Researchers compared MRI scans of the brain before and after treating Alzheimer's disease with the amyloid-targeting drug lecanemab. They found no significant short-term changes in waste clearance, highlighting the complexity of the disease.

Researchers have developed an eco-friendly method to create gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using microalgae. This "green synthesis" avoids harsh chemicals, resulting in nanoparticles that are more stable than conventional ones. When activated by a laser, these AuNPs effectively destroy cancer cells while showing lower toxicity to healthy cells. This breakthrough promises a more sustainable and safer approach to photothermal cancer therapy and other applications in nanomedicine.

Did you know your brain might be more receptive to learning new things depending on the time of day? This study examined how a 24-hour cycle alters brain plasticity and neuronal excitability in rats.

New research in Angewandte Chemie reveals the importance of abrasion within mechanochemical catalysis processes, prompting researchers to reexamine their assumed reaction mechanisms.

Scientists at Japan's Institute for Molecular Science have achieved a 1,000-fold enhancement in white-light generation inside water by using non-harmonic two-color femtosecond laser excitation. This previously unexplored approach in liquids unlocks new nonlinear optical pathways, enabling a dramatic boost in supercontinuum generation. The breakthrough lays a foundation for next-generation bioimaging, aqueous-phase spectroscopy, and attosecond science in water.

NIMS has been developing chemical sensors as a key component of the artificial olfaction technology (olfactory sensors), with the aim of putting this technology into practical use. In this study, explainable AI (XAI) was used to reveal how chemical sensors discriminate among various odorant molecules. The findings may help guide the selection of receptor materials for developing high-performance chemical sensors capable of detecting odorant molecules. The achievement is expected not only to improve the performance of artificial olfaction but also to advance understanding of human olfactory mechanisms. This research was published online in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces on September 9, 2025.

UOsaka and MIT scientists revealed that the motor proteins KIF18A and CENP-E work together to align chromosomes during mitosis. Cancer cells with reduced CENP-E levels are especially sensitive to KIF18A inhibition, and dual inhibition of both proteins leads to efficient cell death. The discovery offers new insights into chromosome mechanics and a potential strategy for targeted cancer therapy.

Scientists used molecular simulations to reveal how polymer chains adhere to alumina surfaces. Adhesion depends on both polymer chemistry and surface termination, with different responses before and after yielding. These insights clarify metal–plastic bonding mechanisms and offer guidelines for designing stronger, lighter, and more sustainable hybrid materials for use in transportation.

Summers on the islands in Okinawa Prefecture are hot and humid. Today, we have AC systems – so how did Okinawans throughout history manage to stay cool and comfortable? One answer lies in the local design tradition. Houses are low and open plan behind thick coral or limestone walls, capturing a fresh breeze while staying protected from typhoon gales, and Okinawans have traditionally been dressed in Bashofu textiles. Bashofu kimonos stay both dry and cool while being remarkably soft, despite being woven from banana fibers which are notorious for their stiffness.

Recently, scientists have turned to Bashofu to learn what makes these sustainably produced textiles so well-adapted for comfort in the subtropics. In a paper now published in Scientific Reports, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have produced a comprehensive overview of how exactly the Bashofu materials and techniques alter the structural properties of the banana plant fibers to achieve the desired soft, durable, and breathable fabric.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides valuable information about a material’s properties and electronic states. However, it requires extensive expertise and manual effort for conventional analysis. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel artificial intelligence-based approach for analyzing XAS data that can enable rapid, autonomous, and object material identification. This novel approach outperforms the previous studies in terms of higher accuracy, accelerating the development of new materials.