The Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus is a large insect native to Asia, characterized by the large horn of the male. A research team led by Professor Teruyuki Niimi at the National Institute for Basic Biology is investigating the molecular mechanism of horn development and is developing various molecular techniques essential for this research. To date, the team has successfully decoded the whole genome of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle and established a gene function analysis method using RNA interference.

This time, published in Scientific Reports, the team reported the development of a gene function analysis method using electroporation in Trypoxylus dichotomus larvae.

In a study published in PLOS Genetics, a research team led by Professor Shuji Shigenobu at the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Japan, has identified the Laccase2 (Lac2) gene as essential for the darkening and hardening of overwintering eggs in the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). By applying a refined CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing protocol specifically optimized for aphids, and introducing the innovative “DIPA-CRISPR” technique for the first time in this species, the researchers disrupted Lac2 and uncovered its critical role in egg protection.

Organic molecules that combine efficient light emission for displays and strong light absorption for bioimaging are difficult to design due to conflicting structural requirements. Researchers from Japan addressed this challenge by developing CzTRZCN, a single molecule that switches structure depending on light interaction, enabling both two-photon absorption and thermally activated delayed fluorescence. These dual functions are useful in OLEDs and biomedical imaging, paving the way for versatile organic materials in electronics, medicine, and life sciences.

What appears to be silver-blue pigment is actually structural coloration—an optical phenomenon that Encephalartos horridus creates through light-scattering wax crystals sculpted from a lipid compound that may date back to the dawn of land plants.

Scandium aluminium nitride (ScAlN) has emerged as a promising barrier material for improving the performance of gallium-nitride (GaN)-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). However, current methods for growing ScAlN layers on GaN require expensive equipment and high temperatures. In a new study, researchers investigated how sputtering can be used to successfully grow ScAlN layers on GaN at relatively lower temperatures and reduced costs, paving the way towards commercialization of high-performance ScAlN-based GaN devices.

The growing healthcare burden posed by hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common subtype of liver cancer, has prompted the establishment of a Commission comprising a wide range of medical and public health experts. Now, they present their findings in a recent report, which defines concrete goals for the reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma cases, and presents a set of evidence-based recommendations to help stakeholders work together to achieve these goals.

The accurate estimation of bearing stratum depth, the subsurface soil or rock layer depth that can support a foundation, is key to preventing soil-related disasters in earthquake-prone areas and ensuring a building’s structural safety. However, traditional methods to assess this depth involve high costs, time, and labor. Now, researchers from Japan have demonstrated improved depth prediction accuracy by employing machine learning algorithms, making it both cost-effective and a generalizable alternative to traditional field surveys.

Solid-oxide fuel cells are a promising material for future green energy infrastructure due to their high efficiency and long lifespan. However, they require operation at high temperatures of around 700-800℃. Now researchers at Kyushu University have succeeded in developing a new SOFC material with an efficient operating temperature of 300℃. The team expects that their new findings will greatly accelerate the practical application of green energy devices.

Physicists have for the first time directly observed the quantum Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, using ultracold lithium gases. The phenomenon produced eccentric fractional skyrmions — crescent-shaped quantum vortices with embedded singularities — resembling shapes in Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” These findings deepen our understanding of quantum turbulence and may inform future developments in topology and quantum technologies.

Newly developed DNA nanostructures can form flexible, fluid, and stimuli-responsive condensates without relying on chemical cross-linking, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo and Chuo University. Owing to a rigid tetrahedral motif that binds the linkers in a specific direction, the resulting string-like structures form condensates with exceptional fluidity and stability. These findings pave the way for adaptive soft materials with potential applications in drug delivery, artificial organelles, and bioengineering platforms.