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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Dec-2025 14:11 ET (24-Dec-2025 19:11 GMT/UTC)
A collaborative research team from the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), the University of Tokyo, Kyushu University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory has, for the first time, directly and precisely measured changes in the internal electric potential of a fusion plasma under conditions similar to those expected in fusion reactors.
This achievement establishes a new method for in situ evaluation of plasma confinement states, providing key insights for the control and performance optimization of next-generation fusion reactors. The internal plasma potential plays a crucial role in determining how effectively energy is confined within the plasma. By combining advanced accelerator technology with non-contact plasma diagnostics, the researchers have opened a new path toward direct understanding of the behavior of fusion-core plasmas.
Cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers in women, is often treated with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, which can affect fertility and quality of life. Researchers at Chiba University have developed a new nasal therapeutic vaccine as a non-invasive treatment option. In animal studies, the vaccine produced strong and lasting immune responses against cervical tumors. If proven effective in humans, it could provide women with a safer, fertility-preserving alternative to current cancer treatments.
From medicine to agriculture and aquaculture, bacteriophages are poised to have a huge global impact. As viruses which target only bacterial cells, they hold promise as an alternative to antibiotics, overcoming increasing issues around antibiotic resistance. However, the size, complexity and growth conditions of phages make them difficult to study, limiting progress in the field. Now in Science Advances, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and University of Otago describe the bacteriophage Bas63 in unprecedented detail, supporting new mechanistic understanding into how these viruses function.
Scientists at The University of Osaka developed a new 3D culture scaffold by integrating the strong cell-adhesive domain of laminin-511 into a clinically used fibrin gel, creating a chimeric protein called Chimera-511. This laminin-functionalized fibrin gel supports efficient 3D expansion of human iPS cells while maintaining pluripotency. As a chemically defined, xeno-free material, it offers a promising alternative to Matrigel and a potential platform for clinically applicable organoids and regenerative therapies.