In a world-first, researchers from the Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have directly observed the evolution of the elusive dark excitons in atomically thin materials, laying the foundation for new breakthroughs in both classical and quantum information technologies. Their findings have been published in Nature Communications. Professor Keshav Dani, head of the unit, highlights the significance: "Dark excitons have great potential as information carriers, because they are inherently less likely to interact with light, and hence less prone to degradation of their quantum properties. However, this invisibility also makes them very challenging to study and manipulate. Building on a previous breakthrough at OIST in 2020, we have opened a route to the creation, observation, and manipulation of dark excitons."

Ko Mochizuki of the University of Tokyo has discovered that Vincetoxicum nakaianum, a dogbane species native to Japan described for the first time by Mochizuki and his collaborators only a year ago, mimics the smell of ants attacked by spiders to attract flies that feed on such attacked insects, and in the process pollinate the flowers. This is the first case of a plant mimicking the odor of ants, revealing that the scope of floral mimicry is more diverse than previously imagined. The findings are published in the journal Current Biology.

A professional musician’s ability to regulate their emotional state plays an important role in guaranteeing a successful performance. Previous studies have explored how anxiety affects the nervous system, leading to lower performance quality. However, the characterization of the optimal pre-performance state was unclear and required further exploration. Now, however, researchers have examined the role of unique, positive life events in modulating nervous system activities of musicians and how they positively influence performances.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions and lacks effective treatments due to safety concerns, cost, and growing drug resistance. In a recent study, researchers from Japan discovered that onnamides, compounds isolated from marine sponges in Okinawa, exhibit potent anti-leishmanial properties. These molecules showed high efficacy and low toxicity in laboratory tests, offering a promising foundation for new therapies targeting leishmaniasis and other protozoa-derived infections.

Researchers including those from the University of Tokyo build on past studies and introduce new methods to explore the nature and role of subsurface fluids including water in the instances and behaviors of earthquakes and volcanoes. Their study suggests that water, even heavy rainfall, can play a role in or even trigger seismic events. This could potentially lead to better early warning systems. The study improves models of seismic activity and can even help identify optimal sites for drilling to tap sources of supercritical geothermal energy.

Many applications—from drug discovery and diagnostics to cell engineering and gene modulation—require delivering biomolecules into large numbers of cells and rapidly evaluating the outcomes. The challenge is twofold: achieve intracellular delivery at scale across diverse cells and cargos, and obtain quantitative results fast enough to keep pace with that delivery.

Researchers at Kumamoto University （Japan）have unveiled a groundbreaking solid electrolyte material that could revolutionize fuel cell technology. Derived from natural clay minerals, this innovative membrane offers high proton conductivity and exceptional hydrogen gas barrier properties—unlocking new possibilities for low- to mid-temperature fuel cells.

A multinational research team has discovered a mysterious tubular structure — previously unknown in any organism — within Profftella, a symbiotic bacterium associated with a major global citrus pest. This discovery, made using advanced microscopy, may lead to breakthroughs in both pest control and the study of life’s evolution.

Dr. Shiki Machida from the Chiba Institute of Technology revealed that the scale of material heterogeneity in the upper mantle caused by mantle plumes is less than 10 km—much smaller than previously thought. This suggests that materials inside the Earth mix and recycle faster than expected, offering new insights into the Earth’s internal structure.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024493725002348

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers developed an AR 3D food model to teach portion size estimation and conducted an intervention study to test its effectiveness.