Researchers at University of Tsukuba have identified venom genes from the endoparasitoid wasp Asobara japonica, which uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as its host. The proteins encoded by these venom genes degrade the adult precursor tissues of the flies during the host larval stage, enabling the wasp to develop within the host and achieve successful parasitism.

For the first time astronomers have succeeded in observing the magnetic field around a young star where planets are thought to be forming. The team was able to use dust to measure the three-dimensional structure “fingerprint” of the magnetic field. This will help improve our understanding of planet formation.

Soil incubation experiments revealed a comprehensive increase in CO₂ release by drying–rewetting cycles (DWCs) among Japanese forests and pastureland soils, suggesting a significant contribution of the DWCs-induced destruction of microbial cells and reactive metal-organic matter complex to the CO₂ release increase.

- Combining wine components and precision synthetic polymers to create nanomachines carrying adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs)

- Nanomachine wrapping of AAV suppresses the production of neutralizing antibodies and also overcomes hepatotoxicity, a side effect of gene therapy with AAV, for the first time in the world.

- Efficient gene therapy with gene-loaded AAVs as a new approach to clinical application

- Published in ACS Nano as a result of joint research by iCONM and Institute of Science Tokyo

Quantum spin liquids are fascinating states of matter where magnetic spins stay disordered, defying the usual rules of magnetism. Professor Yasuyuki Ishii and his team have made an exciting discovery about one such material, β’-EtMe₃Sb[Pd(dmit)₂]₂. Instead of acting like a 2D system as expected, it behaves like a 1D system. This breakthrough changes how we understand these mysterious materials, offering new insights into magnetism and opening doors to advances in quantum materials and technology.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder with unclear causes, affecting about 10% of the global population. Researchers from Japan have now discovered that opioid delta-receptor agonists may alleviate IBS symptoms by acting directly on the central nervous system. Using a novel stress-induced mouse model, they found these drugs reduce abdominal pain and regulate bowel movements. This research suggests a promising approach to treating IBS by targeting stress as a contributing factor.

A collaboration led by researchers at Osaka University has developed a versatile platform with an electrically controlled nanogate that can be used for applications in sensing, chemical synthesis, memristors, and neuromorphic computing. The nanogate, which consists of a pore in a membrane, is closed by the formation of a precipitate and opened by the dissolution of the precipitate, which are regulated by the applied voltage.

Scientists have developed a high-resolution distributed temperature sensing technique using plastic optical fibers, achieving a spatial resolution of 4.8 centimeters. This breakthrough, based on Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR), enables precise detection of temperature changes over short distances, with potential applications in structural health monitoring and industrial diagnostics.

Researchers at Osaka University developed advanced terahertz photodetectors containing ‘living’ microelectrodes. A vanadium dioxide (VO₂) layer was precisely deposited on a silicon substrate. Temperature regulation modulated the size of conductive metallic areas in VO₂, forming a dynamic microelectrode network that selectively enhanced the response of the silicon substrate to terahertz light. These advanced photodetectors reveal the potential of modifiable metamaterials such as VO₂ to overcome the performance limitations of traditional materials.

The Kobe University start-up Photo-on-Demand Chemical Co. Ltd. demonstrated that it can produce methane from sewage to refine it into pharmaceutical raw materials and other useful chemicals. For this, TSUDA Akihiko, the CEO and associate professor at the Graduate School of Science, and his team have developed a “photoproduction” method that produces such chemicals by shining light on methane and chlorine, etc. The company was established in April 2024 and began demonstration tests at a sewage treatment plant of Kobe City in September. We asked Tsuda about the background to the research, which also promotes decarbonization policies known as “green transformation” (GX) in Japan, and future developments.