Microbial Magic: Genetic Tweaks Unlock Superior Bioplastics
Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture-resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water. The Kobe…
Kobe University News
Kikai’s Secret: Scientists Discover Record-Breaking Volcanic Eruption From 7,300 Years Ago
An in-depth study of the submerged volcanic deposits surrounding Japan’s Kikai caldera shed light on both the mechanisms of deposition and the scale of the…
Breakthrough AI Predicts Mouse Movement With 95% Accuracy Using Brain Data
An AI image recognition algorithm can predict whether a mouse is moving or not based on brain functional imaging data. The researchers from Kobe University…
Has Not Occurred in Almost 100 Years – Scientists Discover New Unusual Genus of Fairy Lantern
A new species and genus of fairy lantern, tiny glass-like white plants that feed on fungi, has been discovered in Japan. In the country renowned…
Pancake Stack of Films on a Balloon Takes the World’s Most Accurate Picture of a Gamma Ray Beam
A pancake stack of radioactivity-sensitive films carried through the sky by a balloon was able to take the world’s most accurate picture of a neutron…
The Orchid and the Fruit Fly – Scientists Discover Unique New Plant-Animal Relationship
For the first time, orchids that consume fungi have been observed offering their flowers to fungi-eating fruit flies in return for pollination services. This discovery…
Inside Job – Scientists Discover Entirely New and Unexpected Killer of Immune Cells Lacking “Self”
Researchers from Kobe University have identified an entirely new and unexpected mechanism through which the immune system eliminates cells lacking molecules that identify them as…
Does Ancient Virus Genome Drive Autism?
Although autism is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, the multiple factors behind its onset are still not fully understood. Animal models of idiopathic autism,[1] especially mice,…
Rediscovery of the Elusive Fairy Lantern: Thismia kobensis Emerges After 30 Years
Green leaves and the ability to photosynthesize were once considered hallmarks of plants. However, some plants have evolved to obtain their nutrients in alternative ways,…
Discovery of Checkerboard Pattern of Inner Ear Cells That Is Vital for Hearing
A Japanese research group has become the first to reveal that the checkerboard-like arrangement of cells in the inner ear’s organ of Corti is vital…
Does Autism Begin in the Womb? Research Breakthrough May Lead to New Treatment Strategies
An international research group led by Professor Toru Takumi (Senior Visiting Scientist, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) and Researcher Chia-wen Lin at Kobe University…
Environmental DNA (eDNA) Analysis Could Contribute Towards More Effective Pest Control
Detecting environmental DNA of invasive ant species in soil samples. Researchers have successfully detected the environmental DNA (eDNA)[1] of the Argentine ant[2] in surface soil…
Analyzing Asteroid Ryugu’s Artificial Impact Crater Created by Japanese Spacecraft Hayabusa2’s SCI
The artificial impactor disturbed boulders within a 30m radius from the center of the impact crater- providing important insight into asteroids’ resurfacing processes. Professor ARAKAWA…
Violent Impact May Have Caused Huge Ring-Like Structure on the Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede
Researchers from Kobe University and the National Institute of Technology, Oshima College have conducted a detailed reanalysis of image data from Voyager 1, 2 and…
Ultrathin Durable Membrane Developed for High-Performance Oil and Water Separation
Researchers led by Professor MATSUYAMA Hideto and Professor YOSHIOKA Tomohisa at Kobe University’s Research Center for Membrane and Film Technology have succeeded in developing an…
Ryugu Asteroid Impact Crater Analysis Illuminates Complicated Geological History
Analysis of the impact craters on Ryugu using the spacecraft Hayabusa 2’s remote sensing image data has illuminated the geological history of the Near-Earth asteroid….