It is a biologist's daily business to look for correlations in data, and even though correlation does not imply causation, it can provide a starting point for further experiments. If manipulation of one factor in a system changes the response, scientists assume there is causality. This well-tested approach starts to run into trouble when systems become more complex. 

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered a new superconducting material. They combined iron, nickel, and zirconium, to create a new transition metal zirconide with different ratios of iron to nickel. While both iron zirconide and nickel zirconide are not superconducting, the newly prepared mixtures are, exhibiting a “dome-shaped” phase diagram typical of so-called “unconventional superconductors,” a promising avenue for developing high temperature superconducting materials which can be more widely deployed in society.

A research team from NIMS and the Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC) has developed a next-generation AI device —a hardware component for AI systems— that incorporates an iono-magnonic reservoir. This reservoir controls spin waves (collective excitations of electron spins in magnetic materials), ion dynamics and their interactions. The technology demonstrated significantly higher information processing performance than conventional physical reservoir computing devices, underscoring its potential to transform AI technologies.

Hiromi Ozaki, known by her artist's name, Sputniko!, is a Japanese British artist combining art and technology to explore social issues. Her work integrates scientific concepts and emerging technologies to question perspectives and highlight important social and environmental issues. 

OIST science writer Merle Naidoo recently interviewed Sputniko! for the OIST podcast. 

Sputniko! frequently collaborates with scientists, as seen in her project titled “Red Silk of Fate” involving bioengineered silk that combines genetic engineering with cultural mythology. Inspired by Asian mythologies about a red silk line that connects two people who are destined to be together, she collaborated with Prof. Hideki Sezutsu from the University of Tokyo, who also serves as the Research Director at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), to create genetically engineered red silk that contains the “love hormone” oxytocin. 

In this podcast episode, Sputniko! discusses the beginnings and challenges of her artistic journey, explaining how science and technology have become central themes in her work. She also shares the inspiration behind her latest exhibition, "Coral Colors," which was on display at the OIST Tunnel Gallery from November 29 to January 9. 

Recently, a study by Tokyo Medical University, Niigata University, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory explored the effects of intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) using ENEFLUID® in addressing malnutrition in elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis, a growing issue because of the aging dialysis population. For 12 weeks, 20 patients in the IDPN group and 19 in the control group participated. Although no significant changes were observed in serum transthyretin levels, the IDPN group showed increased food intake and reduced hypoglycemia during dialysis. No adverse effects were reported. The researchers suggest that prolonged IDPN use may indirectly improve nutritional status, highlighting the need for further investigation on its optimal use.

A NIMS research team fabricated heat-resistant steel test specimens using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)—a form of metal 3D printing—and subjected them to creep testing for up to 10,000 hours. The results demonstrated that LPBF significantly extended the creep lives of the specimens, achieving at least a 10-fold increase over heat-resistant steel produced through conventional heat-treatment processes.

Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, have developed a novel 6D pose dataset designed to improve robotic grasping accuracy and adaptability in industrial settings. The dataset, which integrates RGB and depth images, demonstrates significant potential to enhance the precision of robots performing pick-and-place tasks in dynamic environments.

Paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips could enable a new generation of compact optical devices. A team with researchers at the University of Tokyo and JSR Corp. fabricated and tested flat lenses called Fresnel zone plates (FZPs), but did so for the first time using only common semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the i-line stepper, for the first time. These flat lenses currently lack the efficiency of in-production lenses, but have the potential to reshape optics for industries ranging from astronomy to health care and consumer electronics.

Genetic changes are a significant cause of infertility, impacting over 15% of the global population. TLE6, a major protein involved in early embryonic development, is known to affect female fertility. In this study, researchers unravel its role in male fertility using a novel Tle6-deficient mouse model. Abnormal sperm morphology with a marked reduction in sperm count and motility highlighted the role of Tle6 in sperm function and production, and its potential association with male infertility.