Wild seabirds that face high energy demands during the breeding season go on to migrate farther and raise more chicks the next year, but at a cost to their own survival. An international team, led by researchers from Nagoya University, raised the energy cost of flight for some birds and tracked them through the next year of their annual cycle. The researchers introduce a concept called "energetic flexibility" and offer rare experimental evidence for how the costs of one season carry over to shape the next. The study appears in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

A research group led by a researcher at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at Institute of Science Tokyo has uncovered how “latecomer killing,” a toxin-based survival strategy found in distantly related yeast species, could persist for hundreds of millions of years. Their population-dynamics theory shows that alternating nutrient-rich and starvation periods can stabilise this strategy by preventing takeover by toxin-resistant evolutionary "cheaters." The findings offer new insights into how fluctuating environments shape microbial evolution.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that a vortex-like molecular orientation forms on the surfaces of microspheres composed of chiral π-conjugated polymers (light-emitting molecules with alternating single and double carbon-carbon bonds). Furthermore, the microspheres can emit laser light in a ring-like pattern reminiscent of Saturn's rings.

Researchers engineered cultured mammalian cells to produce human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), complex sugars naturally found in human milk. By introducing α-lactalbumin and modifying glycosyltransferase expression, they were able to alter the HMO profiles produced by the cells. Cell-derived HMOs also supported the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, highlighting the potential of this system for studying HMO biosynthesis and future applications in infant nutrition.

A new study analyzed data from multiple independent sources, ranging from satellite remote sensing-based machine learning products to state-of-the-art Earth System Models, to reveal how climate change shapes the Northern Eurasian carbon sink. The study confirms that Northern Eurasia accounts for nearly one-third of the global terrestrial carbon sink. It also shows that, despite warming faster than most regions worldwide, the northern high latitudes contribute little to strengthening the Northern Eurasian carbon sink because of their low baseline carbon uptake.

Students and faculty from four partner universities in the United States and Brazil participating in the 2026 Japan Cultural Exchange Program attended a lecture in Hiroshima by atomic bomb survivor (hibakusha) Satoshi Tanaka, Representative Director of Nihon Hidankyo, the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. Drawing on his own experiences, Mr. Tanaka emphasized that the effects of the atomic bombings continue even 80 years later and urged young people to take action toward a world free of nuclear weapons. The participants also learned about Nihon Hidankyo's international advocacy, including support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Deeply inspired by the lecture, students reflected on the importance of peace and expressed their commitment to sharing its message worldwide.

A new simulation study suggests that the Antarctic 12-m Terahertz Telescope (ATT12), a next-generation facility led by University of Tsukuba, could uncover between one and 10 million dusty star-forming galaxies throughout cosmic history. By utilizing Antarctica's exceptionally dry atmosphere, ATT12 is expected to open a new observational window into dust-obscured star formation, enabling astronomers to study galaxies from less than one billion years after the Big Bang to the peak epoch of galaxy formation.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba identified baseline-dependent oxytocin changes and increased heart-rate synchrony among spectators attending a live collegiate sporting event. These responses were linked to shared enjoyment, unity with the players and fellow spectators, immersion, and intention to reattend future events.

Kyoto, Japan -- As close relatives of humans, chimpanzees had sometimes been used in biomedical experiments. They were instrumental in the identification of the hepatitis C virus: the then mysterious pathogen was artificially injected into chimpanzees for study, leading to its eventual identification in 1989. Since then, treatments for humans have advanced and hepatitis C can now be nearly cured with medication. However, the same treatment has not been extended to the chimpanzees.

In 2022, a team of researchers from Kyoto University found that chimpanzees infected with hepatitis C had experienced negative health effects and shorter lifespans. This time, in a collaboration with Kumamoto University, the team was determined to eliminate this virus in chimpanzees residing at Kumamoto Sanctuary, a research facility of Kyoto University’s Wildlife Research Center. The sanctuary is home to several chimpanzees who were once used in medical experiments by multiple organizations in Japan, and is a place where they can spend the rest of their lives being cared for.

"Prioritizing chimpanzee health and welfare is the number one reason for conducting this study," says first author Satoshi Hirata. "We felt that it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to improve their condition."

Kogakuin University (Japan) and the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad (India) have initiated a collaborative research framework to advance the development and fundamental understanding of next-generation multifunctional glass-ceramic materials for energy-related applications.