Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, report in Small, a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering nanotechnology, published by Wiley-WCH, Germany, how short peptides self-assemble linearly on atomically-thick solid surfaces, such as graphite and MoS₂. The research addresses a longstanding challenge in materials science: understanding the complex, sequence-specific interactions between peptides and solid substrates, and the critical role of local hydration structures in guiding nanoarchitecture formation. This work offers new strategies for integrating biomolecules with advanced materials in future bioelectronics and sensor devices.

A groundbreaking study led by a global research consortium offers new hope for patients with mycetoma, a neglected tropical disease. Researchers using an insect model and transcriptome analysis have unravelled the mechanism of iron regulation between host tissue and the mycetoma grain, a fungal mass characteristic of the disease. This discovery illuminates how the causative fungus invades and develops these protective grains within subcutaneous tissue, paving the way for new drug development and less invasive treatment strategies beyond surgical removal, potentially reducing the burden on patients significantly.

Researchers developed a continuous-flow synthesis method to precisely control the size of cerium oxide nanoparticles down to 1.3 nm. This enabled the first direct investigation of size effects in metal oxides, revealing structural distortions and unexpected Ce³⁺ states—insights that could advance the design of catalytic and electronic nanomaterials.

An international team of researchers including Kavli IPMU has for the first time observed a new class of exotic atomic systems—highly charged muonic ions.

Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University observe and model how the enzyme ADAR1 interacts with double-stranded RNA, which may be useful for future cancer treatment strategies.