Press releases

Monkeys infected with an emerging malaria strain are providing a reservoir for human disease in South-east Asia, according to research published today.

On 4 March 2011, Yuan T. Lee, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was inaugurated as a RIKEN Honorary Fellow at an award ceremony at Suzuki Umetaro Hall on RIKEN’s Wako Campus

Therapies that target specialized cells residing within the lymph nodes may help to rally tumor-killing immune responses

Revelation of the crystallization mechanism that enables fast writing of data to DVDs shows potential for quicker data storage in the future

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and PJI Contract Pte Ltd announced today the opening of a production facility to manufacture Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) solution, an eco-friendly nano-coating material.

In Nature China this month - Gene therapy: Little RNA keeps cancer away; Cancer biology: Sugar bar; Preventive medicine: Breathing easy; Geology: Cold Cretaceous; Palaeontology: A treasure trove of diversity; Optoelectronic materials: A shoelace laser; Molecular neuroscience: How to say no.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Biology: Gut flora and heart disease; Ecology: Biodiversity improves water quality; Materials science: High-frequency graphene transistors on diamond-like carbon; Cancer: Understanding lung cancer progression; And finally… How to switch off ‘the X factor’

Groundbreaking research from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) shows how mouse stem cells spontaneously form into optic cups, the precursors of eyes. A report on this research, published this week in Nature, sheds light on the embryonic development of complex tissues.

Land once used for shrimp farming in Thailand has been rehabilitated by the planting of Nipa Palm trees. The project, initiated by a researcher at Prince of Songkla University, has shown that the trees can give high yields of sugar which can be converted into alcohol and used as an alternative energy source.

Through a system for organizing new strategic research at Waseda University, the “Center for Research on “Buddhism” as a Civilization of East Asia” has been established. The horizontal links between Asian researchers the Center allows has lead to an abundance of new research.

Jet lag poses a problem for athletes flying to international competitions. Sunao Uchida summarises the lessons learned in trying to reduce the negative impact of jet lag on athletes - lessons that are relevant to all air travellers.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Nanotechnology: Some nanoparticles affect pregnant mice; Geoscience: Large carbon stocks in mangroves; Medicine: Keeping bone from forming in the wrong place; Photonics: Extremely stable optical lattice clocks; Chemical Biology: Cannabis without hallucinations; And finally…Neuroscience: Itching for answers

Neural activity representing intuitive responses in the brains of professional board game players shows what sets experts apart

In the absence of vitamin A, the body loses immune cells that put the brakes on the earliest stages of infection

Free-floating electrons on top of liquid helium yield insights into their transport behavior

Using a simple glass capillary, atomic physicists at RIKEN are developing an ultra-narrow ion beam that pinpoints a part of organelles in a living cell, enabling biologists to visualize how the damage affects cell activities.

Artists should think of ways to diversify and widen the reach of their art products so that they can benefit the ‘bottom billion.’

The Wall Street Journal Asia announced that it is now accepting entries for the Asian Innovation Awards 2011. Presented in sole partnership with Credit Suisse for the second year running, the Awards are committed to finding the next big ideas in Asia Pacific, from entirely new inventions to the advancement of a classic idea.

The UiTM-MTDC Technopreneur Centre will be established in UiTM Shah Alam at a strategic location adjacent to the Federal Highway, about 4km away from Klang and 25km from Kuala Lumpur.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Comment: Time to rethink the NIH; Biochemistry: Making the 22nd amino acid from scratch; Ageing: Dye promotes protein health and longevity; Astrophysics: Distinguishing between red giants; Physics: Ultrafast magnetism — an unexpected twist; And finally… Build me up, buttercup?

Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a puzzling gap in the electronic structures of some high-temperature superconductors could indicate a new phase of matter.

Organized by the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the Fourth International Symposium of Intimate Apparel was held today (29 March) on the PolyU campus to promote the exchange of the latest knowledge and development of intimate apparel among academics and industrialists.

The Graduate School of Business of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is ranked 61st in the world, 3rd in Asia and 2nd in Hong Kong according to the latest University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Top 100 World Rankings of Business Schools 2006-2010.

Prof. Mitsuteru Inoue, Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering and 10 faculty members visited EEPIS, Electronics Engineering Polytechnic Institute of Surabaya, Indonesia in March 10-14.

By successfully changing the spin of a molecule, researchers have been able to perform an on/off operation for a molecular magnet. Such reversible switching paves the way for single molecule memory.

The fabrication of organic thin-film solar cells has been simplified due to new research findings. Where previously two types of organic semiconductors were required, doping the semiconductor fullerene with molybdenum oxide renders the use of phthalocyanine unneccessary.

The Fermi level position and band structure of gallium manganese arsenide has been determined for the first time, shedding light on the precise mechanism behind ferromagnetism in the material.

An international team of researchers have developed a versatile and high-sensitivity sensor for detecting analytes ranging from gaseous to biological molecules.

USM Chancellor, His Royal Highness D.Y.M.M. Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail has launched the book 'Transforming Higher Education For A Sustainable Tomorrow 2010 Laying The Foundation in USM'.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Genetics: Genetic interactions in HIV-1 drug resistance; Chemical Biology: Harmful protein misfolding in cancer; Cell Biology: A microRNA that regulates insulin resistance; Immunology: The regulatory function of intact tissues; Geoscience: Long-distance earthquake triggering restricted to small events.