Researchers at RIKEN, Japan have successfully used insects as mini molecule-making factories, marking a breakthrough in chemical engineering. This “in-insect synthesis” technique offers a new way to create and modify complex molecules, which will generate new opportunities for the discovery, development, and application of non-natural molecules, such as nanocarbons.

A cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) model developed at Institute of Science Tokyo is transforming lung cancer diagnosis—no high-powered graphics processing unit (GPU) servers needed! Led by Professor Kenji Suzuki of the Biomedical AI Research Unit, the team applied ultra-lightweight deep learning to make AI-driven diagnostic tools more accessible, paving the way for low-cost, high-impact solutions.A cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) model developed at Institute of Science Tokyo is transforming lung cancer diagnosis—no high-powered graphics processing unit (GPU) servers needed! Led by Professor Kenji Suzuki of the Biomedical AI Research Unit, the team applied ultra-lightweight deep learning to make AI-driven diagnostic tools more accessible, paving the way for low-cost, high-impact solutions.

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging and serious complications. In the first clinical trial of its kind, researchers from Japan with the company Niagen Bioscience, investigated the effects of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 derivative, in patients with WS. NR supplementation significantly improved cardiovascular health, reduced skin ulcer area, and slowed kidney function decline—offering promising therapeutic potential for a disease that currently lacks effective treatment.

Researchers at Tohoku University found a method to break down specific contaminants in water in order to help replenish one of our most precious resources: fresh water.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers observed medaka raised in a close-to-natural environment for 24 hours straight and found out when the fish’s spawning and courtship behavior peaked.

Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan found that the brains of male mosquitoes respond to a wider range of sounds than females and have more diverse responses. The research may explain why mosquito traps often underperform: male mosquitoes respond not just to simple wingbeat sounds but to complex acoustic cues that current traps fail to replicate. 

Organoids, lab-grown 3D miniatures derived from patient tumors, are shedding new light on why some esophageal cancers resist chemotherapy. Researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) used these organoids to pinpoint the molecular drivers of resistance and identified fedratinib as a potential drug. Their findings offer fresh hope for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, by paving the way for more effective, personalized therapies.

Guaiazulene is a compound that gives off a beautiful blue colour, and it is often found in topical creams for skincare. It has also been touted as a potential food coloring agent. Yet this has been stymied because of its poor water solubility and color degradation under acidic conditions. A group of researchers overcame this common stumbling block by introducing guaiazulene into a hydrophilic poly(allylamine). 

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have discovered the importance of the microscopic structural ordering of water in ice nucleation, in which an ice crystal forms and grows near a solid surface. The nucleation pathway depends strongly on surface hydrophilicity, with intermediate values of hydrophilicity corresponding to the highest nucleation rates. These findings demonstrate how surfaces can be used to control crystallization, which could have profound industrial applications.

When a water-based polymer solution dries, the liquid surface splits in uneven, unpredictable ways—a phenomenon called symmetry breaking. Using a natural polymer in a controlled drying setting, researchers from JAIST, Japan, identified that the irregular patterns in symmetry breaking don’t just form by chance but follow hidden physical rules. This discovery offers new insight into how asymmetric patterns in nature form and could impact fields from material design to biological development.