Science

A team of researchers from Newcastle University of Singapore and National University of Singapore, led by Mr Loh Tick Boon, with academic supervisors Dr JJ Chong and Dr Kheng Lim Goh, has developed a novel and practical method of assessing the mechanical properties of structures, with potential application to structural health monitoring of large structures such as bridges and viaducts in Singapore.

A team of researchers from Singapore and the UK, led by project supervisor, Associate Professor Kheng Lim Goh, has developed a portable device for repairing hard-to-see damage in carbon fiber materials. The device has great potential for the aerospace industry, such as to repair the fuselage of commercial aircraft.

The researchers from Osaka University showed how bone erosion caused by cholesteatoma occurs. This study showed that a subset of cells called osteoclastogenic fibroblasts expresses a protein, activin A, which causes the breakdown of the bones. Because of this discovery, novel medical treatments can be developed as first-line management for cholesteatomas.

Soft metal-organic polymer networks can adsorb selected molecules from gas mixtures by opening pores when the molecules bind.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have shown that within the helium-8 nucleus (with two protons and six neutrons), there are two clusters of two neutrons each, existing around the helium-4 core. Furthermore, they demonstrated the shape these clusters take. Nuclei with an imbalance of protons and neutrons, such as in helium-8, do not naturally exist on Earth but are believed to be abundantly generated in cosmic environments like the interiors of stars through the process of nucleosynthesis. This study’s findings provide new insights into the still largely unknown binding forms of neutrons and deepen our understanding of the origins of the elements that surround us.

Researchers from Osaka University found that patients with persistently high levels of urinary albumin excretion in the long term are at high risk of new-onset heart failure. Preventive treatment associated with the lowering of urinary albumin excretion levels in these patients could reduce the risk of later heart failure or mortality.

Researchers from Osaka University have demonstrated a proof-of-concept for identifying single nucleotides by using quantum computing. Molecular rotation patterns—and the corresponding variations in conductance—within the nanoscale gap between two electrodes enabled the development of a quantum gate for the nucleotide adenosine monophosphate. Developing quantum gates for the other three nucleotides, and incorporating this technology into DNA sequencing workflows, could revolutionize genome analysis.

Enantioselection with neither chiral catalysis nor chiral ingredients (absolute enantioselection) has been one of the most active topics of interest but its experimental realizations have been challenging. A team led by researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) demonstrated the enantioselectivity of helical supramolecules consisting only of achiral molecules solely by exploiting chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. The helicity of the supramolecules is created not by microscopic molecular arrangements but by mesoscopically introduced dislocations. Now CISS effect has been revealed to be relevant for the wider class of chirality ranging from microscopic to mesoscopic length scales.

Newcastle University (UK) and the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University hosted a UK-Singapore symposium funded by the UK Government in April 2023. It aimed to foster partnerships and research for widespread electric vehicle adoption. The event featured discussions on technology, economics, and policy over three days, encouraging joint collaboration in advanced electric transport research and commercialization.

succeeded in preparing atactic C1 polymers with a high melting point of up to 130 ℃ by utilizing a hydrogen-bonding interaction among amide-linkages incorporated into the polymer side-chains.

Elucidation of global anti-aromaticity (aromaticity) in homoHPHAC+ (homoHPHAC3+) with electron-accepting to electron-donating substituents

Researchers from Osaka University use quasi-elastic neutron scattering to get a close look at the behavior of water molecules in a semiclathrate hydrate crystal. They found that the molecules showed fast reorientation with an activation energy similar to that of cleaving a hydrogen bound. This rapid relaxation time in the solid electrolyte is expected to lead to efficient, cost-effective, and safe applications for semiclathrate hydrates in batteries and thermal storage materials.

Illuminating the molecular ballet in living cells, Charting the voyage of marine plastics, A glimpse into the origins of life & Earliest human journeys to Asia. Plus Submissions open for Asia Research News 2024. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

SUTD researchers delve into the bilingual experience and its impact on children’s context-sensitive perception of trust, offering insights into how language diversity can enrich and benefit children’s social-cognitive development.

An exquisitely preserved fossil forest from Japan provides missing links and helps reconstruct a whole Eurasia plant from the late Miocene epoch.

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.

Agricultural genetic stories reported at the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne.

Researchers from Northwestern University and recently joining the Institute for Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo develop a high-throughput approach to evaluate protein folding stability in thousands of proteins .

Thursday at the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne

RNases have been proposed as a treatment against systemic autoimmune diseases. Researchers from Osaka University showed that RNases have a dual action. In some cases, RNases are detrimental and stimulate the immune response by promoting the binding of antibodies to their targets. These findings will improve the understanding and treatment of systemic autoimmune disorders.

A research team has discovered an astounding array of unexplored protein folds. This research will expand our understanding of the depth of the protein universe and the possibilities for de novo design of functional proteins.

The entire biosynthetic pathway of actinopyridazone has been unveiled, revealing that an unprecedented carrier protein-mediated ring-forming step is key to its synthesis.

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Science Advances high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments that show the structural and chemical changes in an enzyme thought to play a vital role in modulating the strength of neural connections.

The composition of the Earth’s earliest atmosphere

How have the atmosphere and mantle oxidation state of the Earth changed?

A new method for connecting neurons in neuromorphic wetware has been developed by researchers from Osaka University and Hokkaido University. The wetware comprises conductive polymer wires grown in a three-dimensional configuration, done by applying square-wave voltage to electrodes submerged in a precursor solution. The voltage can modify wire conductance, allowing the network to be trained. This fabricated network is able to perform unsupervised Hebbian learning and spike-based learning.

A new online platform to explore computationally calculated chemical reaction pathways has been released, allowing for in-depth understanding and design of chemical reactions.

An international research team has discovered that a subduction zone’s age affects the ability for it to recycle water between the Earth’s surface and its inner layers. The more mature the subduction zone, the bigger the water storage capacity.

New technological development has provided further clues about the origins of life on Earth. An international research group invented an innovative X-ray spectroscopy approach that enabled them to recreate the chemical reactions occurring in liquids at the femtosecond level (a quadrillionth part of a second). They used this to examine ureas—an organic compound that underwent ionization to form some of the building blocks of life.

New findings from a cave in northern Laos add to a growing body of evidence that modern humans arrived in Southeast Asia over 80,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought.