The Subaru Telescope observed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) on January 7, 2026 (UT), after it made its closest approach to the Sun. By observing colors in the coma around the comet, astronomers could estimate the ratio of carbon dioxide to water. This ratio is much lower than that inferred from earlier observations by space telescopes. These findings suggest that the chemistry of the coma is evolving over time and offers clues to the structure of comet 3I/ATLAS.

A key question in physics is whether gravity follows quantum rules, but testing this is difficult because gravitational effects are so weak. Researchers from Kyushu University have theoretically proposed a method using momentum-squeezed states in optomechanical systems to amplify gravity-induced entanglement signals. This approach could make such signals easier to detect, paving the way for future experiments to determine whether gravity has a quantum nature.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo clarified how membrane lipid composition determines the surface charge of extracellular vesicles (EVs). They show that differences between exosomes and membrane-derived EVs arise from phospholipid asymmetry, particularly phosphatidylserine distribution. The study proposes zeta potential as a key indicator for EV classification and quality control, offering a foundation for standardization and rational design of EV-based therapeutics. This work was conducted as part of a JST COI-NEXT program, led by Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM).

Microplastic pollution is a growing environmental concern due to its widespread presence in oceans, rivers, and other water systems. Now, scientists from Shinshu University have introduced an eco-friendly water purification method using the natural slimy mucilage of nameko mushrooms, a common food in Japan. The results show that this natural material can effectively remove more than 90% of plastic particles from water in a very short time, offering a promising sustainable solution to plastic pollution.

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD), caused by begomoviruses, is a global problem in tomato production, affecting yield. While introduction of resistance genes is one of the strategies to control TYLCD, introduction of a single Ty-gene is inadequate in providing full protection against begomoviruses. Now, researchers have determined that a combination of Ty-1/Ty-3 and Ty-6 can fully protect tomato plants from begomoviruses, providing a promising strategy to improve tomato varieties and ensure their stable production.

Clinical interviewing is an essential skill in medical training, but often requires significant time and training. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to help accelerate this training; however, its effectiveness remains unclear. Now, a new study reports how AI-based assessment of medical interview transcripts closely matches human-based assessments. These findings suggest that AI could support more efficient and scalable training in medical education.

Professor Kunio Shirahada’s research at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology explores how services can improve people’s quality of life as well as their harmony with the environment. Inspired by Japan’s “satoyama” landscapes, where human life and nature intertwine, he has developed a framework that treats nature as a partner in value creation to enable services that focus on long-term societal impact to promote psychological, social, and ecological well-being along with economic value.

Kavli IPMU's Shigeki Matsumoto and Jie Sheng have shown torsion-balance experiments — precision instruments originally built to test the equivalence principle — could double as detectors for very light dark matter.

A mysterious layer of particles that occupies the lower regions of Venus’s atmosphere has long puzzled astronomers. However, a research team has finally solved the mystery of the “lower haze,” discovering that the haze comes from cosmic dust left by shooting stars that constantly rain down on Venus.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team observed that when mice were allowed to freely consume bread, wheat flour, and rice flour alongside their standard chow, they stopped eating the regular food almost entirely due to a strong preference for the carbohydrates. As a result, their body weight and fat mass increased even though their total caloric intake did not rise significantly.