An AI can accurately diagnose a rare endocrinological condition just by analyzing pictures of the back of the hand and the clenched fist. The privacy-conscious achievement by Kobe University holds promise for establishing more efficient referral systems and reducing healthcare disparities across communities.

Study reveals how two proteins cooperate in a key early step of antiviral detection, as reported by researchers at Science Tokyo. Using cryo-electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy, they found that LGP2 binds to viral RNA and recruits MDA5 molecules, as if threading beads on a string. This creates a scaffold that facilitates the formation of a large signaling complex, which ultimately triggers an innate immune response.

The transient Pauli blocking effect is a promising way to achieve ultrafast optical switching in semiconductors. Recently, a research team from Japan successfully demonstrated broadband ultrafast optical switching in InN thin films by leveraging pump-probe transient transmittance measurements with multicolor probe lasers. They also developed a theoretical model to explain the underlying mechanism. These findings might pave the way for next-generation ultrafast optical modulators, shutters, and photonic devices in optical computing or optical communication.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that a specific signaling pathway, the integrin αV–YAP–CTGF axis in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, may be associated with the development of liver fibrosis, portal hypertension, and liver cancer in patients with chronic liver congestion. These findings have important implications for the development of therapies aimed at preventing more severe forms of liver disease.

Researchers at Hokkaido University studied 56 japonica rice cultivars from across Japan and discovered that they contain unique beneficial fats.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team used hourly precipitation data from 1981 to 2020 and spatial modeling to predict extreme precipitation events for the next 100 years in Japan.

Accurate crowd monitoring is crucial for guiding emergency evacuations. Non-repetitive scanning LiDAR systems are affordable and offer wide coverage, but their sparse and discontinuous depth data limit practical use. A study from Doshisha University introduces a color-guided depth completion method to reconstruct missing 3D information. The researchers also created a simulated dataset to support the evaluation of future depth reconstruction approaches.

Researchers at Kumamoto University have announced the world’s first rum produced using the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, marking a breakthrough in fermentation science and craft spirits innovation. The new product, “JAPONICUS RHUM AGRICOLE,” goes on sale February 27, 2026.

> Developed a novel technology (PL-Display) that enables high-precision, high-speed drug target discovery without using cells

> By firmly immobilizing candidate peptide and their coding DNA onto a magnetic bead, highly accurate screening is possible

> A peptide found in only one out of 10,000 can be detected in a single screening

> Efficiently detect target peptides from a library of approximately 1.7 million random peptides

> Efficiently concentrate the target by amplifying the DNA encoding the detected peptide via PCR

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a mouse model for achondroplasia. The model identified the importance of a signaling molecule called FGFR3 and a pathway called CREB in regulating bone growth. This pathway is also at least partially responsible for the pathology associated with achondroplasia and impaired bone growth. Their findings advance our understanding of the process of bone growth and provide novel therapeutic targets for achondroplasia.