Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

International research collaboration develops smarter reuse of past forecasts to improve subseasonal heat predictions—without extra computation

This study shows that MFSD2A transports key lipids (fat molecules) from the blood into the skin, a process critical for maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

- 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

Exercise restores a key cellular balance in ageing muscles, helping them stay stronger and more resilient.

Researchers at The University of Osaka discovered that the protein TMEM217 is essential for sperm motility and male fertility. TMEM217 stabilizes a protein complex that produces the signaling molecule cAMP, which powers the sperm’s tail. Mice lacking TMEM217 have immotile sperm, but treating the sperm with a cAMP-like molecule restored motility and fertility via IVF. This finding opens doors for new diagnostics and therapies for male infertility.

- A research team led by DGIST Professor Younghoon Kee has identified a novel DNA damage repair pathway and mechanism. - Study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), one of the most distinguished international journals.

A team of researchers used a machine learning model to predict unknown chemical pathways, and bring us one step closer to efficiently storing next-generation hydrogen fuels.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have found a surprisingly simple way of understanding social-distancing behavior during an epidemic.

Researchers from Osaka University found that TEX38 and ZDHHC19 co-localize on the plasma membrane of spermatids and mediate S-palmitoylation of ARRDC5, a crucial protein for spermatogenesis. Disrupting either TEX38 or ZDHHC19 inhibited cytoplasm removal from the sperm head, resulting in deformed sperm and infertility in a male mouse model.

A twist you’ll never see coming: a breakthrough in understanding the relationship between chirality and electric flow at a microscopic level may help us develop chiral information technology.

Data could help rethink climate change models regarding sources of carbon and CO2 sinks

Researchers from Osaka University have discovered that GPR31, found in certain immune cells in the human gut, plays a key role in responding to bacterial metabolites and activating immune responses. Specifically, in the presence of metabolite pyruvate, these cells extend dendrites to sample the gut environment, detect pathogens, and activate T cells through GPR31. This discovery could inform the development of new drugs, vaccines, and probiotics that enhance gut immunity by targeting this pathway.

An unprecedented rapid increase in anthropogenic fingerprints around 1952 in the global strata reflects the point in time when humanity began to overwhelm the Earth system

A team of scientists in Singapore and the US uncovered how a protein that controls our biological clock modifies its own function, offering new ways for treating jet lag and seasonal adjustments

The Androgen Receptor in Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells Drives Skeletal Muscle Mass Regulation

Our understanding of Venus' water history and the potential that it was once habitable in the past is being challenged by observations made by researchers from Tohoku University.

- DGIST Professor Ko Jaewon and team identify a single family of synaptic membrane proteins that inhibit excitatory and synaptic properties - The findings may provide key clues to the development of therapeutics for related brain disorders targeting different synaptic protein complexes inhibited by MDGA proteins * MDGA: a synaptic adhesion protein that plays an essential role in how nerve cells connect with each other to transmit neural signals.

New research employs shutter speed analogies to validate 55-year-old theory about chemical reaction rates.

A new technology to increase visibility of cancer cells to the immune system using CRISPR has been developed, and could lead to a new way to treat cancer.

Researchers from Osaka University have discovered a novel treatment to relieve cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a life-threatening inflammation triggered by a serious infection or severe burn. Treatment with a short-acting antibody reduces the inflammatory effects of interleukin-6, a key cytokine in CRS while avoiding the side effects associated with previous longer-acting therapies.

Research by Assistant Professor Edison Ang Huixiang and his team from National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University Singapore

Researchers from Osaka University have shown that a protein called HKDC1 is a new target of another protein, TFEB, and plays key roles in maintaining the stability of both mitochondria and lysosomes. HKDC1 is essential for mitophagy to remove damaged mitochondria, and mediates mitochondria–lysosome contact, which is critical for lysosomal repair. The role of HKDC1 in maintaining the stability of these organelles counteracts cellular senescence, revealing HKDC1 as a potential therapeutic target for age-related diseases.

A broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidate, 2-thiouridine, that targets positive-strand RNA viruses has been identified and characterized.

The authors identified a structure in the circadian mRNA Period2 that affects the sleep-wake cycle. The results indicate how translation and post-transcriptional processes influence the body’s internal clock and its impact on sleep patterns.

This novel technology: - provides potential treatment in relation to restoring aging muscle cells obtained from older adults and remedying sarcopenia in aging animals through bioelectric medicine - presents a new paradigm for treating sarcopenia, for which no drugs are currently available to treat this condition - has been reported in the internationally renowned academic journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

Study addresses gaps in understanding of swine influenza A virus evolution and highlights need for early warning of disease emergence

DNA and RNA, the two main types of nucleic acid and the building blocks of life, are susceptible to environmental stimuli, which can cause them to deform, bend or twist. These deformations can significantly affect gene regulation and protein functions, but they are extremely difficult to measure using traditional techniques. Recently, a research team co-led by a physicist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) accurately measured the change in a nucleic acid induced by salt, temperature change and stretching force. Their findings help reveal the underlying universal deformation mechanisms of DNA and RNA.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, provide physical insights into porous soft materials, which will facilitate the design of many energy, medical, and other technologies.

The brain is a highly efficient, sophisticated information processing system. To achieve maximum efficiency, it can store reservoirs of interconnected nodes that transform input signals into a more complex representation. This has inspired a theoretical computational model known as reservoir computing. A research team has recently harnessed this model to analyze the computational capabilities of an artificially cultured brain composed of neurons derived from the cerebral cortex of rats.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments that show how ligands associated with stimulating and suppressing activation of the TRPV1 protein increase and decrease the molecule’s structural variations. The observations provide insights into how these heat- and chilli-sensing proteins function.