Professor Shinichiro Sawa of Kumamoto University has received funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) under its ASPIRE Program for an international research project on sustainable agriculture. Conducted in collaboration with France’s INRAE, the five-year project will study plant–soil microbial networks, including nematodes, to advance understanding of the agricultural holobiome. The project, selected under the “ASPIRE for Top Scientists” scheme, will begin in December 2025 with funding of up to 500 million yen (approximately USD 3.2 million).

An interdisciplinary team led by Associate Professor Toshio Yada of Okayama University of Science received the Grand Prix at the 5th Japan Wabunka Grand Prix for rebuilding a lacquerware wooden substrate workshop in Wajima that was destroyed in the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. The Small Wooden Substrate Workshop Revitalization Project enabled the rapid reconstruction of the facility in approximately three months, reusing damaged materials wherever possible while preserving the traditional townscape. The initiative supported the revival of Wajima lacquerware production and was recognized for promoting a post-disaster recovery approach focused on regeneration rather than demolition.

This study proposes an innovative constructed wetland (CW) system that integrates native plants (Aster subulatus and Pterodactylus sp.) with a functional plant (Arundo donax) to create a self-sustaining, low-maintenance solution for rural sewage treatment. Over 365 days of operation without human intervention, the system achieved stable pollutant removal, with average efficiencies of 35.05% for COD_Cr, 48.92% for NH₄⁺-N, 40.57% for TN, and 27.61% for TP, meeting stringent discharge standards. Microbial analysis revealed that plant diversity enhanced microbial community stability and fostered adaptable metabolic pathways for nitrogen and phosphorus cycling across seasons. The findings demonstrate that such a ecologically synergistic CW can provide a sustainable, cost-effective treatment option for decentralized rural areas with minimal human intervention.

 

Researchers from National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) have developed an improved TM₀₂₀-mode radiofrequency (RF) cavity with a novel elliptical choke design. This design addresses the critical issue of accelerating mode leakage, significantly enhancing stability and meeting the stringent requirements of the STCF collider rings at a beam current of up to 2 A.