A team led by a RIKEN researcher in Japan has solved a genetic mystery and revealed a previously unknown way that DNA can control what cells do. The study reveals that in the roundworm C. elegans, vital RNA needed to keep the ends of chromosomes intact does not have its own gene. Instead, it hitchhikes inside another one. DNA hitchhiking could be a common strategy in the animal kingdom, and has implications for anti-aging therapies and regenerative medicine in humans.

Researchers at Chiba University have identified a key molecule, CCL5, that plays a dual role in chronic kidney disease (CKD). While it protects specific kidney cells, it simultaneously worsens overall damage by promoting harmful inflammation. By developing treatments that precisely target the damaging effects of CCL5 without blocking its protective functions, scientists believe they could create smarter therapies to slow CKD progression and reduce the need for dialysis.

Nursing education plays a crucial role in shaping compassionate healthcare professionals, yet many universities in Japan rely heavily on standardized curricula, leaving little room for distinctive approaches. In a recent study, scientists examined Catholic universities’ nursing faculties to identify their unique characteristics. They found four core values—love for all people, wholeness in relation to God, resilience through suffering, and professional responsibility—demonstrating how Catholic social doctrine enriches nursing education.

A collaboration team of researchers from the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Graduate School of Science at Nagoya University, and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS) reports in ACS Nano an integrative modeling workflow to understand with atomistic precision biomolecular dynamics from high-speed atomic force microscopy experiments.

Neural pathways related to total calorie intake have been extensively studied. However, it remains unclear how these mechanisms control food choices. Yasuhiko Minokoshi and Ken-ichiro Nakajima’s research team discovered that glucoprivation caused by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG)¹⁾ administration increases the intake of high-fat diet (HFD) and high-carbohydrate diet (HCD) in mice through two separate neural pathways in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) ²⁾. These findings first demonstrate that fat and carbohydrate intake are regulated differently in the brain. This study was conducted collaboratively at NIPS, Nagoya University, and Sugiyama Jogakuen University. The results were published in “Metabolism”.

Population genetic analysis conducted by researchers at University of Tsukuba have revealed that natural Japanese hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and, its variety, Taiwanese hinoki cypress (C. obtuse var. formosana) diverged approximately 1 million years ago due to the geological separation of the Ryukyu Archipelago. The study also found that the Japanese variety has expanded over time, whereas the Taiwanese population has become fragmented and declined. Furthermore, the unique genetic characteristics of populations at the northern and southern distributional limits of Japan warrant high conservation priority.

Resurrected by a team of Japanese physicists, a long-dismissed knot idea from the 1800s now offers clues to one of physics’ biggest unsolved mysteries, with help from ghostly particles, writhing relics of the primordial universe, and phantomlike barrier crossings.

Membrane reactors can address the limitations of conventional reactors for CO₂ conversion reactions by selectively removing H₂O molecules. However, the performance of zeolite-based membranes degrades at high temperatures and low H₂O concentrations, limiting practical applicability. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel silsesquioxane framework containing ionic liquid-modified zeolite membranes that demonstrate enhanced H₂O permselectivity even at dilute H₂O concentrations and high temperatures, paving the way for their application in membrane reactors.

This study reports the first in plant synthesis of luminescent and photo-responsive lignin by genetically engineering poplar trees to incorporate scopoletin into the lignin polymer. Through controlled enzyme expression, we achieved lignin with strong, stable luminescence, visible-range emission, and resistance to quenching. Additionally, the material exhibits pH-responsive fluorescence and reversible photo-dimerization, enabling light-controlled functionality. These unique properties open new opportunities for sustainable biomaterials with potential applications in environmental sensing, smart polymers, and advanced photonic materials.

Scientists at Tohoku University have uncovered how electric fields, surface properties, and charge dynamics work together to shape catalytic reactions.  The findings reveal why pH so strongly influences reaction efficiency, and how understanding this interplay can guide the design of smarter, more sustainable catalysts.