A collaborative research team led by Kazuyoshi Murata has discovered that virus-like particles (VLPs) of human norovirus genotype GII.3 are not structurally rigid, but can adopt two distinct conformational states, similar to those previously reported for murine norovirus. Using recombinant VLPs and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) at near-atomic resolution, the researchers found that the P domain, the protruding region on the viral surface responsible for host interactions, exists in two different conformations: a resting state, in which the P domain lies close to the underlying shell (S) domain, and a rising state, in which the P domain is elevated above the shell. They further demonstrated that this structural transition is accompanied by a substantial reorganization of the interaction network between neighboring capsid proteins. The study was published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences on July 24, 2026.

Lithium–oxygen batteries have great potential as next-generation energy storage devices; however, sluggish oxygen reactions have long hindered their commercial adoption. Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology developed a heterostructured lanthanum cobalt oxide-cobalt oxide composite that accelerates these reactions, achieving outstanding bifunctional catalytic performance with a record-low potential gap of just 1.14 V. The platinum-free catalyst could allow longer-range electric vehicles and extended-endurance drones, offering a cost-effective and sustainable path toward next-generation energy storage.

A new PET imaging study led by QST shows that tau, a protein closely linked to dementia, accumulates in diverse patterns in many people who first develop hallucinations or delusions in midlife or later. The findings could help doctors move toward more objective diagnosis, earlier intervention and future treatment strategies tailored to each patient’s underlying brain changes.

Small flapping-wing (FW) robots could support applications such as inspection and search and rescue. However, they are highly susceptible to disturbances such as wind gusts, making stable flight challenging. Researchers from Chiba University investigated the flight dynamics of a commercial FW robot and discovered a behavior that limits how quickly its control system can correct disturbances. They developed a control method that accounts for this limitation, helping the robot achieve more stable and accurate flight.

Obesity has been linked to skeletal muscle loss and deterioration. While M2 macrophages may play a role in regulating muscle function, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Now, researchers from Japan have found that deleting the signaling protein transforming growth factor-beta 1 from a specific population of M2 macrophages protected mice from obesity-induced muscle dysfunction. This enhanced muscle regeneration and mitochondrial function, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for muscle loss associated with obesity.

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have developed a novel treatment for periodontitis that selectively targets harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial microbes essential for oral health. Unlike existing treatments such as antibiotics and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), this method maintains the balance of the entire oral microbial ecosystem.

Kyoto, Japan -- The space around Earth is becoming increasingly crowded, with thousands of satellites and pieces of debris now sharing low Earth orbit. Even above this region -- at altitudes of several hundred kilometers -- the extremely thin upper atmosphere can slow satellites down, making accurate information on atmospheric density essential for predicting satellite motion and preventing collisions.

The upper atmosphere is composed of more than 99 percent electrically neutral atmosphere called the thermosphere, and thermospheric density is the term used to describe neutral atmospheric density at heights from 100 to 1000 kilometers above the Earth's surface. While the ionized gas of the ionosphere makes up less than 1 percent of the atmosphere, the effect of the ionized gas on radio wave propagation renders the ionosphere relatively easy to observe, while thermospheric observations pose a considerable challenge.

Nonetheless, developing observation methods for thermospheric density is essential both to further advancing the science of the upper atmosphere and for applications in space engineering. These needs inspired a team of researchers at Kyoto University to develop a new method of visualizing this elusive environment.

Ippei Danshita from Kindai University and Daichi Kagamihara from Chuo University used Oqtant, a cloud-based service for state-of-the-art physics experiments provided by the company Infleqtion in the USA, to successfully demonstrate the influence of the anomalous tunneling effect on the dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) by operating a BEC experimental setup through the cloud. This is the first time that academic research results obtained using Oqtant have been published as a peer-reviewed scientific paper.

These research findings exemplify the value of a new research approach, in which theoretical physicists conduct experimental studies using cloud-based experimental platforms, and thus hold the potential to significantly expand what theoretical physicists can do in their research. Moreover, the anomalous tunneling is a universal phenomenon predicted to occur not only in BECs but also in materials such as magnets. In this sense, it is of great significance that the influence of such an important phenomenon has been experimentally observed for the first time.

The original paper regarding this work was published in Communications Physics by Nature Portfolio on July 31, 2026.

The initial sequencing and assembly of the medaka genome excluded the assembly of approximately 1,000 regions with repetitive sequences and elements that were too complex for traditional DNA sequencing and assembly techniques. A team of researchers recently used HiFi and ultra-long sequencing technologies to generate reads capable of spanning these repetitive regions, completing one and nearly completing two other medaka strain genomes. The completed genome sequences provide potential roles for variation in genome structure in the phenotype, or observable characteristics, of organisms.