Mature egg cells, or oocytes, are essential for fertilization in assisted reproductive technologies. However, some ‘denuded’ oocytes, or those lacking the protective granulosa cell layer, fail to mature. Now, in a new study by researchers at Shinshu University, the team has developed a method to culture mature oocytes from these denuded oocytes in the lab. This innovative approach holds promise for overcoming significant challenges in reproductive science, marking a major advancement in fertility research.

Scientists have developed a bubble-printing technique that enables precise, flexible liquid metal wiring, ideal for wearable sensors and medical implants. By using lasers to guide microbubbles, this method creates ultra-thin, conductive circuits that maintain flexibility and functionality, offering promising applications in wearable and healthcare electronics.

Okamoto Machine Tool Works, Ltd. has developed a fully automated grinding system for through-Si via wafers under the JST's technology transfer program A-step, based on the research results of Dr. Naoya Watanabe at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. This development will pave the way for a new 3D packaging technology using through-Si via wafers.

Microorganisms cultured in a liquid medium are usually subjected to shaking to provide the oxygen necessary for their growth. However, this creates physical or shear stress on the microbes. Researchers from Japan have now developed a “static” culturing method that uses a gas-permeable polymer to culture bacteria without the need for shaking. This innovative approach saves valuable space, energy, and resources in microbiology research.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have discovered that the combination of green algae and yeast enhances the efficiency of wastewater treatment.

A collaborative research team, including Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology), has developed wide-incident-angle radio-wave absorbers for millimeter-wave and terahertz applications. These absorbers demonstrate wideband frequency absorption up to an incident angle of 60 degrees, made possible through the use of frequency selective surface (FSS) patterns. This innovation greatly improves the absorbers' efficiency in advanced communication systems, such as 5G and Beyond 5G networks. Notably, the absorbers also allow low-frequency signals, like Wi-Fi, to pass through, distinguishing them from conventional absorbers. This dual functionality makes them highly versatile and suitable for modern communication systems that demand both high-frequency signal absorption and low-frequency transmission.

A research group led by Dr. Toru Ube at Chuo University enabled 3D-selective deformation of “photomobile polymer materials” with the aid of two-photon absorption processes. Spatial selectivity of previous photomobile polymer materials has been limited in two dimensions. By applying two-photon absorption processes, the group succeeded in inducing deformation at any selective depth of a sample, which led to the versatile deformations and motions with an enhanced degree of freedom.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has developed a plastic surgical field expansion plate that can help surgeons during robot-assisted heart surgery.