Press releases

Warm gas blanket for a baby star, Plants’ contribution to climate change effects, Type 2 diabetes all in the mind?, Volcanoes and the evolution of atmospheric oxygen levels, MicroRNA involved in embryonic patterning, Childhood game lends biodiversity insights, Flies can 'taste' fizzy drinks and The origins of the orchid

Scientists in China have developed a small and robust device for screening genetic mutations, reduced the size of antibodies to effectively target and penetrate solid tumours, and unveiled the process by which pathogens trigger a plant's immune system

As one of a series of events to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008, Keio University hosted the APRU Doctoral Students Conference from Monday, 30 July to Friday, 3 August at its Mita Campus. The conference is one of the main activities of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities

Researchers in Universiti Sains Malaysia developed Bio-Coat from oil palm empty fruit bunches as an alternative to commercial geosynthetic and geotextile materials for slope protection, reinforced earth wall and other soil improvement uses.

Researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia have discovered a simple technique to immobilise the enzyme lipase onto a support providing a derivatised enzyme that shows a high capacity to resolve between chiral pairs. This ability aids in the synthesis of specific compounds in its pure form which is very much sought after by the chemical industry

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Developmental biology: New method sets stem cells apart, Human embryonic stem cells do a heart good, Shedding light on animals’ interiors

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic particles are an intriguing puzzle in high-energy physics, and RIKEN is involved in a project to solve it. RIKEN proposal for the second utilization plan of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) on board the International Space Station was recently accepted

Yongyuth Yuthavong, Minister of Science and Technology of Thailand, with over 20 dignitaries including the director of Thailand’s National Synchrotron Radiation Center, visited SPring-8 (the world’s biggest synchrotron radiation facility) in Harima, Hyogo Prefecture.

Researchers hold a key to studying cancer, wound healing and development

During the growth and development of organs, proteins act from outside the organs to direct the movements of cells. Researchers at the RIKEN Centre for Developmental Biology in Kobe have identified one such protein that is essential for the development of gonads in the nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers establish a causative link between mutations in a single gene and the pathology of psychiatric illnesses

Thérèse Delpech argues that the chances of stopping Iran in its race to acquire the nuclear bomb through diplomacy are slim: too many opportunities have been missed and too much time has been lost.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Neuropathology: Mouse model of obsessive compulsive disorder, Palaeoclimate: No need for an icy north, Quantum physics: How to measure light and finally… Diamonds really are forever

Highlights from Nature China include - Scientists have developed a non-invasive prenatal detection method for Down's syndrome, Calculations predict that a diamond-like boron-carbon compound could be the hardest known conductor and more

A new kabuli chickpea variety, Gokce, developed by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), in collaboration with Turkish national scientists, has withstood severe drought in Turkey and produced an impressive yield in adverse weather conditions.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has announced the appointment of Dr. Ren Wang as director of its global network of 15 research Centers.

Using nanotechnology, researchers have found a way to make tin harder and thus enabling it to be used in the automotive and electrical industries, not just in the food packaging. This may have implications for the future consumption of tin.

The aim of the project is to facilitate electronic and written communication between people in East (Indian) and West (Pakistani) Punjab through the development of a Punjabi Language Transliteration Tool.

TrichoGreen is a Trichoderma-infused compost which is also an effective biological control agent against the basal stem rot disease for palm oil. The production process is entirely organic, eliminates the need for burning, and is an excellent form of environmentally-friendly waste management.

Two devices that help researchers correlate nerve cell activity with behaviour in the living worm are presented in Nature Methods this week.

The meeting covered the spectrum of current immunologic research, providing an opportunity for scientists from both countries to learn the latest developments in their respective fields and to establish personal relationships that should foster future collaborations.

This center is the cooperative research hub between RIKEN and Olympus Corporation, one of the leading Japanese manufacturers of consumer digital cameras and medical and lifescience research instrument.

The goal of this Symposium was to allow senior and junior investigators from both countries to present data in areas of common interest in order to initiate and foster long-term collaborations.

Plant growth can be badly stunted by excess ions in the soil. This effect, called acid soil syndrome, can cause severe agricultural yield losses, especially in areas prone to drought. For this reason, a team of researchers from RIKEN and two Japanese universities are working to identify genes that regulate a plant’s tolerance of ions

Researchers from RIKEN’s Frontier Research System, Wako, the Japan Science and Technology Institute, NEC Corporation and the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an architecture that allows tunable control over the qubits of a superconducting quantum computer.

Human society puts heavy demands on the brain. Neurons must adapt rapidly to contextual changes in the social environment. Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Wako are gaining insight into this ‘social brain function’ by observing Japanese macaque monkeys

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Ageing and cancer: Henrietta's legacy, Geology: The creeping San Andreas, Materials: Testing one’s metal and Social mammals: Drive him away or let him stay

The common garden onion is an indicator of arsenic contamination in the environment, The wealth in China follows the same probability distribution as in many other developed economies and more from Nature China

Researchers have built a system which can identify a person using their eyes and mouth as independent components of the identification process. Furthermore, its ability to track within ±45 degrees to right and left, and within ±15 degrees from frontal pose will foil any attempt to use a photo for identification purposes.

This book offers an informed analysis of events and situations as they affected Afghanistan between September 2001 and September 2005.