Basic Research & Academia

A JAMSTEC-University of Tsukuba team has discovered self-replicating circular RNA replicons living in 70-80°C Japanese hot springs. These newly found members of the Obelisk superfamily, a mysterious RNA entity first described by Nobel laureate Andrew Fire in 2024, expand our view of RNA-based life and may offer fresh clues to the RNA world hypothesis on the origin of life.

Tokushima University researchers led by Prof. Tomohide Saio have unveiled OptoChaperone in JACS, a biohybrid tool that uses light to reversibly switch protein droplets on and off inside living cells. A look at how this Japanese breakthrough could accelerate ALS and Alzheimer's drug discovery, and how it compares with US and European condensate startups like Dewpoint Therapeutics and Nereid.

Waseda University, JAXA, the University of Tokyo, and Keio University have completed Japan's first Mach 5 combustion test using a hypersonic experimental aircraft. How does Japan's passenger-focused strategy compare with the US (Hermeus, Lockheed) and a militarily advanced China?

Researchers at Utsunomiya University have provided the world's first direct proof that ceramide deficiency in the skin causes atopic dermatitis. Using transgenic mice, they demonstrated the full disease cascade from barrier breakdown to allergic inflammation — opening doors for ceramide-based therapies and enzyme-targeting treatments for the 200+ million people affected worldwide.

Microplastic pollution isn't limited to oceans — it's now raining down on forests too. A TU Darmstadt study first proved that airborne plastics settle on tree canopies and accumulate in forest soil. With 67% of Japan covered in forests, the implications are enormous. Japanese researchers have also pioneered breakthroughs in understanding how trees trap airborne microplastics.

Kyoto University Professor Emeritus Hiroki Kamata warns Mount Fuji is in eruption standby mode, with high risk of being triggered by the Nankai Trough megaquake. NHK Special dramatizes Tokyo blackout scenario from volcanic ash, while Sakurajima continues active eruptions

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers discovered that butterflies raised on invasive plants develop altered wing coloration, making them less attractive to potential mates. The study reveals how changes in larval diet affect UV reflection patterns and reproductive success.

RIKEN and Osaka University have launched cloud access to Ei-II, a domestically developed 144-qubit superconducting quantum computer. Doubling the previous 64-qubit Ei, the 28x28mm chip enables quantum calculations beyond classical simulation. We compare it with IBM and Google systems and examine Japan's quantum roadmap.

Japanese researchers cloned mice from a single donor for 20 years, producing over 1,200 animals across 58 generations. After the 27th generation, lethal mutations accumulated until all 58th-generation clones died within days of birth — the first proof that mammal cloning has a hard biological limit.