Studies have shown that in ALS patients, microtubules—which are the major component of the cell cytoskeleton and serve as tracks for transporting components from cell bodies to neuronal terminals—become dysfunctional. But just how these microtubules are affected by ALS remained a mystery until research at the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine revealed the cause.

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is addressing one of the nation’s most urgent challenges: securing a reliable domestic supply of critical materials. These materials are essential for technologies such as smartphones, satellites and advanced weapons systems that drive the economy and ensure national security.

From satellites and surveillance systems to precision-guided munitions and fighter jet engines, critical materials are at the foundation of America’s military strength. Yet most critical materials are extracted and processed overseas, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to supply chain disruptions that could jeopardize everyday life, economic stability and national security.

Empirical research is being carried out for revolutionary air conditioning technology that will contribute to solving environmental issues. At the forefront of these endeavors is NAGAHIRO Tsuyoshi, project professor and director of the Center for Smarttech System Co-creation in the Carbon Neutral Promotion Headquarters. Air conditioning systems enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), or “AI smart air conditioning,” are being incorporated at facilities that use enormous amounts of energy for heating and cooling, such as airports and department stores, and have achieved significant energy saving results. We sat down with Nagahiro, who is engaged in everything from corporate collaborations to venture start-ups and practical education for promoting social implementation, to hear more about his current research and prospects for the future.

Creating fuel and chemicals from agricultural waste to revolutionize the industrial structure, that’s the aim of the cutting-edge biomanufacturing research activity based at Kobe University. One key player in this research is Professor OGINO Chiaki, a bioproduction engineering expert at Kobe University’s Graduate School of Engineering. Efforts in a joint research project with agriculture giant Indonesia to attempt to ease climate change and achieve clean energy are gathering attention. We asked Ogino about his ambitions regarding his research and his outlook on social implementation.

For more than 30 years, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has helped shape the future of high-temperature alloys, translating fundamental materials research into industrial impact. That expertise proved pivotal for Duraloy Technologies, whose long-standing partnership with ORNL transformed the company’s trajectory and set a benchmark for sustained public-private collaboration.