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and the preservative butylparaben, at a level considered safe on their own, can cause heritable harm, disrupting reproduction across generations through epigenetic changes.

By fine-tuning the surroundings of single cobalt atoms, researchers reveal how tiny design changes can steer oxygen reactions toward cleaner and more efficient hydrogen peroxide production.

A new study suggests that the gut may play a surprising role in childhood migraine. Researchers found that improving gut health could help reduce headache pain and frequency in some children.

A joint research team from National Taiwan University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and National Tsing Hua University has discovered a precise molecular engineering strategy. By adjusting the side chains of organic materials, they have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 18.13 percent.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have proposed a novel method to predict the onset of lithium metal formation—an internal battery response—during fast charging, using only external voltage measurements from commercial lithium-ion cells.

National Taiwan University study reveals how intracellular bacteria co-opt mitochondrial transporters to evade immune defenses, suggesting that blocking this pathway could sensitize drug-resistant pathogens to host immunity.

An AI system that learns from experienced endoscopists and pathologists helps doctors in low-resource areas quickly check stomach health using standard endoscopy images.