News from Japan
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-May-2026 13:15 ET (28-May-2026 17:15 GMT/UTC)
Scientists show how baby stars’ cradles get their radial shape
Kyushu UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
The cradles of baby stars have a wheel-and-spoke like shape, with streams of gas converging toward a dense central hub. Using 3D simulations, researchers from Kyushu University and Nagoya University found that when an external shockwave strikes a gas cloud with a pinched magnetic field, it reorganizes the cloud into radial filaments. These findings open a new window into the environments where massive stars and star clusters are born.
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Genetic engineering of cyanobacteria for the production of sulfated polysaccharide
Institute of Science TokyoPeer-Reviewed Publication
Genetically engineered cyanobacteria developed at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, produce sulfated polysaccharides using sunlight and carbon dioxide. By transferring an entire gene cluster responsible for the production of a sulfated polysaccharide, the researchers enabled a non-producing cyanobacterial strain to produce such a polysaccharide. The research demonstrates a sustainable route for manufacturing biomaterials using photosynthesis, expanding the possibilities for synthetic biology and green chemistry applications.
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Funder
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, NODAI Genome Research Center
Heat lingers on in our cells
University of TokyoPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Funder
- This work was supported by PRESTO and CREST of JST, JSPS KAKENHI, Life Science Foundation of Japan, and Brain Science Foundation
Risk of renewable power fluctuations made predictable
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- PRX Energy
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Nutrition’s role in chronic fatigue
Osaka Metropolitan UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Nutrients
Cobalt honeycombs open a new path to quantum computing
The University of OsakaPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers from The University of Osaka created stable cobalt-based honeycomb structures inside a layered material and observed ferromagnetic-like ordering at low temperatures. By introducing a small amount of cobalt into NaSbO3, the team demonstrated a new platform to study Kitaev materials using abundant 3d transition metals, potentially supporting future cost-effective quantum technologies.
- Journal
- Physical Review Materials
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Advanced Research Infrastructure for Materials and Nanotechnology in Japan
AI listens to insect body signals to guide cyborg cockroaches
The University of OsakaPeer-Reviewed Publication
Researchers from The University of Osaka and collaborators proposed the Insect Synergy Circuit (ISC), a new concept for bio-hybrid control that uses AI to interpret internal biological signals from insects. By integrating heartbeat, neural signal features, and body movement data, the team developed a cyborg cockroach system that can estimate environment-associated internal states and guide movement while reducing unnecessary stimulation.
- Journal
- ROBOMECH Journal
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency
Scientists reveal how dividing cells precisely trigger spindle formation
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Funder
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Vertical vortices generated by flutter kicking contribute to propulsion and body stabilization
University of TsukubaPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Physics of Fluids