Science

The prize, in partnership with Nature, will celebrate breakthroughs in mental health science. It aims to accelerate translation, influence policy and transform lives. This award champions new pharmacological, psychological, social and digital interventions from around the world. The overall winner will receive USD 1 million, and three finalists will be awarded USD 250,000 each.

We revealed that the proton channel Hv1/VSOP, previously thought to function at the cell surface in microglia (brain immune cells), also functions on endosomes inside cells and precisely controls the actin cytoskeleton. Using advanced microscopy and electrophysiology (endosome patch-clamp), we found Hv1 acts as a brake on actin elongation. This discovery presents a novel cellular control mechanism where endosomal ion channels manipulate the cell skeleton itself, with implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases.

A high-resolution cellular atlas of liver fibrosis and recovery identifies two proteins, SEMA4D and LMCD1, as promising therapeutic targets. The findings were validated in both mouse models and human patient samples, suggesting relevance to human disease.

The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA (LVK) detector network has a new trick up its sleeve to improve the instruments’ sensitivity to gravitational waves: it’s called Astrophysical Calibration and it plays a role similar to auto-tune in music production.

Enamel proteins from the teeth of six Homo erectus individuals that lived in China around 400,000 years ago offer insights into how ancient genetic material might have made its way into modern humans.

Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.

What if light had a hidden geometry? A new international collaboration between Tohoku University and Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light shows that the geometry behind light waves can affect how light moves and interacts inside materials. Their research explores the hidden geometry of light and reveals new connections between photonics, topology, and quantum physics.

More than a decade after the Nagoya Protocol, which aims to fairly share the benefits of utilizing genetic resources, became law, microbiologists and other scientists still face practical challenges and confusion. A new guide published by a team of microbiologists provides universally applicable frameworks for anyone working with biological resources.

We have succeeded in visualizing the structural dynamics underlying how the serum protein Afamin stabilizes and transports Wnt3a, a lipid-modified signaling molecule.

Dolphin secrets, Iron-rich Moon, Squeezing diamonds, Sweat the small stuff, Muonic molecules. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus: SciCom Coffee speaker.

- The existing Distinguished Professor Program was expanded and reorganized to establish an integrated recognition program covering both faculty and research staff members - Principal Researcher Lee Myung-jae was selected and honored as the first “Distinguished Member of Research Staff”

- DGIST successfully hosts the 30th Distinguished Lecture Series featuring Prof. Charles Lee, world-renowned authority in genomic medicine - Shares cutting-edge research findings on human genomic structural variation and precision medicine and introduces the latest technological trends such as long-read sequencing

DGIST launches an “AX Joint Research Lab” with four major companies to lead AI transformation in regional industries

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that the zinc finger proteins RLF and ZFP292 play redundant roles in stabilizing the CoREST corepressor complex at gene promoters in embryonic stem cells. Deleting both proteins allowed the cells to differentiate, suggesting that they could be useful targets for maintaining stem cell quality.

Stubborn cancer tumors were completely (and safely) eliminated in a mouse model with a small but mighty treatment method using nanoparticles, controlled drug release in stages, and light from lasers.

Malaysia Technology Expo 2026 celebrated a successful Silver Jubilee Edition with a strong global participation: 412 inventions showcased and 4,112 regional visitors.

Dynamic catalyst interfaces offer a smarter route for converting CO2 into formic acid.

Observations of a distant object beyond Pluto suggest that it is surrounded by a thin atmosphere, potentially fuelled by ice volcanoes or produced by the impact of a comet-like body.

A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha (common liverwort).

The evolution of higher education in the digital era has attracted global attention, and Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, recently published a paper titled “AI for education: The digital transformation of a liberal arts institution – implementation at Lingnan University” in a leading international journal Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence. The paper’s in-depth analysis of the role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in education uses Lingnan as a case study to examine the success of its pilot initiatives.

Optimization isn’t always about maximization: researchers at Tohoku University found a subtle rule where a bit of restraint actually speeds up chemical reactions in nanoreactors.

Researchers created models to reconstruct fault movement of the 8.8 magnitude 2025 Kamchatka earthquake. This detailed analysis may help us better understand tsunami risks from giant earthquakes.

- The Dalseong Cultural Foundation, Daegu National Science Museum, and Dalseong Children’s Forest Library Were Brought Together - Turning the Campus into a Space for Books and Music to Celebrate World Book Day

Leading international industrial media outlet Control Global has announced that Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, has been inducted into the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame in recognition of his long-term outstanding contributions and far-reaching impact in industrial data analytics, process control and automation, the only scholar from the Hong Kong SAR to receive this distinction. Inductees over the years have been key figures driving industrial technological innovation and theoretical breakthroughs, and the accolade is held in very high esteem by both the international academic and industrial communities.

Researchers have solved a mystery in fluid dynamics regarding high-speed particle collisions on wet surfaces. They discovered that at high speeds, cavitation (the sudden formation of vapor cavities) changes the liquid shape from a "bridge" to a "dome", releasing the liquid pull-back force. This causes particles to bounce back stronger than they would at lower speeds. Such a vital discovery would drastically improve the safety, design, and durability of ultra-fast motors in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Researchers from The University of Osaka used large-scale simulations and turbulence theory to study how dolphins swim so effectively. The team found that large vortices created by the dolphin’s tail provide most of the propulsion, while smaller vortices contribute little. This discovery improves our mechanical understanding of fast swimming and could guide the design of energy-efficient underwater robots and technologies for controlling turbulence.

The Ateneo Press and Ateneo Journals are bringing literature and research to a broader public audience.

Elucidation of the Molecular-Level Photochemical Mechanism Based on DFT

Transforming film education through interactive game – CineSim, developed by the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries at Lingnan University, received the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year award at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2026 on the evening of 22 April. Widely regarded as the Oscars of higher education, the Awards are highly competitive, and Lingnan University stood out from more than 500 entries worldwide to become the only institution to receive the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year award. This achievement clearly demonstrates the University’s lead in educational innovation and the application of digital technologies, which have earned full recognition from the international higher education community.

Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses vibrational energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important industrial feedstock. The work demonstrates a new piezocatalytic route for CO2 conversion at low temperature and ambient pressure, offering a potential path toward future low-energy carbon recycling technologies.