Short tandem DNA repeat expansions are known to cause several mitochondrial disorders that most frequently affect the central nervous system. In this study, researchers from Japan evaluated a patient cohort with undiagnosed mitochondrial diseases using long read sequencing and genetic analysis. They identified a three-year-old girl with mitochondrial encephalopathy having biallelic GGGCC repeats in the NAXE promoter region, highlighting the importance of modern technologies in the genetic evaluation of novel repeat expansions.

The scientific debate around the installation of a massive underwater curtain to protect Antarctic ice sheets from melting lacks its vital political perspective. A Kobe University research team argues that the serious questions around authority, sovereignty and security should be addressed proactively by the scientific community to avoid the protected seventh continent becoming the scene or object of international discord.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team evaluated the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in protecting the kidneys, showing that the drugs might help improve oxygenation in these organs.

Surfaces play a key role in numerous chemical reactions, including catalysis and corrosion. Understanding the atomic structure of the surface of a functional material is essential for both engineers and chemists. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan used atomic-resolution secondary electron (SE) imaging to capture the atomic structure of the very top layer of materials to better understand the differences from its lower layers.

A sprinkling of magnetic nanoparticles is just enough to power up catalysts, so they can make hydrogen peroxide production more efficient.

Attempts to obtain eggs and offspring using oocytes in ovary have been made for keeping desirable traits in livestock, preserving human fertility, etc. Ovarian transplantation, one of those methods, has been established and widely used. Although transplantation to different species is expected to bring benefits, it is still too difficult to produce offspring. Researchers in Niigata and Toyama, Japan developed a novel system using xenotransplantation (transplantation of organs from one species to different one), and succeeded in producing offspring.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers analyzed all proteins and RNA in eight major tissues of young and old mice to construct a database that covers genes that change with age.

A new method streamlines the design and effectiveness of ligands used in chemical reactions in catalysis and drug delivery.

The ten-day summer camp, which is now in its third iteration, sees the students join one of the 80+ research units at OIST, where they contribute directly to lab research, working closely with professors, researchers and graduate students. The Keio students also participate in various scientific, recreational and cultural activities in and around the OIST campus, such as coral planting excursions, taking classes in Okinawan language and history, or attending workshops on academic English or on how to play the sanshin.

The detection of cancer-associated micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in urine through a combination of nanowire-based miRNA extraction and machine learning (ML) analysis by researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) can fuel the development of early-stage cancer diagnostic tools. The nanowire-based capture and extraction of miRNAs in urine enabled the detection of more than 2,000 distinct miRNA species, while the ML-based classifier accurately distinguished between cancerous and noncancerous samples.