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Changes in daytime and night-time warming have divergent effects on plant productivity, according to a report in this week’s Nature.

Four papers published in this week's Nature Genetics show new breakthroughs in the study of M. tuberculosis genome sequencing and drug resistance.

The small and light electric car completely folds in half when parking, making it a perfect fit for public or private transportation in an urban environment.

Genetic variants associated with haematological cancers, which affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, are reported in two independent studies this week in Nature Genetics.

Researchers at KAIST have published a detailed protocol for synthetic sRNA-based gene expression control that will prove useful for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology studies.  

Scientists plan experiments to increase virulence of Influenza A (H7N9) and induce drug resistance, under strict laboratory controls and safety measures to find out what makes the virus potentially lethal in humans, and how to stop its possible spread.

For the first time anywhere, electric buses provide public transportation services and are recharged right from the road.

A natural genetic variant that changes the growth angle of rice plant roots allows the plants to maintain high yield under drought conditions, reports an article published online this week in Nature Genetics.

A method that is used to track the fate of a single stem cell within mouse lung tissue is reported in a study published online this week in Nature Nanotechnology. The method may offer insights into the factors that determine the acceptance of transplanted stem cells, and their ability to regenerate within a host.

A new drug capable of inhibiting growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is reported this week in Nature Medicine. The findings may improve therapeutic options for the treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB).

Utilizing existing features on smartphones, the MagPen provides users with a compatible and simple input tool regardless of the type of phones they are using.

The WCRF International Regular Grant Programme 2013/14 cycle opened on the 15th July 2013. The grant programme accepts research applications on the link between diet, nutrition, body fatness, physical activity and cancer incidence and survival.

When walking on muddy or bumpy roads, the two arms of DRC-HUBO become extra legs, enabling stable and agile movements.

Two notable press releases from Japan and China in Nature this week on a functional liver from stem cells and the threat posed by H7N9 virus

A new prototype random-access memory, which uses light for reading out information, is presented in this week’s online issue of Nature Communications. This memory has an exceptionally high write and read speed, a low energy consumption and good endurance making it a promising candidate in the quest for a “universal memory”.

The discovery of the oldest nearly complete skeleton of a primate, reported in this week’s Nature, provides insights into the earliest phases of primate evolution.

Antibiotic resistance in Asia, super batteries, the best coffee in the Philippines, protecting elephants from lightning, the end of bad drivers and the true impact of free formula milk for babies. You can read these and more in the 2013 issue of Asia Research News now available online.

16 May 2013 - A new study published in PNAS argues that for fisheries policies to be effective they must take in to account not just fish stock conservation and environmental issues, but also research data on the patterns and dynamics of fish trade, markets and user consumption.

The government of Timor-Leste has developed a National Aquaculture Development Strategy, designed to help reduce high levels of poverty and chronic malnutrition throughout the country.

The World Health Organisation has reported seven people in China have contracted Influenza A H7N9, including two deaths. The UK and Australian Science Media Centre has asked some experts for their opinions. Journalists are welcome to use these expert quotes.

Wildlife Conservation Society and National University of Singapore discover American bullfrog is spreading Chytrid through commercial trade

Penang, Malaysia 6 Feb - A group of international scientists have sequenced the draft genome sequence of the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, the major commercial source of natural rubber. The manuscript describing the draft genome is published in BMC Genomics.

Influenza scientists this week announce their intention to resume research into H5N1 avian influenza virus transmission in countries in which governments and institutions have given approval and in which appropriate biosafety and biosecurity conditions have been met. The announcement is published jointly in the journals Nature and Science.

Shenzhen, China 8 Jan - Chinese researchers have solved the mystery of the function of sheaths in flowering orchids. In a paper published in PLOS ONE, the team led by Zhong-Jian Liu at the Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen and Laiqiang Huang at Tsinghua University found the perch to be essential to orchid reproduction.

Genetic variants associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocelullar carcinoma (HCC) are reported this week in Nature Genetics. Chronic HBV infection is a primary risk factor for HCC, one of the most common cancers worldwide.

A method for reprogramming human cells in urine samples into neural progenitor cells is reported in a paper published in Nature Methods this week.

A research group of University of Tsukuba, RIKEN, and Tokyo Institute of Technology announced that the ACM Gordon Bell Prize (*1) was awarded to that group.

The British High Commission in Singapore announces a Call for Proposals to support the initial stages of new collaborations between UK and Southeast Asia researchers in the field of Translational Skin Biology. Applications by 14th December 2012.

Professor Ramona Flores and Roberto Verzola turned over to Chancellor Caesar A. Saloma today 10 copies of the book "Not On Our Watch: Martial Law Really Happened. We Were There" at the Office of the Chancellor.

A metamaterial invisibility cloak that can adapt to hide different sized objects is demonstrated by in Nature Communications this week. The findings represent a useful advance for more practical applications of metamaterial cloaking. The research is led by Yonsei University, Korea.