Science

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.

Researchers at the University of Osaka used cyclic PPS manufacturing by-products as movable molecular crosslinks in biodegradable PCL. Medium-sized c [7] PS rings approximately doubled toughness while slowing enzymatic degradation, whereas larger c [9] PS rings accelerated degradation to no residual film mass after 48 hours. The findings identify molecular ring size as a design parameter for tuning material lifetime while also offering a waste-to-value route toward more sustainable polymer systems with programmable properties.

More Than 1,000 Technologies Showcase Taiwan’s Innovation Strength

Subducted Carbonates Drive Deep Carbon Cycling and Reshape Mantle Discontinuity Structure

Researchers develop a new fabrication method for creating twisted microchannels inside polymer fibers, enabling efficient mixing of minute amounts of liquid.

Instead of producing graphene at temperatures as high as 900°C, researchers at Tohoku University found a way to lower this to 300 °C. Even better, the material used to achieve this can be easily obtained from industrial waste.

- MOU signed to promote joint research, personnel exchanges, and the shared use of facilities and equipment in the advanced medical industry - Combining outstanding research capabilities with world-class demonstration infrastructure to accelerate the commercialization of biomedical technologies

- Three-day program (21–23) held combining hands-on activities in generative AI, 3D modeling, and robotics - All 10 teams completed the entire process from business plan development to pitching, fostering entrepreneurship among future talent

- AI autonomously identifies and validates physical phenomena, dramatically reducing R&D bottlenecks in batteries, energy, and other fields - Professor Jaesok Yu’s team leads joint research with POSTECH: “Revolutionizing the design paradigm with AI that integrates the laws of physics”

- KRW 2 million each awarded to five students to help them focus on their studies and research - DGIST President Kunwoo Lee and iM Bank CEO Jeong-Hoon Kang join forces to foster regional talent in science

- The two-day “InnoCORE Kick-off,” held from the 18th, built an industry-academia-research collaboration ecosystem - The commercialization of next-generation materials is accelerated through an integrated AI platform: “Intensive training of outstanding postdoctoral researchers”

- Establishing the foundation for in-house capabilities such as student and administrative AI chatbots, knowledge management platform “ChunkLab,” and knowledge-sharing platform “AI-HUB” - Expanding the areas of AI application across the university, including plans for the pilot deployment of local LLMs and AI agents in the second half of the year

Researchers from the University of Osaka found that amyloid formation is promoted by a combination of shear stress and constrained geometry in an in vitro model of amyloidogenic light chain disease. Applying mechanical agitation or pressure, as well as disaggregating agents, effectively removed amyloid deposits. These findings provide a novel framework for understanding amyloid deposition in organs.

How foreign genes become permanent in parasitic plants

Researchers at the University of Osaka developed a catalyst that uses ultrasonic vibration to convert CO2 into CO. By modifying the catalyst with a metal–organic framework (MOF) incorporating isolated copper atoms, the catalyst is designed to concentrate CO2 near copper reaction sites and make better use of piezo-induced charges generated by vibration. It achieved a CO production rate of 114 μmol g-1 h-1, nearly five times that of pristine BaTiO3. The findings provide a new strategy for using mechanical energy to support more efficient carbon recycling.

Researchers at the University of Osaka developed chiral hole-transport materials that selectively conduct electrons according to spin. Across three classes of materials, molecular handedness consistently determined the direction of spin polarization. The homochiral material also showed nearly threefold higher hole mobility and improved charge extraction and surface passivation in perovskite solar cells, highlighting new possibilities for controlling spin, charge transport, and interfaces through molecular design.

The brain sends signals to the body, and the body sends signals to the brain. Focusing on the latter system, researchers at Tohoku University found that stimulating the vagus nerve can promote lasting motor learning.

Researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a fast computational framework that predicts the optical performance of quantum color centers without being restricted to a specific host material. By replacing computationally intensive calculations with simple theoretical formulas and procedures, the method enables rapid screening of promising quantum materials spanning ultraviolet to telecommunication wavelengths.

Developmental disorders, including autism, entail challenges in social life; as the number of affected individuals has risen, this has become a significant societal concern. Using a mouse model, we demonstrate that a mutation in CHD8, a gene associated with autism spectrum disorder, causes abnormal differentiation of ventral progenitor cells, leading to autistic-like behavior in adulthood. This should lead to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying autism onset during brain development and to the advancement of therapeutics.

Hydrogen may be a clean fuel, but not all hydrogen is green. Most H₂ is still produced from fossil fuels, while storing and transporting it remain costly and technically challenging. For hydrogen to truly live up to its green promise, we need cleaner and less costly ways to produce and store it. Looking for a more sustainable way forward, researchers at Tohoku University have developed a potential solution. Their new recyclable system uses baker’s yeast to store hydrogen directly in organic molecules and abundant, inexpensive iron ions to release it when needed.

Researchers perform a full Glauber-theory calculation that overcomes long-standing computational challenges

We study the ground state of the spin-1/2 XXZ antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice in the easy-axis regime using density-matrix renormalization group with spiral boundary conditions. The ordered state remains a nontrivial three-sublattice Y-like structure over a wide anisotropy range. Extrapolation shows incomplete sublattice polarization even in the Ising limit. Energy comparisons demonstrate that the Y state is favored over the up-down-down state, stabilized by quantum fluctuations from the degenerate Ising manifold.

New study of James Webb Space Telescope images suggests that little red dots are not simply single points of light but likely exist within compact star-forming galaxies.

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.

Linked studies reveal fish-based contamination in pet foods and paired serum-food evidence for feline exposure

Original coconut-blend fuel performed similarly to jet fuel with reduced hydrocarbon emissions

Researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a new class of chiral semiconducting polymers that can generate highly spin-polarized electrical currents. The team’s unique molecular design allows the polymers to self-assemble into helical structures that efficiently filter electron spins, offering a promising platform for future spintronic devices and clean-energy technologies.

In a global first, Hiroshima University researchers demonstrate that food processing liquid waste can be used and reused to produce two omega-3 fatty acids by the cultivation of Aurantiochytrium sp., a marine microorganism.

The event connected Ateneans with one-stop support for research, publishing, creative work, innovation, IP, ethics, and communication.

Researchers at the University of Osaka, Shimane University, and Kyoto Sangyo University have now theoretically identified an unusual pattern of vibrations that emerges just before a crystal made of regularly arranged grains yields. Many vibrational modes soften simultaneously along particular directions, while long-wavelength waves travel more slowly than shorter ones. The findings reveal a possible physical precursor to failure in highly ordered particulate materials.