New rice fights off drought


Researchers have created drought resistant transgenic rice using a gene from a small Eurasian flowering plant

Memory retrieval needs a neuronal connecting flight


Scientists use optogenetics to discover a part of the brain necessary for retrieving memories of personal experiences.

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.

Longevity in supercentenarians linked to cytotoxic T-cells


Blood analysis in supercentenarians showed that they have many more cytotoxic CD4 T-cells than people with average life spans.

RIKEN Research Spring issue is here


Just a quick post to let you know that the Spring issue of RIKEN Research Magazine came out towards the end of March. This issue covers issues including the discovery of element 113, earth-friendly pesticides, and the secrets of a rice-killing fungal toxin. Enjoy!

Bye-bye microplastics: new plastic is fully ocean-degradable


A new bioplastic that dissolves in saltwater — no more pesky microplastics!

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Self-assembly of spider silk

This gut microbe might protect against diabetes and reduce insulin resistance

NEW: One-way hydrogel guides motion of tiny worms!

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Decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic


COVID-19 series — installment #2: RIKEN CBS Unit Leader Rei Akaishi talks about government decision-making during the pandemic.

Microbial infections are a parasitic plant’s dream


Parasitic plants use quinones produced by their host to attack. Now we know that crops produce quinones as an immune response against microbial infection. How can we protect crops from both kinds of attack?

Brain clock ticks differently in autism


A new brain imaging study shows that autistic severity is linked to how long certain regions of the brain store information.

Crying baby? Science says walk, then sit


Recipe for success: Walk 5 min, sit 8 min, lay no-longer-crying baby down. Now you can relax.

How group size affects cooperation: Insights from brain science


Using the prisoners dilemma game, brain scientists showed that larger group size reduces cooperation.

Finding real rewards in a virtual world


A new study shows that mice who learn to find goals in virtual reality use their hippocampus the same was as in the real world.

Dec

21

The stars align

The stars align


The stars align. That’s what you say, when things work out perfectly. In the case of an eclipse, of course, it’s not stars that align but rather the moon and sun.

Introducing Nikola, the emotional android boy


A new android named Nikola will help researchers study facial expressions, emotions, and social interactions.

Super-thin wearable electronics just got more flexible


A method for making super-flexible and ultra-thin wearable electronics uses water-vapor plasma to create gold-gold bonds.

Opossums are the first genome edited marsupials


A new piezoelectronic microinjection method has allowed the first successful genome editing in marsupials: albino opossums.

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.