Environment

A new species of jellyfish has been discovered! Researchers at Tohoku University named this venomous creature Physalia mikazuki, after the crescent moon helmet worn by Sendai’s feudal lord Date Masamune.

Scientists shine a light on the properties of the gemstone ammolite -- a rare type of brightly coloured fossilised ammonite shell.

Three‑Layer Trap: Congener‑Specific PCBs Accumulation Driven by the Biological Pump in the Sea of Japan

$5.5 Million partnership with WCS and WorldFish will expand Bangladesh’s Marine Protected Area network and strengthen community-led ocean stewardship

DeePFAS, a novel deep-learning model, streamlines large-scale non-targeted screening of "forever chemicals" (PFAS) by projecting raw MS2 spectra into a latent space of chemical features, offering a rapid, AI-driven solution to replace complex traditional analysis.

A research team led by Associate Professor Tomoya Kataoka at Ehime University, in collaboration with Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd., Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., and Wageningen University’s Associate Professor Tim van Emmerik, has developed AI software using deep learning to detect, classify, and track plastics flowing in rivers. The system automatically estimates transport volumes from video data, supporting continuous monitoring and advancing understanding of land-to-sea plastic transport. The findings appear in Water Research.

A common soil fungus (Purpureocillium lilacinum BA1S), when combined with calcium and mild alkalinity, speeds up the breakdown of biodegradable plastic (PBAT), offering a greener path for managing agricultural and packaging waste.

Researchers found overlooked sources of greenhouse gas emissions in urban Osaka using mobile measurements

Tohoku University researchers dispel the “plasma effect” myth in spark plasma sintering, showing that both SPS and hot pressing achieve equally effective, rapid densification of LLZO solid electrolytes.

Researchers have developed a method to produce strong, biodegradable plastic from bamboo.

Ancient black holes, How good cholesterol is made, Self-healing plastic, Dengue’s genetic imprint, Korean mussel power & Space clean-up. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

With so many environmental issues arising, how can we even begin trying to solve them all? Perhaps, we can start by asking AI. This study highlights how AI can pinpoint viable action plans for these issues.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo consider waterflows and vegetation mosaic on hillslopes for accurate simulation of land surface water and energy status across Africa

In a bold step toward climate action, leading microbiology societies and organizations have unveiled their first joint global strategy to harness the power of microbial science in addressing the climate crisis. This landmark strategy has been published across 6 scientific journals, including Sustainable Microbiology.

The risk of extreme water shortages due to climate change is predicted to affect almost 74% of drought-prone regions by 2100, according to new research in Nature Communications. In the first known published estimation of its kind, the authors report that hotspots of water scarcity will likely emerge across the Mediterranean, southern Africa, and parts of North America by the 2020s and 2030s.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed biodegradable MXene–bamboo paper electrodes that combine flexibility, waterproof stability, and tunable conductivity. Encapsulated in a breathable Ecoflex layer, these scalable green electrodes enable wearable sensing, electromyography, and exoskeleton control, offering a sustainable pathway for next-generation assistive technologies.

Increases in wildfires, linked to projected future climate change, are expected to cause a notable increase in premature deaths, according to two new modelling studies.

Around 354 million people in North America and Europe are likely to have been affected by fine particulate matter pollution from the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, a new study suggests.

Timely information on a company's production activities is crucial for investors and policymakers, yet it remains scarce as financial reports and other broader economic indicators like the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) are only released periodically. This information lag makes it difficult to assess a company's operational health in real time. To address this challenge, Prof Zhao Xiaofeng, Associate Professor of the Department of Finance and Associate Director of Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies at Lingnan University, in collaboration with researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, has developed a new economic indicator, which uses thermal infrared radiation data to monitor the production and operation of enterprises in real time, and accurately predicts changes in their future profitability in terms of sales growth. The findings were recently featured in the prestigious international finance journal “Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis”, and received support from the General Research Fund (GRF) of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) amounting to about HKD$400,000.

Researchers at National Taiwan University designed a graphene oxide biochar TiO₂ nanocomposite that combines adsorption capacity with superior photocatalytic activity. With strong material characterization and optoelectronic properties, it offers a novel and sustainable solution for antibiotic removal from livestock wastewater.

Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) 2025 will return from October 16–18 at Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, uniting government, academia, and industry under the theme “Cross-Domain AI Innovation: Driving the Future with Intelligence.” The event will feature 450 exhibitors presenting nearly 1,100 patented technologies, highlighting Taiwan’s role as a key driver of global innovation.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccination both prevents JEV and lowers dengue severity.

Harpswell will convene the in-person component of its 7th annual ASEAN Women’s Leadership Summit, bringing together 33 outstanding young women leaders from across all 10 ASEAN countries and Nepal. It is hosted in partnership with the Centre for Research on Women and Gender (KANITA) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

To reduce plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability, scholars from the Lingnan University School of Interdisciplinary Studies and their research team have developed a successful new eco-friendly bioplastic material. Unlike conventional plastics, it degrades naturally into harmless water and carbon dioxide in as little as 29 days under ambient conditions, and is a practical way to mitigate global plastic pollution. Their study, “Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics”, was recently published in the respected journal Nature Communications.

Counterintuitively, hot days are more likely to produce hail.

JapanFlux2024 compiles 30+ years of eddy covariance data from 83 sites across the region

NGOs in the Malaysian state of Sabah want oil palm companies and other land managers to plant Ficus species to increase habitat for threatened wildlife

This study demonstrates that the addition of porphyrin-like additives (H₂Pc and SnPc) to 2D tin-based perovskite transistors significantly enhances charge transport and suppresses Sn²⁺ oxidation, achieving a high hole mobility of 4.40 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. Moreover, the devices exhibit fast (0.001 s) and stable nonvolatile photomemory behavior under multi-wavelength optical stimuli, paving the way for neuromorphic computing applications.

On 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, Lingnan University announced the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation with the United Nations University (UNU) to establish the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University), making it the first higher education institution in Asia to set up a UNU Hub. The Hub is scheduled to open officially in October 2025 and will have an annual operating budget of over HK$8 million. Its Humanitarian Innovation and Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) will spearhead research and design initiatives, education and training programmes, and international collaborations, and improve living conditions in developing countries and regions of the Global South by leveraging innovative and cutting-edge technologies. Scholarships will be awarded to encourage local youth to fulfil their ambitions through knowledge and innovation.

Paving the way for cleaner air and greener chemical processes.