The genome structure — how genes are organized within DNA sequences in an organism — is fundamental to the processes and functions of organisms. A team at the University of Tokyo has developed a system to control and accelerate the evolution of changes in bacterial genome structure, targeting small “jumping genes,” or DNA sequences known as insertion sequences.

Innovative technology using liquid metal tin can simultaneously purify water and recover valuable metals from desalination brine—as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. Their method, which consists of spraying brine onto liquid tin heated by concentrated sunlight, distills freshwater while extracting elements like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Through controlled cooling, these metals precipitate at different temperatures, allowing for separate recovery. Notably, this technique also effectively removes arsenic from contaminated groundwater.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that mass photometry can accurately distinguish full and empty rAAV particles in cell lysates and conditioned medium, without prior purification. This convenient and rapid approach is likely to improve manufacturing of rAAV-based gene therapy products by accelerating the screening steps.

Lebanon’s democracy faces severe challenges due to political rivalry between parties. A recent study has revealed that the political communication strategy of Hezbollah—a major party in Lebanon—has significantly evolved during recent years. While the party became increasingly critical of rival parties during national crises and confrontations with Israel, it became more cooperative after diplomatic normalization of Iran–Saudi relationship and expressed more positive view of rivals during electoral campaigns.

Photocatalysis is limited by either the charge supply or the charge transfer process. Identifying the correct rate-limiting step is crucial for optimizing reactions. Researchers from JAIST have developed a novel diagnostic method that uses variations in reaction temperature and light intensity to pinpoint the Onset Intensity for Temperature Dependence, a key bottleneck metric. This approach effectively distinguishes between charge supply- and charge transfer-limited regimes.

Vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) is a nonlinear spectroscopic method widely used to investigate the molecular structure and dynamics of surface systems. However, in far-field observations, the spatial resolution of this method is constrained by the diffraction limit, which restricts its ability to resolve molecular details in inhomogeneous structures smaller than the wavelength of light. To address this limitation, we developed a tip-enhanced VSFG (TE-SFG) spectroscopy system based on scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Using this system, we detected VSFG signals from molecules adsorbed on a gold substrate under ambient conditions. Phase analysis of the interferometric VSFG spectra provided insights into the molecular orientation. Furthermore, the observed VSFG signals were confirmed to originate from a highly localized region within the gap between the STM tip apex and sample substrate. Thus, this method offers an innovative platform for nonlinear optical nanospectroscopy, enabling the investigation of surface molecular systems beyond the diffraction limit.

An Osaka Metropolitan University team has developed Boccia XR, a rehabilitation program using extended reality technology that can be introduced even in environments with limited space.

A research team led by Associate Professor Koji Iwano at Okayama University of Science has been awarded the 2025 MEXT Award for Science and Technology for groundbreaking work in improving typhoon forecasting and climate change prediction. By constructing Japan’s only large-scale indoor typhoon simulation tank, the team succeeded in precisely measuring momentum, heat, and CO₂ exchanges at the air-sea interface under extreme wind conditions. Their findings reveal how these transfers shift dramatically beyond wind speeds of 30 m/s, offering critical insights for refining global climate models and developing future typhoon mitigation strategies.

This book was published in March 2025 to report the outcomes of Japan’s nationwide project, S-18: Comprehensive Research on the Projection of Climate Change Impacts and the Evaluation of Adaptation, which was conducted over a five-year period from 2020 to early 2025.  1) Introduces research methodologies and results that bridging research and climate change policy development;  2) Integrates research framework using common scenarios for climate and socio-economic changes;  3) Reveals interaction among global warming level, social changes and impacts, and effectiveness of countermeasures;  4) This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access;

What caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? The first thing that might come to mind is a meteorite crashing into the Earth. Assistant Professor Honami Sato, a geology researcher at the Faculty of Science, searches for traces of celestial impacts in geological strata to decipher the mechanisms of environmental changes on the planet. We spoke with Sato about her methods of stratigraphic surveying and her fascination with geology.