Social contact-seeking behavior and loneliness in the brain


Levels of the peptide amylin in the brain are related to loneliness; activating amylin neurons in the MPOA drives isolated mice to seek social contact.

Schizophrenia biomarker (hydrogen sulfide) in human hair


Not only is hydrogen sulfide a good biomarker for schizophrenia, it’s also the culprit and a new starting point for drug discovery.

Nanopores in deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the origin of life


“Naturally occurring selective nanopore ion channels in deep-sea hydrothermal vents are similar to ion channels found in cells and could help explain the origin of life.

Solar cells you can put in the wash


Scientists have developed ultra-thin photovoltaic solar cells that can be incorporated into fabric and even washed.

The brain’s GPS has a buddy system


In addition to encoding self location, brain cells in the rat hippocampus act like a GPS that encodes the location of other rats.

Centennial RIKEN Research


???This Spring we’ve put together a special centennial issue of RIKEN Research ???

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Leaky plants bad for drought resistance


The KAI2 receptor for compounds found in smoke helps plants retain water and survive during drought.

Microcolumns: elementary neuronal units that carpet the (mouse) brain


A hexagonal lattice organizes major cell types in the cerebral cortex, with similar cells synchronizing their activity in microcolumns.

Running away from carbon dioxide: the terminal connection


Even fish want to avoid carbon dioxide. Now we know that they can because of chemosensation and the Terminal Nerve.

The joys of computational mass spectrometry


Scientists have developed a new automated computational mass spectrometry system that can search an organism’s entire metabolome for as-yet-unknown metabolites (potential drugs).

Purple biomass makes a good crop fertilizer


Biomass made from purple marine bacteria provides more than enough nitrogen to plants without harming the environment

COVID-19: Changing the way we do research


COVID-19 series — Part #4: Team Leader Aki Minoda from RIKEN IMS talks about how the pandemic has affected the way we work.

H2AK119ub1: How you inherit acquired traits from your mom


H2AK119ub1. Say that three times really fast! But seriously, it allows maternally acquired traits to be inherited.

New lab-grown retinal sheets almost ready for clinical trials


A new retinal transplant technique works by preventing bipolar cells from maturing in lab-grown retinal sheets.

Talking science Illustration with Misaki Ouchida


Whether it’s bird anatomy or science cartoons, Masaki Ouchida can do it all. She spoke with us about her career in science illustration, from the US to Japan.

Transgenic plants ??on acid survive without water


Scientists designed transgenic plants that survive drought-like conditions by bumping up acetic acid production only when water is scarce.