Silver-based atomic switches that create stable electrical connections between individual molecules and electrodes have been developed by researchers from Japan, addressing a key challenge in wiring molecular electronics. The switch operates by forming and breaking silver atomic filaments when a voltage is applied and reversed, corresponding to the “on” and “off” states. This method enables the scalable integration of molecular components, paving the way for ultra-compact and energy-efficient circuits built from single molecules.

Nicotine addiction remains one of the most persistent global health challenges, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying it are less explored. Now, researchers have discovered that astrocytes, glial cells in the brain thought to play only a passive role, actively contribute to the brain changes triggered by repeated nicotine exposure. The findings provide insights into nicotine-induced changes in the brain by an enzyme that regulates a key glutamate-related pathway linked to sensitized behavior.

A new hydrogel-based breakthrough is transforming extracellular vesicle research. Using meso–macroporous PEGDA hydrogels with ~400 nm pores, researchers can now isolate EVs directly from raw biofluids like blood, urine, milk, and more without preprocessing or specialized equipment. The method is faster, scalable, and highly efficient, yielding up to 1,500× more for milk EVs than traditional techniques. Beyond isolation, EVs can be preserved, enriched, and applied in diagnostics, therapeutics, and industrial-scale research.

Smart polymers change their properties in response to temperature, stress, or other stimuli, making them useful in drug delivery and soft robotics. But a major hurdle has been understanding how they behave when flowing or being stretched—conditions they face in real-world use. Now, researchers from Tokyo University of Science have developed a custom rheo-impedance device that provides the first look at these details, paving the way for more reliable and responsive smart materials.

Kyoto, Japan --  "Why are we here?" is humanity's most fundamental and persistent question. Tracing the origins of the elements is a direct attempt to answer this at its deepest level. We know many elements are created inside stars and supernovae, which then cast them out into the universe, yet the origins of some key elements has remained a mystery.

Chlorine and potassium, both odd-Z elements -- possessing an odd number of protons -- are essential to life and planet formation. According to current theoretical models, stars produce only about one-tenth the amount of these elements observed in the universe, a discrepancy that has long puzzled astrophysicists.

This inspired a group of researchers at Kyoto University and Meiji University to examine supernova remnants for traces of these elements. Using XRISM -- short for X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, an X-ray satellite launched by JAXA in 2023 -- the team was able to perform high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant within the Milky Way.