POSTECH, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Tokyo control oxide electronic structures via local atomic arrangements at moiré interfaces.

Seeing chemistry unfold inside living cells is one of the biggest challenges of modern bioimaging. Raman microscopy offers a powerful way to meet this challenge by reading the unique vibrational “signatures” of molecules. However, cells are extraordinarily complex environments filled with thousands of biomolecules. To make specific molecules stand out, researchers often attach small chemical “probes,” such as alkyne tags, that produce signals in a so-called cell-silent spectral window where native cellular components do not scatter light. This allows Raman microscopes to selectively detect the tagged molecules against an otherwise crowded molecular background. Despite this advantage, the widespread adoption of Raman microscopy in biology has been limited by one fundamental problem: Raman signals are extremely weak. In a new study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, TIFR researchers report a molecular design strategy that dramatically amplifies Raman signals, enabling the development of Raman sensors that can detect biomolecules using standard spontaneous Raman microscopes. These new Raman sensors enable sensitive, ratiometric imaging of biological molecules and ions, such as hydrogen peroxide molecules, copper ions, and pH, inside living cells. The work is supported by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, with the research team comprising Prof. Ankona Datta and Sujit Das from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, and Heqi Xi, Itsuki Yamamoto, and Prof. Katsumasa Fujita from the University of Osaka, Japan.

Antibiotics that save lives can also become hidden environmental threats once they leave hospitals and households. A new study reports an innovative solution that transforms sewage waste into a low cost, eco friendly sensor capable of detecting trace levels of the widely used antibiotic trimethoprim in water, urine, and pharmaceutical samples.

Pilot whale samples from 1986-2023 show that legacy PFAS are declining in the open ocean. Newer PFAS remain a major unknown and may be accumulating in near-source environments.

Professor Hirotoshi Mori (Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University), together with Nichika Ozawa (first-year Ph.D. student at Ochanomizu University) and Assistant Professor Nahoko Kuroki of Ochanomizu University, has proposed a new design principle for QM/MM (quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics) simulations. The approach enables objective and automatic determination of the quantum-mechanical region based on electronic-state changes, addressing a long-standing challenge in multiscale molecular simulations. This work was published online in Advanced Science on December 23, 2025 (JST), an international journal that features conceptually innovative and interdisciplinary breakthroughs across materials science, life science, chemistry, and physics. This article will be published in issue 17 (March 23rd) of Advanced Science, and the cover design suggestion has been selected to be featured on a frontispiece in it. A frontispiece is a full-page image (similar to a cover) placed at the beginning of this article that highlights outstanding results.

Scientists have created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through the Universe – showing its influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets.

A new portable reactor based on solid oxide fuel cell solves thermal management and safety issues, as reported by researchers from Japan. This miniaturized reactor can start up rapidly within 5 minutes at room temperature and demonstrate electric power generation. Featuring an innovative structural design with high thermal insulation and a multilayered insulation system, this microreactor design could be used to power a wide variety of edge devices, including drones, compact robots, and AI hardware.