Hacker News
- Bye-bye microplastics: new plastic is recyclable and ocean-degradable https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2024/20241122_1/index.html 2 comments
- Far-ultraviolet LED designed to kill bacteria and viruses without harming humans https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20221004_1/index.html 20 comments
- Specific neurons that secrete oxytocin in the brain are disrupted in a mouse model of autism, neuroscientists have found. Stimulating these neurons restored social behaviors in these mice. These findings could help to develop new ways to treat autism. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20250207_1/index.html 366 comments science
- Lifetime of triply charged thorium-229 isomer ion is suitable for nuclear clocks | RIKEN https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20240816_1/index.html 3 comments technology
- Palaeospondylus - an enigmatic fossil from 390 million years ago - has been analysed by synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography, and identified as one of the oldest ancestors of four-limbed animals https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2022/20220526_1/index.html 2 comments science
- Wormholes help resolve black hole information paradox. A RIKEN physicist and two colleagues have found that a wormhole—a bridge connecting distant regions of the Universe—helps to shed light on the mystery of what happens to information about matter consumed by black holes. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20220308_1/index.html 20 comments science
- Individuals with a certain HLA type may be able to mount a killer T cell response to Covid-19, thanks to the T cells responding to a portion of the virus’s spike protein that is also present in seasonal coronaviruses that cause the common cold. This could be used to develop a new type of vaccine. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2021/20211208_1/index.html 2 comments science
- New study shows that gelatin—a mixture of peptides and proteins used as a gelling agent in food and medicines—can be turned into ultralong organic phosphorescence materials that are strong. This phosphorescence could have diverse applications, such as imaging biological samples under the microscope. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20211227_2/index.html 5 comments science
- Researchers in Japan have developed a technique to improve flexibility of ultra-thin electronics, such as those used in bendable devices or clothing. They used water vapor plasma to bond gold electrodes fixed onto separate ultra-thin polymer films, without needing adhesives or high temperatures. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2021/20211223_1/index.html 6 comments science
- A new way to treat cancer that has fewer side effects than conventional drugs could result from a targeted method for killing tumor cells in mice. The novel therapeutic triggers the self-destruct program of cancer cells by delivering a masked peptide and a catalyst to their surfaces. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20211213_1/index.html 4 comments science
- The future environmental footprint of the tire industry could be substantially shrunk thanks to a new ecofriendly method that harnesses bacteria to make a chemical used in synthetic rubber. Researchers constructed a novel artificial metabolic pathway and produced 1,3-butadiene directly from glucose. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20210806_1/index.html 5 comments science
- The theoretical prediction of Majorana fermions in superconducting topological crystalline insulators could lead to them being used in quantum computers. This finding offers ways to manipulate the fermions, which is vital if they are to be implemented in a topological quantum computer. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20210219_1/index.html 6 comments science
- Researchers working on ways to regenerate lost hair from stem cells identified a recipe for normal hair regeneration in the lab. “A method for cyclical regeneration of hair follicles from hair follicle stem cells and will help make hair follicle regeneration therapy a reality in the near future.” https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2021/20210210_3/index.html 186 comments science
- Researchers have successfully created larger-than-usual strains of zooplankton — which are used in fish nurseries — by creating mutations with a heavy ion beam. The new strains of zooplankton could contribute to improving the survival rate and optimizing the growth of juvenile fish in aquaculture. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2021/20210115_1/index.html 6 comments science
- A quantum nanodevice that can act as a heat engine and a refrigerator at the same time has been created by RIKEN engineers. The device is one of the first to test how quantum effects, which govern the behavior of particles on the smallest scale. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20201225_2/index.html 12 comments science
- Humans develop more slowly than mice because our chemistry is different: Scientists have found that the “segmentation clock”—a genetic network that governs the body pattern formation of embryos—progresses more slowly in humans than in mice because the biochemical reactions are slower in human cells https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2020/20200918_1/index.html 10 comments science
- Japan’s Fugaku gains title as world’s fastest supercomputer https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/news/2020/20200623_1/index.html 3 comments technology
- Terahertz radiation, contradicting conventional belief, can disrupt proteins in living cells without killing the cells. This finding implies that terahertz radiation, which was long considered impractical to use, may have applications in manipulating cell functions for the treatment of cancer. https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/pr/2020/20200602_2/index.html 7 comments science
- A self-powered heart monitor taped to the skin: Scientists have developed a human-friendly, ultra-flexible organic sensor powered by sunlight, which acts as a self-powered heart monitor, that was able to measure the heartbeats of rats and humans under bright light conditions, as reported in Nature. http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2018/20180927_1/ 5 comments science
- Researchers have discovered a circuit in the brain that is necessary for unlearning fear. Published in Nature Communications, the study details the role of dopamine in ensuring that rats stop being afraid when there isn’t anything to be afraid of anymore. http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2018/20180627_2/ 8 comments science
- Most precise measurement of the proton’s mass http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2017/20170720_2/ 27 comments science
- A single genetic change is all it takes to make plants produce more biomass and become more resilient to stress, a team of RIKEN researchers has found. http://www.riken.jp/en/research/rikenresearch/highlights/8208/ 44 comments science
- Mimicking deep sleep brain activity improves memory http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2016/20160527_1/ 3 comments science
- In a world-first achievement, scientists have developed a new hydrogel whose properties are dominated by electrostatic repulsion, rather than attractive interactions. http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2014/20141230_1/ 6 comments science
- New technique produces 'nearly invisible' mice http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2014/20141107_1/ 10 comments science
- Three-dimensional metamaterials with a natural bent: Scientists have succeeded in creating a large metamaterial, up to 4 mm x 4 mm2 in size, that is essentially isotropic, using a type of metamaterial element called a split-ring resonator (SRR) http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2014/20141024_1/ 3 comments science
- Toward a clearer diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome: Researchers have used functional PET imaging to show that levels of neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the nervous system, are higher in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome than in healthy people http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2014/20140404_1/ 3 comments science
- Rheumatoid arthritis research and large-scale genetic studies for drug discovery: Largest international study into the genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis sheds light on the biology of the disease and provides evidence that large-scale genetic studies can assist in the identification of new drugs http://www.riken.jp/en/pr/press/2013/20131226_1/ 3 comments science