Toward standardized microplastics monitoring in rivers
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Jun-2026 11:16 ET (8-Jun-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)
Microplastic pollution in rivers is difficult to quantify because particles span a wide size range and are measured using incompatible methods. Recently, researchers from Japan developed a unified approach to describe microplastic number and mass distributions using power-law size spectra. By combining multiple sampling techniques, they showed that total microplastic mass can be accurately estimated even from limited size data, enabling more consistent pollution assessment and more efficient environmental monitoring in freshwater systems.
Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) are plant-derived molecules with unique pharmaceutical potential, but their highly complex and intricate structures make them difficult to produce in the laboratory. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a new strategy that enables the total synthesis of bisleuconothine A and bousigonine B, two biologically relevant oligomeric MIAs. Their findings lay the foundation for further studies of this family of molecules. Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) are plant-derived molecules with unique pharmaceutical potential, but their highly complex and intricate structures make them difficult to produce in the laboratory. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a new strategy that enables the total synthesis of bisleuconothine A and bousigonine B, two biologically relevant oligomeric MIAs. Their findings lay the foundation for further studies of this family of molecules.
Magnesium is essential for both plant growth and human nutrition, yet how rice grains accumulate this mineral has remained unclear. A new study identifies OsMGR2 as a magnesium transporter required for moving magnesium into rice grains. Rice plants lacking this transporter produced smaller, shriveled grains with reduced magnesium content and poorer eating quality. The findings reveal how magnesium distribution affects grain development and could help support future breeding strategies for nutritionally improved rice varieties.
Researchers characterized the oral microbiomes of the Japanese population across time by analyzing the DNA preserved in dental calculus of human skeletal remains. The researchers compared microbial composition in dental calculus primarily from Edo-period individuals with that of modern dental calculus, and identified differences associated with time period, region, and the phylogeny of several oral bacterial species. The findings show that dental calculus can provide new avenues for examining human history and the relationships between humans and microorganisms.
Scientists found that certain chemical impurities, such as hydrogen and oxygen, help amorphous carbon form graphite-like, ultralow-friction interfaces under mechanical stress. The findings reveal how impurities can enable self-forming lubricating surfaces, offering a new strategy for designing durable, energy-efficient materials.
Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed novel kirigami structures with periodic parallel inclined cuts. Stretching these materials longitudinally causes them to twist and rotate. Thus, these structures provide a mechanism for coupling tension and rotation. The mechanical deformation of these structures can be characterized in terms of a geometrical property, the chirality. Some of the developed chiral structures were auxetic, longitudinal stretching resulting in lateral expansion, instead of contraction. The findings have applications in soft robotics and soft actuators.
Sesame dynamically rewires lignan metabolism during germination
Newly identified enzyme networks drive large-scale conversion of sesamin-derived compounds
Researchers at the Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences (SUNBOR) have uncovered a previously unknown metabolic system that enables sesame seeds to extensively remodel lignan metabolism during germination (Figure 1).