The National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), headed by President Kazuhiro Hono(Open in a new window), has decided to present this year’s NIMS Award to: Prof. Tsutomu Miyasaka, Professor of Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, Prof. Henry J. Snaith Professor of Physics, University of Oxford, and Prof. Nam-Gyu Park Professor of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University.

CAR-T cells are specialized immune cells genetically modified to recognize and attack cancer cells. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and their collaborators have developed new CAR-T cells to target malignant tumors. While similar treatments have worked well for blood cancers, treating solid tumors is more difficult. Their method targeted a protein found in high amounts on many types of cancer cells (Eva1) and successfully eliminated tumors in lab mice.

Baby talk, more formally referred to as infant-directed speech (IDS), often differs from adult-directed speech (ADS) in both pitch and vocabulary. The existing scientific evidence for the presence of vowel hyperarticulation in IDS is conflicting, however. Researchers recently performed a meta-analysis of all existing IDS vowel hyperarticulation research studies and found that the exaggeration of vowels in IDS is present in at least 10 different languages.

 

Sensors are used everywhere—from smartphones and wearable devices to industrial systems and logistics. But traditional sensors often rely on rigid components and batteries, limiting their applications in soft systems. To address this, researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, have come up with a smarter alternative. Using the paper-folding technique in combination with a triboelectric nanogenerator, they developed a novel energy-harvesting sensor with promising potential for next-generation soft devices.

Using SARS-CoV-2-infected obese mice as model for cytokine storm seen in COVID-19, Institute of Science Tokyo researchers demonstrate efficacy of iguratimod in reducing excess inflammation without reducing antiviral immune response. Iguratimod significantly improved survival in these mouse models compared to when steroids like dexamethasone were administered. Conventional steroids reduce the inflammation while also suppressing immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, leading to reduced viral clearance from the lungs. Iguratimod presents a promising therapy for COVID-19-related inflammatory syndrome. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) impacts many industries and professions in different ways. A recent study looking at taxi drivers in Yokohama, Japan, shows that AI demand forecasting, which is unrelated to autonomous driving, can improve productivity in less-experienced drivers, helping close the skill gaps. This finding challenges the assumption that AI only favors high-skilled workers in technology-dependent industries.

Climate models often overestimate ice clouds and underestimate supercooled liquid water (SLW) clouds in polar regions, skewing predictions of surface warming. To address this issue, researchers from Japan conducted a four-month observational study on the Southern Ocean. Through shipboard measurements, they found SLW clouds dominated as mid-level cloud layers, even at very low temperatures. These findings offer crucial data to improve the accuracy of climate models, which are critical in the face of climate change.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team has discovered that the main component of kencur ginger exhibits anti-cancer effects by suppressing fatty acid synthesis.

The stem cell-based embryo model (SCBEM) takes advantage of the flexibility of pluripotent stem cells (non-reproductive cells that can give rise to many different types of cells) to resemble that of embryos. While this model has helped to advance research in diseases and develop therapies or treatments, it has also sparked international debate on what regulations should be placed on this type of experimentation. Researchers reviewed what countries are doing to regulate SCBEM and proposed what regulation should look like for this field of stem cell research to move forward in a manner that everyone can agree is ethically sound.

Begomoviruses cause devastating yellow leaf curl disease in peppers, destroying up to 100% of fruit yield in affected farms and causing massive agricultural losses worldwide. In a recent study, researchers from Japan reported that combining two resistance genes through gene pyramiding creates robust protection against even the most challenging mixed begomovirus infections. This breakthrough offers hope for more resilient commercial pepper cultivars, addressing a critical gap in sustainable crop protection.