Science Advances

Leaf stalks – the edible part of vegetables like celery and Swiss chard – can grow even bigger than before thanks to key research identifying the role of a potassium channel called AKT5. Until now, its function has been a mystery.

Hematopoietic stem cells can transform into any type of blood cell. However, this ability declines as we age. Recent research at Tohoku University uses AI to guide their deep dive into understanding which genes cause aging in stem cells.

A research team at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a new optical corner detection imaging method, which uses azimuthal Hilbert transform metasurfaces and is designed to work as a universal framework. The study marks an important advance in high-speed, low-power optical information processing and has demonstrated potential for motion tracking applications.

Researchers from the University of Osaka found that hepatocyte-derived extracellular vesicles treated with sPLA2 (SPLEVs) induce a lipid counterstorm that counteracts cytokine storm in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome. SPLEVs also demonstrated significant beneficial effects in mouse models of sepsis, coagulopathy, liver injury, colitis, and pneumonia. As lysophosphatidylglycerols were identified as a key mediator of SPLEV activity, these findings suggest a promising approach for developing inexpensive, cell-free anti-inflammatory treatments.

Graphene revolutionized materials science after its discovery in 2004. Its list of potential applications is long, but its use in high-temperature superconductors has been stymied by weak electron interactions. Researchers from Tohoku University have recently created a stable version of boron graphene on the surface of a three-dimensional crystal, potentially overcoming this limitation and opening a pathway toward more energy-efficient electronic devices.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo have developed ultrathin wearable sensors that blend seamlessly into skin, reducing discomfort and distraction

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a strategy to make aggregates of nanoparticles plastically deform under heating. Anionic groups are introduced onto the surfaces of cellulose nanofibers and paired with cations from an ionic liquid. At high temperatures, the cations diffuse across the interfaces between the nanofibers in the aggregates, enabling the aggregates to expand. This study is the first time nanoparticle aggregates have been thermoformed without loss of nanoparticle shape or crystallites.

Researchers at National Taiwan University and partner institutions, led by research associate Dr. Raúl Tapia and Associate Professor Sze Ling Ho at the Institute of Oceanography, have uncovered new evidence that Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) — a distinct layer sitting 500–1,500 meters below the ocean surface — played a pivotal role in a major atmospheric carbon dioxide transition that occurred roughly 450,000 years ago. The findings, published in Science Advances, challenge the prevailing view that changes in the deepest layers of the Southern Ocean alone drove this shift, and point instead to intermediate-depth circulation as a previously underestimated regulator of Earth’s carbon cycle.

Researchers including Kavli IPMU's Tadayuki Takahashi have achieved the world's first direct observation of muonic molecules in resonance states using a high-resolution x-ray detector.

Seismicity decreases with depth, though it turns to increase in the mantle transition zone. It has been believed that pressure-induced phase transitions of olivine are the cause of high seismicity in the mantle transition zone. We experimentally showed that a diffusionless phase transition of olivine to poirierite triggers faulting. Our findings provide a natural explanation for the cause of high seismicity in the strongly deformed areas of ‘cold’ deep subducted slabs.

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 from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo detect the motion of hydrogen atoms in palladium at low temperatures using channeling nuclear reaction analysis

Duke-NUS scientists have built one of the largest and most comprehensive maps of the developing human brain, marking a major step forward in testing new therapies for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions

Scientists from National Taiwan University have created a new light-based imaging technology that can trace a person’s blood sugar history by analyzing individual red blood cells. This breakthrough could improve diabetes care and help detect certain cancers earlier through simple, noninvasive testing.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have discovered precursor T follicular regulatory cells (preTfr), comprising 30-50% of circulating Tfr in human blood. preTfr are significantly reduced in severe COVID-19 and sepsis, correlating with increased anti-interferon-gamma autoantibodies and activated atypical B cells. Unlike stable conventional naïve regulatory T cells, preTfr are specifically depleted during severe disease. When stimulated, preTfr up-regulate suppressive molecules including IL-1RA and show enhanced wound healing capacity. Conversely, mRNA vaccination increases preTfr frequency, suggesting controlled immune participation. The findings identify preTfr as a therapeutic target for preventing autoantibody production during severe infections.

A drug called lubiprostone - typically used for constipation - was remarkably shown to help patients with chronic kidney disease.

By just sprinkling it on top and waiting 10 seconds, researchers can use this new fluorescent probe to clearly show synapses, the connection points between brain cells.

A daily mismatch between temperature and humidity, observed in certain mountain and waterside regions, helps regulate atmospheric dryness. However, this protective effect may weaken under global warming.

Geologists from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have made a breakthrough in understanding how the Earth’s early continents formed during the Archean time, more than 2.5 billion years ago.

A research team led by SUTD has created nanoscale glass structures with near-perfect reflectance, overturning long-held assumptions about what low-index materials can do in photonics.

An international research team led by Professor Maestre-Reyna from National Taiwan University filmed a high-resolution, 3D molecular movie of a cryptochrome in action.

Scientists demonstrated room-temperature plasmonic lasing by integrating quasi-two-dimensional perovskites with high-Q plasmonic nanostructures.

A world-first multi-sensor detection of an intense gamma-ray flash has been observed by researchers from The University of Osaka, when two lightning leaders collided. Observations across a wide radiation spectrum enabled precise measurement of the electric current produced during this extreme event, and demonstrated that the gamma-ray flash preceded the collision of the lightning leaders between the thundercloud and the ground.

A joint study by National Taiwan University’s Prof. Hsiao-Mei Wu and Academia Sinica’s Dr. Yi-Chung Tung reveals that oxygen tension elevation during week 4–6 promotes neurogenesis in brain organoids, regulated by Neuroglobin.

What’s Your Body Really Worth? New AI Model Reveals Your True Biological Age from 5 Drops of Blood

Researchers have developed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that efficiently produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) using small temperature differences, offering a sustainable approach to chemical production.

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals molecular structure of twin motors that power mycoplasma’s ability to glide

What created the Noto Peninsula landscape we know today? After examining the devastation from the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, researchers from Tohoku University have a theory.

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a groundbreaking method to expand the palette of bioluminescent protein colors for cell labeling. By creating 20 distinct colors, they have enabled the simultaneous detection of multiple labeled cells using a standard camera. This innovative approach simplifies the tracking of individual cells within a population and holds significant potential for applications such as monitoring cell fate or identifying rare cells with unique responses to drugs.

Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.