Biology

- Joint research team of DGIST and KBSI developed precision protein analysis technology to identify causes of intractable diseases - Presented a new analytical horizon for developing treatments for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes - Developed an innovative analytical method for structural analysis of proteins lacking Specific 3-dimensional structures

Researchers at Hiroshima University and Gifu Kyoritsu University identified Hepatitis B RNA serum levels as a biomarker that more accurately stratifies risk of liver cancer in individuals who have been functionally cured of chronic hepatitis B.

Biochemical and structural biological analysis of a hypothetical gene (protein) within a gene cluster related to metabolic pathway of L-threonate, a four-carbon sugar acid, revealed it’s enzyme function as a L-threonate 3-dehydrogenase and physiological role for metabolic diversity. Although the existence of this enzyme itself was reported in the same academic journal in 1964, the molecular identity of which has remained unknown for over 60 years.

- The brain continues to grow even after adolescence ... according to collaborative research by DGIST and Yonsei University - Demonstrated proactive maturation of the thalamic reticular nucleus against the circuit stalemate theory after the critical period - Opened new frontiers for autism, ADHD treatment, and cognitive rehabilitation with synaptic adhesion protein LRRTM3 as a key switch in high-resolution sensory transduction

The indigenous Bugkalot people of Nueva Ecija call it “kelli” but science has only now been able to identify it as a distinct species and given it a formal scientific name

Cleaner fish interacted with a mirror in their tank in a way that suggests ‘contingency testing’ intelligence, a higher form of smarts typically found in mammals. This finding coupled with faster self-recognition than previously thought, expands our image of intelligence in these social fish.

DNA - the blueprint of life – can also act as a reaction vessel that guides chemical reactions. This is possible using interstrand crosslinking technology developed by researchers at Tohoku University.

An international collaborative research team, including researchers from the Faculty of Frontier Engineering at Kanazawa University, has for the first time elucidated sex differences in motor unit firing patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease. Utilizing high-density surface electromyography (HD-SEMG), their detailed analysis of motor unit activity revealed that female patients exhibited significantly greater asymmetry in motor unit discharge rates and lower persistent inward currents (PICs) compared to males. These findings suggest that neurodegeneration may be more asymmetrical in females, even when presenting with similar motor symptoms. This study indicates that motor unit behavior can serve as a sensitive evaluation tool to highlight differences in disease presentation between sexes, potentially leading to the development of personalized treatment strategies that consider sex-specific factors in the future.

Researchers at Tohoku University discovered an intranodal lympho-venous shunt (a sort of bypass route) that could help us unravel the complicated, intertwined network of our body’s lymphatic system.

A comprehensive analysis of supersulfide production in fermented soybeans

When cultivated tobacco is crossed with a wild relative it erases lethal genes, allowing normally fatal hybrids to survive.

A potential breakthrough for jet lag and shift work-related sleep disorders. A Japanese research team has discovered a new compound that can advance the body’s internal clock—offering hope for faster recovery from jet lag and better adaptation to night-shift work. The compound, called Mic-628, specifically activates the transcription of a clock gene named Period1 (Per1). When given orally to mice, it advanced their body clocks and activity rhythms, regardless of dosing time. The findings suggest a new approach to controlling circadian rhythms through drug action rather than light exposure.

A Hiroshima University-led project has secured a $1.8 million grant to develop a way to store bull semen using simple refrigeration instead of costly cryopreservation, a shift that could remove a major barrier to modern dairy cattle breeding that has long shut out farmers in low-resource regions. If successful, the technology is expected to boost milk yields, stabilize incomes for small-scale dairy farmers, and improve nutrition.

More than 190 students from 13 local secondary schools will take part in a year-long programme to gain hands-on experience in preparing an extremely rare whale specimen for public exhibitions scheduled for 2027. The Environment and Conservation Fund “Sea” Through Cetacean: STEAM Student Ambassador Programme & Cetacean Conservation Exhibition, organised by the Division of Science of Lingnan University in collaboration with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Cetacea Research Institute, and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, was officially launched on 1 February 2026. This initiative builds on the rare stranding of a Longman’s beaked whale in Hong Kong in 2024, providing students with a unique opportunity to assist in the preparation of skeletal specimens of one of the world’s most mysterious marine mammal species. The project also promotes cetacean conservation and will educate the public in key marine environmental issues, including plastic pollution in the oceans.

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.

Sticky life beginnings. Precarious pitcher plant, Breaking the cobalt "cage", Toxic algae killer & “Pure-bred” stem cell medium. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus Asia Research News 2026 is out now and SciCom Coffee talk by Rachael Smith at Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) and the Cancer Research Institute at Kanazawa University led have uncovered how targeted lung cancer drugs alter the shape and behavior of a key cancer-driving protein—revealing a hidden mechanism that helps explain why some treatments stop working over time.

- Professor Jaewon Ko’s research team at DGIST, in collaboration with international researchers, identified that the loss of function of the MDGA2 gene induces severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy - This discovery is expected to pave the way for early diagnosis and the development of new therapies

Skeletal muscle stem cells in hibernating Syrian hamsters preserve their ability to function by suppressing their activation during the hibernation period, a research team led by Hiroshima University has shown. This insight may lead to a broader understanding of the maintenance of muscle tissue under prolonged low temperature conditions and may eventually lead to therapeutic applications.

A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) recently collaborated with an international research team to publish a study revealing a correlation between global contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in globally consumed edible marine fish and associated human health risks. The study found that consumers may be exposed to elevated levels of PFAS by consuming imported fish such as salmon, tuna, swordfish and cod — even in regions with low environmental pollution — thereby increasing food‑safety risks.

Yasuhiro Iba and his colleagues use complex imaging systems to reveal the secrets of Earth’s ancient creatures.

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.

Innovative approaches in cancer screening, drug development, and radioactive hazard protection are accelerating healthcare solutions.

From icy seas to humid forests, research collaborations between the United Kingdom and Malaysia are helping to advance our understanding of diseases, develop vaccines and antibiotics, preserve precious habitats and address the challenge of plastic waste.

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.

Bacteria are good at evolving to evade efforts to destroy it. But building defenses like antibiotic resistance drains limited energy resources, forcing tough survival trade-offs. A recent study has revealed how bacteria in water allocates its limited energy supply. Understanding these hidden energy choices could be key to slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.

Symptoms of depression are common among people with asthma, but growing evidence suggests they may arise from biological mechanisms different from those underlying major depressive disorder.

A research team at The University of Osaka revealed that the loss of heterochromatin can cause a chain reaction leading to genetic changes and the subsequent development of diseases including cancer. Using fission yeast, the study specifically found that loss of Clr4, which encodes a methyltransferase, can induce an increase in R-loop levels at pericentromeric repeats, and the later conversion of R-loops into ADR-loops can prompt gross chromosomal rearrangements.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, in collaboration with Osaka University and the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism behind the activation of the Met receptor—a key player in tissue regeneration and cancer progression. Their findings reveal that HGF binding to the membrane-distal domain of Met promotes dimerization at the membrane-proximal domain, which subsequently triggers receptor activation.

Scientists at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have captured real-time images showing how a key brain enzyme organizes itself to help memory formation. Their study, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the enzyme CaMKII forms mixed α/β subunit structures whose interactions stabilize learning-related signals in neurons.