Kyoto, Japan -- As we witness the detrimental effects of climate change, the need for a rapid shift to renewable energy is only becoming more urgent. One of the most efficient forms of renewable energy, solar power, is generated by solar cells, which are the building blocks of solar panels. These electronic devices use semiconductors to convert the energy of light into electricity, a process called the photovoltaic effect.

Conventional solar cells have fundamental limitations in output voltage and conversion efficiency. A phenomenon called the bulk photovoltaic effect, which has attracted much attention in recent years, may enable highly efficient solar energy conversion without such limitations. However, the essential physics of the bulk photovoltaic effect have not been fully understood.

This effect originates from quantum phenomena and involves the asymmetric photoexcitation behavior of electrons, causing a steady electrical charge flow called a shift current, which is usually generated in the system with space-inversion symmetry. Another current materializes when there is a break in time-reversal symmetry, or the symmetry of physical laws when the flow of time is reversed. Since time-reversal symmetry is broken in magnetic materials, new effects related to the bulk photovoltaic effect are expected to arise in magnetic systems, but many aspects of these systems remain unexplained both theoretically and experimentally.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new way of telling “aged” human cells apart from younger ones using electric fields. While key markers have been found for these “senescent” cells, current methods require biochemical “labels” which are difficult to apply and affect the cells themselves, making them difficult to study. The new method is label-free and less damaging. The team aims to diversify the method, extending it to other cell types.

One of the causes of infertility is abnormal chromosome function in oocytes. New research from Kyushu University has revealed an unexpected novel function of the histone modification H3K4me3: stabilizing chromosomes and spindles in mature mouse oocytes.

A novel power supply technology for 3D-integrated chips has been developed by employing a three-dimensionally stacked computing architecture consisting of processing units placed directly above stacks of dynamic random access memory. Towards realizing this, researchers developed key technologies involving precise and high-speed bonding technique and adhesive technology. These new technologies can help in addressing the demands of high-performance computing applications, which require both high memory bandwidth and low power consumption with reduced power supply noise.  

The bedding micro-environment is a key aspect of obtaining optimal thermal conditions for sleep. Specifically, the total thermal insulation of the bedding micro-environment significantly influences the thermal neutral temperature. However, currently there are no standards for measuring the insulation of bedding. In a new study, researchers systematically examined the thermal insulation of bedding, considering different combinations of bedding, sleepwear, and ambient temperatures, including both whole and local body effects. 

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team established a replicable method for producing canine MSCs using iPS cells.

A research team led by Dr. Takao Seki (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Hiroyasu Nakano (Specially Appointed Professor) at the Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, has uncovered a previously unknown intercellular network that promotes liver fibrosis. Their findings highlight the critical roles of hepatic stellate cells and two key molecules: the growth factor FGF18 and the pro-fibrotic mediator osteopontin (OPN).

Researchers from The University of Osaka have developed a way to efficiently prepare the “magic states” necessary for quantum computers to be resistant to errors. Their technique, called “zero-level distillation,” involves working with qubits at the physical or zeroth level as opposed to higher, more abstract levels. The spatial and temporal overhead of quantum computers prepared from these states using this technique is around several dozen times lower than that of those prepared from conventional methods.

A team from Toho University successfully created an automated program to rapidly identify anti-glycation active compounds present in natural resources. In the future, this newly developed method is expected to be effectively utilized for the discovery of anti-glycation active compounds present in natural resources. The results of this study were published on May 3, 2025, in the academic journal Analytical Chemistry.

NIMS and its collaborators (IHI Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Kobe Steel, Ltd., Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Elix, Inc.) have developed a model designed to predict the long-term durability of a range of heat-resistant steel materials by performing machine learning while preserving the confidentiality of each organization’s data. This research was published online in Tetsu-to-Hagané on February 6, 2025.