Researchers from Kumamoto University have identified a liver-derived protein, serine protease inhibitor A1 (SerpinA1), as a key regulator in combating obesity and enhancing glucose metabolism. This groundbreaking study, published in Nature Communications, sheds light on how activating brown adipose tissue (BAT) could pave the way for innovative treatments for diabetes and metabolic disorders.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have uncovered a daily mating capacity for medaka, providing important insights into the relationship between the cost of gamete production and sexual selection.

Kyushu University researchers have successfully developed a new ferroelectric optical modulator that can exhibited modulation of up to 170 Gbps—an operating 10 times higher than existing devices—and a transmission rate of more than 300 Gbps. This modulator was made thanks to a new method the team developed that allowed them to grow thin films of ferroelectric crystals on silicon substrates.

Skin allergies are often worsened by psychological stress, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Researchers from Japan have now discovered that stress affects the ability of macrophages to clear dead cells in allergic lesions, which worsens allergic inflammation. Accumulated dead cells induce the expression of eosinophil-recruiting protein, CCL24, in the skin lesions. CCL24 production is dependent on the caspase-1 enzyme; thus, inhibiting caspase-1 can mitigate and even reverse allergy symptoms.

 To clarify the visual cues contributing to skin moisture and dryness, a research team from the Cognitive Neurotechnology Unit and Visual Perception & Cognition Laboratory of Toyohashi University of Technology, the Faculty of Design of Kyushu University, and the Central R&D Laboratory of Pias Corporation conducted several psychophysical experiments to investigate how image manipulation alters visual perceptions of skin moisture. The study demonstrated that emphasizing high-spatial-frequency components of skin lightness decreased the visual perception of moisture. These changes closely resembled physiological phenomena associated with skin dryness such as the appearance of white lines and emphasized pores, indicating that these are cues for perceiving skin dryness. The results of this study were published on December 17, 2024, in the Journal of the Optical Society of America A (https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.536898).

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a technology for voltage-controlled magnetization switching, which has the potential to be implemented in next-generation computational memory. This advanced technology enables low-energy data writing operations with non-volatility, making it scalable for future applications that require stable and reliable memory.

Japan, once a leader in technological innovation, is now lagging behind. The number of researchers and published papers has steadily decreased, causing a decline in global competitiveness. The underlying issue is a shortage of talent that forms the foundation for scientific and technological innovation, particularly the decreasing number of students pursuing doctoral programs.

The “Kobe future doctors dōjō for middle school students,” launched in 2022, provides elementary and junior high school students with the opportunity to learn by encouraging their spirit of inquiry. The program fosters the abilities to envision and to pioneer the future, both of which are essential for Japan’s next generation of doctoral candidates.

Kobe University will establish a new “Department of Medical Device Engineering” in April 2025 for the development of medical devices through the fusion of medicine and engineering. The tentatively-titled new department will have a special focus on education, especially through integration with the medical device engineering major established in April last year in the Graduate School of Medicine. Building on the experience and knowledge gained from the joint development with industry of “Hinotori,” the first surgical robot produced in Japan, the department’s aim will be to cultivate human resources to lead the development of cutting-edge medical devices “made in Kobe” through collaboration among industry, government and academia. We interviewed MURAGAKI Yoshihiro, professor and director of the Center for Advanced Medical Engineering Research & Development, who himself is involved in the development of a number of medical devices, including the “SCOT: Smart Cyber Operating Theater,” a smart operating room, and who is playing a leading role in promoting the new department, about the objectives of the new department, its educational content and future goals.

Kobe University fosters academic exchange with universities in many countries and has more than 1,000 international students. To support currently enrolled international students in finding their first post-graduation employment, the university has established a system that focuses on career development from a global perspective. We interviewed IKEMURA Akiko, a project associate professor who supported international students’ job-hunting activities at the Career Center and who has been involved in the Global Career Development Program at the Graduate School of Agricultural Science since 2023, about past efforts and achievements as well as about current projects.

Kobe University is committed to supporting university-launched startups that create new businesses based on research results. The university’s long-term “KU VISION 2030” includes consistent support from entrepreneurship education to fundraising. A range of projects are now underway in fields that are Kobe University strengths, such as biotech manufacturing.