University of Tokyo

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have developed a synthetic version of a fungal compound that could help take out cancer, by reactivating a missing gene that would normally drive the sinister cells to self-destruction.

The world of atoms and molecules is tricky to study, not just because it’s so small but because events occur so quickly at that scale. Now, researchers have captured slow motion video of the movements of single molecules at 1,600 frames per second.

Scientists tinkering with the design of lithium-ion batteries have come up with a new electrolyte they say can offer greater safety and an ability to operate at higher voltages, promising smartphones and electric vehicles with longer run times.

Production of cement is a big source of CO2 emissions, so the more we can recycle existing concrete, the better. That's where a new study comes in, which indicates that discarded concrete becomes stronger than it was before, when wood waste is added.

Gamma-ray bursts are already the most energetic events we know of in the universe. Now, astronomers have detected the most powerful one ever. The competition isn’t even close, either – it's almost a thousand times more powerful than your average GRB.

A galaxy seems like a hard thing to miss – let alone 39 of them – but that’s exactly what a team of astronomers has just discovered. So where have these countless stars been hiding? About 11.5 billion light-years away, in a part of the light spectrum that’s invisible to many telescopes.

In order to see how many viruses are present in a patient's biological fluid sample, costly devices such as fluorescence microscopes are typically used – not a good solution for developing nations. That's why scientists have developed an inexpensive smartphone-connected gadget that does the job.

Why start from scratch when nature has already designed better robot materials and parts than ours? Japanese researchers have now developed a new way to integrate living muscle tissue onto a robotic skeleton, and make it move in a realistic way that takes some of the strain off.

Few natural light shows come more spectacular than the legendary Northern Lights. For the first time, scientists in Japan have now directly observed its inner mechanics, confirming once and for all a long-held hypothesis and furthering our understanding of one of the world's great natural wonders. ​

For a wearable electronic sensor to be truly practical it would need to be comfortable when worn for extended periods of time. A team at the University of Tokyo has now developed a breathable nanoscale mesh that can be safely worn for a week without causing any skin irritation.

​​Imagine if things like satellite antennas could fold down small when not in use, but then unfurl into a rigid structure as needed. Well, that's just what ladybug wings do. In order to find out how they do so, scientists recently replaced a ladybug's real wing cover with one that's transparent.​

Scientists at the University of Tokyo believe they're on to a new prediction method for earthquakes – measuring the amount of a helium isotope in the groundwater.