We don’t have time to count every fish in the ocean! Environmental DNA or eDNA allows us to see where fish live by analyzing DNA in seawater – such as from shed scales or skin. This Japan-wide eDNA survey conducted by the Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (WPI-AIMEC), Tohoku University & JAMSTEC, revealed hidden factors of the ecological niches that affect shifts in fish distributions. 

A high-resolution cellular atlas of liver fibrosis and recovery identifies two proteins, SEMA4D and LMCD1, as promising therapeutic targets. The findings were validated in both mouse models and human patient samples, suggesting relevance to human disease.

Male strepsipterans develop inside a host insect during their larval stage and, upon reaching the adult stage, emerge from the host body to begin a free-living phase. In this study, researchers at University of Tsukuba directly observed the emergence behavior of male strepsipterans parasitizing stink bugs, where emergence sites are concealed beneath the host's wings, and found that, during emergence, the host exhibits a characteristic wing-raising behavior.

How complex neural circuits are genetically designed and wired is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Scientists have shown for the first time that genes encode a “wiring map” that guides neurons to connect with the correct brain regions. The findings, based on machine learning analysis of mouse brain data, were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and offer new avenues for research into brain development and disease. 

We revealed that the proton channel Hv1/VSOP, previously thought to function at the cell surface in microglia (brain immune cells), also functions on endosomes inside cells and precisely controls the actin cytoskeleton. Using advanced microscopy and electrophysiology (endosome patch-clamp), we found Hv1 acts as a brake on actin elongation. This discovery presents a novel cellular control mechanism where endosomal ion channels manipulate the cell skeleton itself, with implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases.

It’s impossible to talk about global economics without considering the existence of China. Since the 1990s, China has experienced rapid growth as the “workshop of the world,” now boasting the 2nd largest global economy. However, that growth has slowed, and the country now faces serious issues such as a bursting real estate bubble and a long-standing trade war with the United States. We spoke with Professor KAJITANI Kai, an expert in modern Chinese economics at the Graduate School of Economics and co-author of last year’s book entitled China Peaking Out, on the present and future of China’s economy.

In the spring of 2025, the African Conviviality Center was established in Kobe University’s Graduate School of Intercultural Studies. Established to more consciously promote exchange between African researchers and students, this organization, which has incorporated Africa into its name, is a rarity in Japan. After nearly a full year of activity at the center, we sat down to talk with Professor UMEYA Kiyoshi, dean of the Graduate School of Intercultural Studies and a major promoter of the center’s creation, to talk about the role of the center, what can be expected from the university and Africa’s current situation and position in international society.