RIKEN Research Winter Issue


It’s almost the end of the year and a here’s an early holiday present! The winter issue of RIKEN Research is here, covering plant parasites, depression, atomic clocks, and more! Enjoy!

Leaky plants bad for drought resistance


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

RIKEN discovers new T cells related to immune disorders


Immune-related diseases like multiple sclerosis associated with genetic variation in newly discovered, rare T cells.

Robotic exoskeleton learns to help people stand up


This new robotic exoskeleton uses machine learning to know when users want help standing up.

Palaeospondylus: mystery of vertebrate evolution solved


Micro-CT scans using synchrotron radiation X-rays reveal Palaeospondylus morphology, finally allowing its placement on the evolutionary tree.

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.

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New treatment assembles cancer drug inside the body


Cancer drugs assembled inside the body on cancer cells should reduce harmful side effects to other tissue.

Eating a high fat diet without getting obese?


Scientists discover that without innate immune cells in the intestines, eating a high fat diet does not lead to obesity in mice.

RIKEN discovers new T cells related to immune disorders


Immune-related diseases like multiple sclerosis associated with genetic variation in newly discovered, rare T cells.

Mathematical model predicts self-organized learning in real neurons


The free energy principle predicted how real neural connections changed as neurons “learned” in a dish.

Black smokers and electroecosystems


Black smokers are deep-sea hydrothermal vents found in the ocean. Now scientists believe that they may host electroecosystems in which the primary producers use electric currents as their energy source.

Supermassive black holes still dark and mysterious


For the first time, scientists have measured the strength of magnetic fields near supermassive black holes and something doesn’t add up.

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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.

Artificial gravity protects the immune system of mice in space


Mice who experienced artificial gravity on the ISS suffered less damage to their immune system (thymus) than weightless mice did.

Eating a high fat diet without getting obese?


Scientists discover that without innate immune cells in the intestines, eating a high fat diet does not lead to obesity in mice.
Dec

11

Science communication symposium

Science communication symposium


Friday I participated in a small symposium that focused on science communication (for institutions in Japan). We discussed using social media as a means to self-publish wow! and amazing! research findings. Here are some of my thoughts about how useful this plays out in Japan.

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