Nature

A new paper in Nature finds that previously unrecognised group of young worker honeybees are responsible for engineered microenvironments that have a critical role in queen development.

[Content warning] A survey of nearly 12,000 children in 12 countries across Asia and Africa found that one in six internet-using children experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse.

An international team led by Associate Professor Kimihiko Nakajima of Kanazawa University has captured a rare look at the early universe. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST *1) and the power of a gravitational lensing (*2) in space, the team achieved a definitive characterization of LAP1-B, an ultra-faint galaxy from 13 billion years ago. Expanding upon initial detections, this new study utilized deep JWST spectroscopy to reveal a record-breaking low oxygen abundance (*3) -- merely 1/240th that of the Sun. This chemically primitive state, coupled with an elevated carbon-to-oxygen ratio and a dominant dark matter halo, suggests that LAP1-B is the long-sought "ancestor" of the mysterious fossil galaxies found near our Milky Way today, providing a historic window into the earliest, most primitive stages of galaxy assembly.

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.

A subset of bat alphacoronaviruses are found to have the potential to enter human, according to a study published in Nature.

A new study published in Nature addresses long-standing technical barriers that have hindered the commercialization of metalenses

Stem cell transplantation could be a rapid and effective way to restore haemoglobin production in individuals with the blood disorder β-thalassaemia, which affects more than 40,000 children annually worldwide.

The oldest-known articulated bony fish and an early example of teeth from a bony fish have been detected in a collection of fossils from China. Two Nature papers offer new insights into the origins of bony fish.

A research team at CityUHK has discovered for the first time that the naturally occurring porous ceramic structure within sea urchin spines possesses an unexpected capability for mechanoelectrical perception.

Hand-stencil motifs found in caves in Sulawesi, Indonesia, dating to at least 67,800 years ago, may be the oldest rock art discovered, according to a study published in Nature.

As Japan moves closer to becoming the first nation to allow research on human embryos created from lab-grown sperm and eggs, a leading bioethicist at Hiroshima University has cautioned against the widening gap between rapid scientific advances and slower pace of ethical and societal deliberation.

- To discuss innovative directions in healthy brain aging and therapeutic strategies

Increases in wildfires, linked to projected future climate change, are expected to cause a notable increase in premature deaths, according to two new modelling studies.

Around 354 million people in North America and Europe are likely to have been affected by fine particulate matter pollution from the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, a new study suggests.

Fluids may have flowed within the parent body of the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu more than one billion years after it formed, according to research published in Nature.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that both inhibitory and activating killer immunoglobulin-like receptors on natural killer (NK) cells were able to bind repetitive interspersed family proteins expressed on the surface of malaria-infected red blood cells. The role of these proteins in triggering both inhibitory and stimulatory responses from NK cells makes them extremely promising targets for the development of therapies and vaccines for malaria.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have shown the crucial role of iron metabolism in sex determination in mice. In male embryos, activation of the Sry gene, responsible for the correct development of testes, is dependent on the intracellular iron levels. Insufficient iron reduces the activation of Sry and can even cause some genetically male embryos to develop as female. This study indicates the importance of adequate iron levels in pregnant mothers for healthy embryonic development.

Strong, lightweight, superelastic, and able to function across a range of temperatures, this newly developed alloy could be a game-changer for space exploration and medical technology.

A century-old theory proposed by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling has been proven by scientists in Japan.

An international team of researchers including Kavli IPMU has used the ALMA telescope and found old elliptical galaxies in the universe can form from intense star formation within early galaxy cores.

Researchers in Tokyo find that a 100-year-old method for redirecting water can be used to control heat dissipation in electronics

The equatorial Pacific plays a crucial role in regulating tropical cloud formation and regional weather extremes, earning it the nickname “the pacemaker of global warming.” Though its impact may seem subtle, this oceanic region has been a silent hero, slowing the pace of global warming. Now, climate scientists are on a quest to discover whether this protective mechanism will continue to pulsate in our favor.

The discovery of a stable single-electron covalent bond between two carbon atoms validates a century-old theory.

One of the smallest lifeforms may have the biggest impact on marine ecosystems. Researchers at Tohoku University modeled how climate change can affect phytoplankton – and our future.

During embryonic development, cells proliferate rapidly and differentiate to form tissues and organs of multicellular organisms. Paradoxically, since the 19th century, scientists have discovered that these processes that foster the creation of life is often accompanied by large-scale cell death. Why? This is a century-old mystery. Dr. Sheng-hong Chen and his team from the Institute of Molecular Biology's Lab for Cell Dynamics discovered that large-scale cell death occurs through Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-mediated ferroptosis trigger waves, published online in Nature in July 2024.

Researchers from Japan discover a new enzyme with promising antibacterial activity

Topological insulators have an interior that acts as an electrical insulator, with a surface that acts as an electrical conductor. Most of the discovered topological insulators to date have been either three or two-dimensional. But researchers have recently unveiled a one-dimensional topological insulator, with the discovery paving the way for further developments in qubits and solar cells.

Osaka University researchers discovered liver resident macrophages' pivotal role in defending against gut bacteria and related substances entering via the portal vein, particularly under compromised intestinal barrier conditions. Identified as "sentinel macrophages," they are activated by isoallo-lithocholic acid. This finding holds promise for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies for liver chronic inflammatory diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), by enhancing the function of these macrophages to mitigate inflammation and improve treatment efficacy.

Species living in 17 mountains around the world are facing the risk of extinction due to the rapid rate of warming attributed to climate change. However, the establishment of additional meteorological monitoring stations in mountainous areas globally is essential for a deeper understanding of the extent of these threats.