To improve carbon recycling and reduce emissions, researchers at Science Tokyo developed iron-substituted calcium titanate (Fe-doped CaTiO₃) as an environmentally friendly support material for chemical looping, a process that converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide for fuel and chemical production. By substituting iron into CaTiO₃, the material gained oxygen vacancies and improved ion and electron transport, accelerating CO₂ conversion.  Built from widely available, low-cost elements, the material could help enable scalable carbon recycling. 

Hot fluids rising from Earth's interior have been driving mineral formation on the ocean floor for millions of years. In a new study, an international team of scientists led by first author Dr. Joely Maak (MARUM) now shows that microorganisms can also play a central role. At a hydrothermal system discovered off the Greek island of Milos at intermediate water depths in 2023, the team demonstrated how different intensities of hydrothermal fluid flow favor distinct microbial metabolisms and, in turn, control the formation of different minerals.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo experimentally realized an aperiodic optical structure based on the recently discovered Smith hat monotile associated with the Einstein problem. They observed the first experimental evidence of chiral optical diffraction arising from the structure’s unusual symmetry, establishing a new class of quasiperiodic systems that combine long-range order with chirality.

This study develops an ultrasound-responsive chitosan microsphere (UCC-rhBMP-2) for on-demand release of bioengineered rhBMP-2. The system demonstrates exceptional stability (>80% retention for 21 days) and rapid triggered release (>80% within 15 min) via cavitation-induced pore modulation. In a rat calvarial defect model, combined ultrasound and UCC-rhBMP-2 achieved 50.3% reduction in bone void volume and 1.9-fold increase in new bone area at 4 weeks, significantly outperforming controls.

Researchers at the Max Born Institute have developed a table-top technique in which attosecond pulses both initiate and probe electronic motion. Using all-attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, the team resolved the oscillatory motion of an electron vacancy (an electronic “hole”) in xenon ions with a period of about three femtoseconds. The results have now been published in Nature Communications.

For decades, a theory in physics has postulated the existence of a mirror world whose interaction with our own reality is extremely feeble. The particles in this mirror universe are also thought to be candidates for dark matter. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now examined some 25 billion neutrons – thereby ruling out, with a very high degree of certainty, their disappearance into the mirror world.

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown law of geometry that explains why some growing surfaces, whether in nature or engineered materials, suddenly stop being able to stay smooth and instead form dimples and folds. Until now, researchers believed they understood the geometric rules behind these shape changes, but this study reveals a new kind of "geometric frustration" that arises even when all the known rules are satisfied. The finding could reshape how scientists understand the formation of leaves, flowers, tissues and other natural structures, while helping engineers design smarter materials that can deliberately change shape for applications in soft robotics, medicine and advanced manufacturing.

A joint research team from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), The University of Osaka, and Waseda University has developed a method to visualize the three-dimensional distribution of nanoplastics in the neonatal mouse brain without tissue sectioning. By combining tissue clearing with light‑sheet fluorescence microscopy, the researchers observed more extensive accumulation of 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics than larger 500 nm particles in multiple organs—including the brain, intestine, and kidneys—following neonatal oral administration. Whole‑brain imaging revealed the widespread distribution of 50 nm particles, with relatively higher signals in the thalamus and brainstem. This study establishes a foundational three‑dimensional imaging platform for investigating nanoplastic biodistribution during early development. Of note, environmental exposure levels and health risks are not directly assessed in the study, which focuses on the development of a key methodological tool for research in the field. This research article is scheduled for publication on  June 29, 2026 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances (Elsevier).

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo and RIKEN have developed a mathematical framework that explains how resource limitations influence information processing in living systems. The study shows that organisms can switch abruptly between memoryless and memory-based estimation depending on energy availability and sensory uncertainty. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for understanding decision making in biological systems.