Water splitting: Ultrahigh resolution data reveals reaction mechanisms
Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms utilize energy from the sun to split water into protons, electrons and oxygen—products vital to life on earth. The process takes place through light-induced electron...
View ArticleA new future for an old crop: Barley enters the genomics age
A Japanese team led by Kazuhiro Sato of Okayama University participates in the International Barley Sequencing Consortium (IBSC) to produce a high resolution assembly of the majority of barley genes.
View Article'Tug of war' method to measure the copy number limits of all genes in budding...
Professor Hisao Moriya and colleagues at Okayama University used their 'tug of war method to measure the copy number limits of all protein-coding genes in yeast—the first time ever for any organisms.
View ArticleHigh-tech inspired insights into Japan's ancient 'Kofun' burial mounds
Japan's ancient 'Kofun' burial mounds: Fusion of traditional archaeology with cutting edge information technology to uncover the mysteries of ancient civilizations.
View ArticleTofu-like crystalline catalysts for producing clean energy
Research by Professor Jian-Ren Shen at Okayama University demystifies the reaction mechanisms of photosynthesis and the findings may lead to the development of methods for producing an unlimited source...
View ArticleSynthesis of superconducting solid picene
Research by Professor Yoshihiro Kubozono at Okayama University has potential for innovative applications of solid picene and organic superconductors, graphene and other functional materials.
View ArticleResearch and applications of iron oxide nanoparticles
From the mysteries of producing red colors in traditional Japanese Bizen stoneware to iron-oxidizing bacteria for lithium ion batteries, Professor Jun Takada is at the forefront of research on...
View ArticleFirst deposit from Japan: Barley seeds preserved in Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Professor Kazuhiro Sato of Okayama University's Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR) visited the "Svalbard Global Seed Vault" (Spitsbergen island, Svalbard islands, Norway) on 25 February...
View ArticleBacterial nanometric amorphous Fe-based oxide as lithium-ion battery anode...
Leptothrix ochracea is a species of iron-oxidizing bacteria that exists in natural hydrospheres where groundwater outwells worldwide. Intriguingly, the bacterium produces Fe3+-based amorphous oxide...
View ArticlePlant models for crop breeding of the future
Minichromosomes have been extensively used as tools for revealing the functional structures of eukaryotic chromosomes. In the most popular model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, however, only six different...
View ArticleInnovative pendulum-dynamo for converting tidal energy into electrical power
Okayama University's Shinji Hiejima is looking for industrial partners to commercialize his experimentally proven and patented concept of the Hydro-VENUS system for converting tidal energy into...
View ArticleRepairing DNA lesions
Repair of DNA lesions is essential for mammalian development. Notably, DNA lesions in cells caused by genotoxic agents results in arrest of cell cycle and ultimately in cell death. In response, DNA...
View ArticleNew model of the quality control of photosystem II
Thylakoid membranes are piled up to form the grana well known as the site where the Photosystem II (PSII) complexes which play a role in the primary photochemical reaction exist. However, the...
View ArticleNew 'liquid biopsy' method to capture circulating tumor cells from blood...
Okayama University medical researchers seek partners to commercialize their clinically proven non-invasive fluorescence virus-guided capture system of human colorectal circulating tumor cells (CTCs)...
View ArticleDirect targeting and induction of immunological attacks on cancer cells
Direct targeting and induction of immunological attacks on cancer cells are two widely used approaches for the treatment of cancer. But Professor Hiromi Kumon and colleagues at Okayama University have...
View ArticleA new linked elbow prosthesis for patients with small bone structure
Dr. Keiichiro Nishida, Associate Professor of Department of Human Morphology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has developed a new linked elbow...
View ArticleNeutral self-assembling peptide hydrogel
Self-assembling peptides are characterized by a stable β-sheet structure and are known to undergo self-assembly into nanofibers that could further form a hydrogel. Self-assembling peptide hydrogels...
View ArticlePhotoelectric dye-coupled thin film as a novel type of retinal prosthesis
Eye doctor Dr. Toshihiko Matsuo and polymer science engineer Dr. Tetsuya Uchida have been developing a new type of retinal prosthesis that is based on a photoelectric dye. The photoelectric dye is an...
View ArticleInnovation to turn 'junk DNA' into genetic markers
A series of the Next-Generation Sequencer (NGS) applications are being developed to utilize 'junk DNA' as distinctive genetic analysis systems for crop species.
View ArticleAnti-aging properties of drinking hydrogen-rich water on periodontal tissues
Oxidative stress is involved in age-related inflammatory reactions. Molecular hydrogen is considered to be a novel antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress. Therefore, drinking hydrogen-rich water...
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