Innovation

News

13 Feb 2025
Ateneo de Manila University
Microdroplets of acidic solution on small aluminum surfaces were subjected to an electric current, transforming the metal into glass-like TAlOx.
04 Feb 2025
Ateneo de Manila University
This pyroclastic material—usually considered as waste—is rich in iron, enabling it to efficiently block X-rays and gamma rays.
(left) Example of a ball mill apparatus used for mechanochemical reactions. (right) A schematic diagram of a mechanochemical reaction using a ball mill and the influence of mechanical force on the formation of products from reactants. (Photo: Ito lab; Illustration: Tetsuya Yamamoto, et al. RSC Mechanochemistry. December 7, 2024)
24 Jan 2025
Hokkaido University
A new theory predicts one of the effects of macroscopic mechanical forces on mechanochemical organic synthesis by a ball mill.
electric vehicle
24 Jan 2025
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Three researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) are pioneering diverse technologies for greener, safer, and more efficient transport.
Sample fungus tiles
24 Jan 2025
Inspired by elephants, researchers grow fungus in elephant-skin patterns to create better insulation for buildings.
Producing precursor for a nylon-type biodegradable plastic
22 Jan 2025
Osaka Metropolitan University
Technology uses biomass-derived compounds and ammonia to produce an eco-friendly alternative plastic
Single camera photogrammetry
09 Jan 2025
Osaka Metropolitan University
Deformation in thin membrane can be measured using simple method
07 Jan 2025
Tohoku University
How do Directional Connections Shape Complex Dynamics in Neuronal Networks?
An artistic representation of a thermal switch. (Illustration provided by Hiromichi Ohta)
01 Jan 2025
Hokkaido University
Groundbreaking cerium oxide-based thermal switches achieve remarkable performance, transforming heat flow control with sustainable and efficient technology.
Prof Albert Ko, Director of the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (left) and Mr Adrian Lo Chun-kwong, Product Design Lead of the Office of Service-Learning (right) at the 2024 Good Design Award Ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
23 Dec 2024
Lingnan University
The mini air purifier PureAura, designed and developed by Lingnan University's Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI), has received the 2024 Good Design Award Best 100, regarded as the Oscars of Design in the East, and one the most influential design awards in the world alongside the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and IDEA Design Award. With its breakthrough design concept and practicality, PureAura has achieved a Grand Slam of prestigious design awards, and become the only innovative entry to win the highest honour from all four design awards at the same time.
16 Dec 2024
This annual event will bring together innovators, researchers, and industry leaders from around the world to spotlight groundbreaking advancements in sustainable energy and green technology.
16 Dec 2024
Tohoku University
This bioengineering breakthrough has found a way to make neurons grown in a dish react just like the real thing.
Potential of nanofluidic devices for manipulating individual nanometric objects
16 Dec 2024
Osaka Metropolitan University
Redefining the art of matter manipulation at the nanoscale
Guests at the opening ceremony.
13 Dec 2024
Lingnan University
On 12 December, Lingnan University hosted its biennial fundraising event, Kingrich Charitable Foundation presents: Lingnan University Gala Dinner 2024 for around 300 welcome guests. This year the theme was Lingnan’s Transformation into the Digital Era.
Scanning-tunnelling microscopy (STM) image illustrating the formation of nanostructuring in the gold monolayer on iridium upon exposure to boron flux (a), and the theoretically obtained structure of this system, with the unit supercell indicated by a white rhombus, overlapped (black square) with its close-up atomically resolved STM image (b). (Alexei Preobrajenski, et al. Nature Communications. December 10, 2024)
10 Dec 2024
Hokkaido University
Nanostructured two-dimensional gold monolayers offer possibilities in catalysis, electronics, and nanotechnology.
06 Dec 2024
Ateneo de Manila University
A boon to solar power, agriculture, and other industries, ADMU and MO scientists have found a way to improve sunny weather forecasts by as much as 94%.
03 Dec 2024
Hiroshima University
Hiroshima University, in partnership with four Japanese institutions and five global collaborators, has launched the “Global Research Initiative on Wireless Terahertz (GROW-THz).” Backed by the JST ASPIRE program with ¥500 million in funding over five years, this project aims to advance next-generation ultra-high-speed wireless communication technologies, strengthen international research networks, and foster intellectual mobility, including the long-term overseas placement of doctoral students for up to one year.
26 Nov 2024
Tohoku University
This unobtrusive, leaf-mounted sensor saves time and improves productivity by remotely monitoring the health of plants in real-time.
18 Nov 2024
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
- DGIST’s Professor Jaedong Lee and UNIST’s Professor Noejung Park Achieve Breakthrough in Quantum Information Technology, Paving the Way for the Era of Quantum Computers - Research Findings Published in Nano Letters
A conceptualization of Virtual Ligand-Assisted Optimization (VLAO). (Illustration: Wataru Masutoka)
15 Nov 2024
Hokkaido University
A new method streamlines the design and effectiveness of ligands used in chemical reactions in catalysis and drug delivery.
Selective encapsulation of cis-decalin over trans-decalin in latent pores
14 Nov 2024
Hiroshima University
Sometimes the holes, or pores, in the molecular structure of a chemical only appear in the presence of certain conditions or other ‘guest’ molecules. This affects the field of separation—one of the most important processes in industry—but researchers have only just begun to unravel this phenomenon
13 Nov 2024
Asia Research News
Experts in Food Science, Technology, and Innovation Gather to Strengthen Food Security Efforts
11 Nov 2024
In a pivotal move ahead of COP29, Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has partnered with leading global scientific organisations to issue a unified call to action, spotlighting microbial solutions as pivotal in combating climate change. In a strategic publication, released in multiple high-impact scientific journals at once, the joint paper advocates for the establishment of a global science-driven climate task force. This initiative aims to expedite the deployment of microbiome technologies, providing stakeholders worldwide with access to effective and immediate solutions
Medical-grade plastic surgical device
07 Nov 2024
Osaka Metropolitan University
Surgical field expansion plate allows surgeons more independence
04 Nov 2024
Ateneo de Manila University
The device could be used in classrooms as a learning tool, and may even pave the way for more cost-effective consumer product monitoring.
The smart sensor patch is fabricated on a supporting film so that it may be peeled off and stuck onto the skin. (Guren Matsumura, et al. Device. October 21, 2024)
30 Oct 2024
Hokkaido University
Edge computing on a smartphone has been used to analyze data collected by a multimodal flexible wearable sensor patch and detect arrhythmia, coughs and falls.
28 Oct 2024
28 October 2024, Singapore – EDUtech Asia 2024, will be back for its 9th edition from 6 to 7 November. Organised by Terrapinn, EDUtech Asia 2024 will offer a distinguished lineup of education leaders, decision-makers, policy makers, educators, innovators and disruptors to collaborate and reimagine the future of education with the power of tech.
Lingnan University hosts the kick-off ceremony of the Mentorship Programmes 2024-25. (From left: Ms Yilia Xu, Chairman of Lingnan University Postgraduate Alumni Association (LUPAA); Prof Li Donghui, Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) of Lingnan University; Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost; Ms Carrie Leung, Chairman of Career Development Committee & Council and Court Member of Lingnan University; Ms Irene Ng Wai-ming, Director of Student Affairs.)
28 Oct 2024
Lingnan University
Themed 'Forging Connections, Cultivating Talents', the opening ceremony for the 2024-25 Lingnan University Mentorship Programmes was held at the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel on 26 October 2024. The following five mentorship initiatives have been in place for long, and were kicked off for 2024-25 en bloc: • Lingnan University Postgraduate Mentorship Programme • Lingnanian Executive Mentoring Programme • Lingnan University Banking & Finance Mentorship Programme • Lingnan University Insurance Mentoring and Scholarship Scheme • Police Mentorship Programme.
27 Oct 2024
Tohoku University
Researchers at Tohoku University and the Tokyo University of Science are finding new ways to make the hydrogen evolution reaction harder, better, faster, and stronger!
24 Oct 2024
Organised by IPI, a subsidiary of Enterprise Singapore, this flagship event serves as an essential platform for businesses to explore growth opportunities through strategic matchmaking with industry leaders and potential partners.

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Giants in history

Tu Youyou (born 30 December 1930) is a Chinese pharmaceutical scientist who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on extracting artemisin from sweet wormwood to treat malaria.
Physicist and statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (29 June 1893– 28 June 1972), who founded the Indian Statistical Institute in 1931, is known for his pioneering application of statistics to practical problems.
Tetsuya Theodore Fujita (23 October 1920 – 19 November 1998) was a Japanese-American meteorologist who created the Fujita scale that classifies the strength of tornadoes based on damage to structures and vegetation.
In 1915, Koichi Ichikawa along with pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
In 1915, pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa and his research assistant Koichi Ichikawa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
Rajeshwari Chatterjee (24 January 1922 – 3 September 2010) was the first female engineer from Karnataka in India.
Julian Arca Banzon (13 March 1908 – 13 September 1988) was a biochemist from the Philippines who was a pioneer in alternative fuel research. Banzon investigated the use of indigenous crops as sources of renewable fuels and chemicals.
Chien-Shiung Wu (31 May 1912 – 16 February 1997) was an experimental physicist who made several important contributions to nuclear physics. Wu worked on the Manhattan Project – a top-secret program for the production of nuclear weapons during World War II and helped to develop a process for separating uranium into U235 and U238.
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer who was President of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999.
Abdus Suttar Khan (c. 1941 – 31 January 2008) was a Bangladeshi engineer who spent a significant part of his career conducting aerospace research with NASA, United Technology and Alstom.
Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (8 October 1922 – 7 April 2001) is best known for developing the Ramachandran plot to understand the structure of short chains of amino acids, known as peptides.
Srinivasa Ramanujan (22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920) was a math prodigy and widely considered one of India’s greatest mathematicians. Despite having almost no formal training in mathematics, he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series and continued fractions.
Mohammad Abdus Salam (29 January 1926 – 21 November 1996) was a theoretical physicist and the first Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize in science.
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was an Indian physicist who performed ground-breaking research in the field of light-scattering.
Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani (12 May 1977 – 14 July 2017) was the first and only woman and Iranian to date to win the Fields Medal in 2014 for her work on curved surfaces.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (19 October 1910 – 21 August 1995) was an Indian astrophysicist who studied the structure and evolution of stars.
Woo Jang-choon (8 April 1898 – 10 August 1959) was a Korean-Japanese agricultural scientist and botanist.
Osamu Shimomura (27 August 1928 – 19 October 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist who dedicated his career to understanding how organisms emitted light.
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose (30 November 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a scientist and inventor who contributed to a wide range of scientific fields such as physics, botany and biology.
Meghnad Saha (6 October 1893 – 16 February 1956) was an Indian astrophysicist best known for formulating the Saha ionization equation which describes the chemical and physical properties of stars.
Motoo Kimura (13 November 1924 – 13 November 1994) was a Japanese theoretical population geneticist who is best remembered for developing the neutral theory of molecular evolution.
Cyril Andrew Ponnamperuma (16 October 1923 – 20 December 1994) was a Sri Lankan chemist who was interested in the origins of life on Earth. His research in chemical evolution showed how inanimate molecules may have given rise to the building blocks of life – a process known as abiogenesis.
Charles Kuen Kao (Nov. 4, 1933 to Sept. 23, 2018) was an engineer who is regarded as the father of fibre optics. His work in the 1960s on long distance signal transmission using very pure glass fibres revolutionized telecommunications, enabling innovations such as the Internet.
The field of solid-state ionics originated in Europe, but Takehiko Takahashi of Nagoya University in Japan was the first to coin the term ‘solid ionics’ in 1967. ‘Solid-state ionics’ first appeared in 1971 in another of his papers, and was likely a play on ‘solid-state electronics’, another rapidly growing field at the time.
The techniques that make industrial pearl culturing possible were developed over a century ago at the Misaki Marine Biological Station in Japan. The station’s first director, Professor Kakichi Mitsukuri, emphasized to Kokichi Mikimoto in 1890 that stimulating pearl sac formation was important for pearl growth, and they went on to successfully develop methods for culturing pearls.
David T. Wong (born 1936) is a Hong Kong-born American neuroscientist who is best known for discovering the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, better known as Prozac.
Japanese physicist Ukichiro Nakaya (1900-1962) made the world’s first artificial snowflakes. He started his research on snow crystals in the early 1930s at Hokkaido University, where there is an unlimited supply of natural snow in winter. By taking over 3,000 photographs, he established a classification of natural snow crystals and described their relationship with weather conditions.
Physicist Narinder Singh Kapany (31 October 1926 – 4 December 2020) pioneered the use of optical fibres to transmit images, and founded several optical technology companies. Born in Punjab, India, he worked at a local optical instruments factory before moving to London for PhD studies at Imperial College. There, he devised a flexible fibrescope to convey images along bundles of glass fibres.
Wu Lien-teh (10 March 1879 – 21 January 1960) was a Malaysian-born doctor who invented a mask that effectively suppressed disease transmission. Winning the prestigious Queen’s Scholarship enabled Wu to become the first Chinese student to study medicine at the University of Cambridge.
Minoru Shirota (April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist who invented the popular fermented drink Yakult.
After witnessing death and suffering as a youth in his home village during World War II, Nguyễn Tài Thu (6 April 1931 – 14 February 2021) set his sights on alleviating pain by becoming a doctor. After studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in China in the 1950s, Thu returned to Vietnam to serve in military hospitals. Eventually, he became the country’s foremost practitioner of acupuncture, a technique he first learned by inserting needles into himself.
Fe Villanueva del Mundo (27 November 1911 – 6 August 2011) was a Filipina paediatrician who founded the Philippines’ first paediatric hospital.
Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping (7 September 1930 – 22 May 2021) developed the first varieties of the high-yield, hybrid rice that brought food security to multiple countries including China, which had been ravaged by food shortages as recently as the mid-20th century.
Korean parasitologist Seung-Yull Cho (16 November 1943 – 27 January 2019) is remembered largely for his pioneering works to control infections caused by helminthic parasites and his contribution to journal publishing.
In 1939, biochemist Kamala Sohonie (18 June 1911 – 28 June 1998) became the first woman to be accepted into the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Filipino chemist and pharmacist Manuel A. Zamora (29 March 1870 – 9 July 1929) is best remembered for his discovery of the tiki-tiki formula to combat beriberi, a disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.
Research by Filipino plant scientist Benito Vergara (23 June 1934 – 24 October 2015) on the physiology of rice led to the development of deep-water and cold-tolerant rice varieties. Vergara also made several contributions to expanding public awareness of rice science.
Filipina chemist María Orosa (29 November 1892–13 February 1945) fought malnutrition and food insecurity in the Philippines by devising over 700 culinary creations including Soyalac, a nutrient rich drink made from soybeans, and Darak, rice cookies packed with Vitamin B1, which could prevent beriberi disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency. She was also a partisan of the guerrilla movement resisting Japanese occupation during World War II, and died after being struck by shrapnel while working in her laboratory during the Battle of Manila.
Japanese chemist Kenichi Fukui (4 October 1918 – 9 January 1998) was the first Asian scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Together with Roald Hoffman, he received this honour in 1981 for his independent research into the mechanisms of chemical reactions.
The research of Filipino pharmaceutical chemist Luz Oliveros-Belardo (3 November 1906 – 12 December 1999) focussed on essential oils and other chemicals derived from native Philippine plants.
Birbal Sahni (14 November 1891 – 10 April 1949), a pioneer of Indian palaeobotanical research, and founder of what is now the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow, made multiple contributions to the study of prehistoric plants. These include the discovery of a new group of fossil gymnosperms (named Pentoxylae), reconstruction of the extinct Williamsonia sewardiana plant, and description of a new type of petrified wood from the Jurassic age.
Ground-breaking cancer researcher Kamal Jayasing Ranadive (8 November 1917 – 11 April 2001) advanced the understanding of the causes of leukaemia, breast cancer and oesophageal cancer through the use of animal models. She was also among the first to recognise how susceptibility to cancer is linked to tumour-causing interactions between hormones and viruses.
Hideki Yukawa (23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 for predicting the existence of the pi meson subatomic particle. Japan’s first Nobel laureate, Yakawa also expressed his support for nuclear disarmament by signing the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955.
In his over 30 year career in rice research, Munshi Siddique Ahmad (1924 – 19 October 2011) developed more than 30 varieties of high-yielding rice, including the BRRI Shail strain, which was responsible for increasing the rice production of Bangladesh from 8 million tonnes in 1965 to 20 million tonnes in 1975.
Fazlur Rahman Khan (3 April 1929 – 27 March 1982) was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect who invented the tube principle, which formed the basis for modern skyscraper design.
A pioneer of bio-organic chemistry, Darshan Ranganathan (4 June 1941 – 4 June 2001) is remembered for developing a protocol for synthesising imidazole, a compound used to make antifungal drugs and antibiotics. Widely considered India’s most prolific researcher in chemistry, she also published dozens of papers in renowned journals on protein folding, molecular design, chemical simulation of key biological processes, and the synthesis of functional hybrid peptides and nanotubes.