Press releases

Win-win solutions improve livelihoods and the land

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Genetics: Genetic variant associated with migraine; Immunology: You give me fever; And finally…Genetics: Apple genome sequenced

RIKEN’s release of an online database pertaining to the regulatory mechanisms of plants offers new research and engineering opportunities

The first direct observation of an unusual magnetic structure could lead to novel electronic and magnetic memory devices

The first direct observation of an unusual magnetic structure could lead to novel electronic and magnetic memory devices

Powerful synchrotron light captures never-before-seen electronic interactions of molecules dissolved in liquids

Singapore, 27 August 2010 - Fano resonance permits the creation of ultracompact nanoantennas which can be used in mobile telephones or wireless connections and many other devices

A pioneering study by researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has shown that sandwiching a simple layer of silver nanoparticles can significantly improve the performance of organic transistors which are commonly used in consumer electronics.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Supermassive black hole formation in the early Universe; Disasters widen the rich–poor divide; Origin of asteroid pairs; Save the census; The evolution of eusocial behaviour; A new ALS susceptibility gene

The Kavli Prize Science Forum, is a new forum meeting to facilitate high-level, global discussion of major topics on science and science policy. For the inaugural forum, 10 leaders critical in shaping science policy in the US, Europe and Asia will discuss "The Role of International Cooperation in Science".

Culturally combinatorial, Nucleic acids protect monkeys against the Ebola virus, Variants associated with esophageal and gastric cancers, A critical gene for cortical development, Methane-eating moss, Older age for the Solar System

Producing isolated laser pulses in just attoseconds made easier using a two-color laser field

A pair of molecular biology techniques enables detailed characterization of the gene expression of small numbers of cells

Information engineering at RIKEN extends the evolution of life into the digital realm

A newly developed genetic biomarker could aid the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools for tuberculosis (TB), a Nature study suggests.

Psychedelic drugs could be used at low doses as a potential treatment for psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, according to a Perspective article in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Individuals who are treated for high blood pressure can have differing responses to treatments, and these responses could be predicted based on easily identifiable characteristics.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (18 August) warmly congratulated two distinguished alumni, namely Mr Raman Hui and Ms Vivienne Tam, for being honoured by Forbes magazine as one of the “25 Top Chinese-Americans in Business”.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: When does life belong to the living? Environment: How Much is Left?; Snake Oil in the Supermarket; Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: 'Stealth' earthquake doublet; Massive stars make waves; Imaging quantum fluids; A new role for graphene; A ferroelectric ferromagnet created by strain; High-pressure competition in a high-temperature superconductor; Faithful females foster cooperative breeding

Tokyo, 18 August - Researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center have illuminated mechanisms underlying the genetic robustness of metabolic effects in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Their findings reveal a key balance between the roles played by duplicate genes and metabolic network connectivity in functional compensation.

Fossils discovered in South Australia could be the remains of early sea sponges, suggests a paper published online this week in Nature Geoscience.

LAST week was the 65th anniversary of the world's first nuclear bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After more than six decades, the terrors inflicted on people in the twin city bombings are still felt today.

OPINION: THE recent report on the crashing of the roof of the library at the 184-year-old Malacca High School is an eye-opener — not in a direct sense but in an oblique way, especially in light of the national debates on whether the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examinations should be abolished.

OPINION: A RECENT survey conducted by a company indicated that almost 90 per cent of Malaysian children who go online have had negative experiences.This ranged from harassment to being exposed to unwholesome images. However, many parents are unaware of them. Only 40 per cent supervised their children.

Tokyo, 15 August - A nuclear protein of previously unknown function has been shown to regulate the migration of tumor cells in the spread of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include: Evaluating recovery to nervous system injuries; Explaining human allergy to nickel; Exome sequencing of a rare disorder; How to best sequence all of your RNA; The secret is in the pocket

The RIKEN Science Lectures are a series of annual events bringing together pioneering researchers at RIKEN and leading scientists in related fields to share their findings with the public.

Building on pioneering work in metabalomics and omics analyses, researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center are gearing up for a new era of functional plant development with clinical applications.

A comparative study of two closely related organic insulators highlights the unusual properties of quantum spin liquids