Hydrogen is attracting attention as a clean energy carrier because its use does not emit CO₂. However, hydrogen’s flammability makes storage, transport, and supply challenging from a safety standpoint. Conventional hydrogen production methods such as water electrolysis require electricity, while steam reforming requires high temperatures and specialized infrastructure. We focused on gas-atomized metal powders — a form that is safe and scalable to mass production — and found that Ca–25 at.% Mg eutectic alloy powders produced by gas atomization generate hydrogen efficiently when simply reacted with water at room temperature. This approach works under ambient conditions and the powder’s portability suggests applications in portable hydrogen supply systems and emergency power units.

Researchers from Kyushu University discovered a previously unrecognized synaptic “hotspot” that forms during adolescence, challenging the long-held view that adolescent brain development was dominated by synaptic pruning. This hotspot fails to form in mice carrying a schizophrenia-associated gene, pointing to a potential link between adolescent synaptic formation and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.

More efficient and sustainable energy conversion technologies, among other applications, hinge on lowering the amount of energy needed to trigger specific reactions on the surface of electrodes. Called electrocatalysis, the process conserves energy by transferring electrons and speeding up the reaction time, but the molecules involved typically cannot shuttle other particles or directly activate components of the system. Now, a team led by researchers at YOKOHAMA National University and the University of Tokyo have designed a new class of mediators that more actively and precisely control electrocatalysis reactions.

Researchers have identified three previously unknown lipid molecules in rice bran, one of which strengthens the skin's barrier and reduces water loss. Named oryzaceramides A–C, these acylated glucosylceramides were isolated for the first time from plant sources and structurally characterized in detail. Oryzaceramide A significantly improved skin hydration in laboratory models. The discovery opens new possibilities for cosmetics, functional foods, and future research into lipid metabolism and skin health.

Coffee beans that pass through the digestive tracts of animals get their unique flavors from the activity of gut microbes, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. The guts of Asian elephants that produce Black Ivory coffee (BIC) were rich in pectin-digesting bacteria. Heat-driven degradation of pectin during roasting makes coffee bitter. Bacterial activity that reduces the pectin content of BIC could be the source of its smoother, chocolaty, and less bitter flavor.

CRISPR–Cas9-based therapies are widely investigated for their clinical applications. However, there are limitations associated with the strategy, including off-target DNA editing. A group of researchers from Japan has explored a novel strategy involving CRISPR–Cas3 and investigated its potential using a mouse model of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). The results highlight its potential as an efficient genome-editing system. The technology can be developed as a therapeutic strategy for treating ATTR and other genetic disorders.

Infertility is a major healthcare concern. Understanding the molecular regulators governing fertilization, early embryonic development, and implantation is crucial for the success of assisted reproductive technologies. Now, researchers from Kanazawa Medical University integrated one-cell embryo cryopreservation technology, inhibitor library screening, RNA-seq analysis, and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to identify eleven novel factors essential for the development of fertilized eggs. The study contributes towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Fluorescent dyes enable the visualization of biomolecular localization and dynamics in living systems. To date, no single benzene-based fluorophores with absorption and emission at wavelengths above 600 nm, the ideal wavelength for bioimaging, have been developed. To address this challenge, researchers from Japan have developed bis-pseudoindoxyls. Owing to its unique red-shifted absorption and fluorescence properties, this dye holds promise for applications in red-light-based bioimaging studies.

Researchers at Kumamoto University have discovered that a purely inorganic crystal grown from water solution can emit circularly polarized light, a special form of light whose “handedness” distinguishes left from right. The finding opens a new pathway toward robust optical materials for security printing, advanced displays, and photonic technologies, using simple inorganic chemistry rather than complex organic molecules.

A mouse scurries up to six chestnuts. Three look healthy. Three have exit holes where moth larvae ate the insides before they left. What does the mouse do? For two years, Nagoya University researchers watched wood mice make these decisions on a forest floor. They measured the time they spent selecting nuts and found that about half the mice observed spent about five seconds sniffing and comparing chestnuts before they chose, potentially increasing their exposure to predators. The others grabbed the nearest nut and ran in one to two seconds. The study, published in Scientific Reports, confirms that mice use smell to detect moth larvae damage in chestnuts and documents this puzzling split in behavior. Notably, in the end, even with damage, most nuts were eaten.