Academic Background Diabetes is a global health issue affecting over 500 million people. Both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) share the common feature of a significant reduction in the number of functional insulin-secreting beta cells. Therefore, restoring or increasing beta cell mass is considered a key strategy in diabetes treatme...
Exploration of the History of Water on Mars: From Seasonal Cycles to Long-Term Evolution Academic Background As one of the planets in the solar system closest to Earth, Mars has long been a focus of scientific interest. The presence and evolution of water on Mars are directly related to whether the planet once had conditions suitable for life. Unde...
Inferring Phase Transitions and Critical Exponents from Limited Observations with Thermodynamic Maps Academic Background Phase transitions are ubiquitous phenomena in nature, ranging from the boiling of water to the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition in magnetic materials, and even to conformational changes in biomolecules such as proteins and n...
Toward Systems Agroecology: Design and Control of Intercropping Academic Background With changing climatic conditions and the gradual depletion of natural resources such as fertile soil and water, exploring alternatives to today’s industrial monocrop farming has become essential. Intercropping (IC), a promising agricultural practice, involves growi...
MINFLUX Nanoscopy in Biological Tissue: Breaking the Resolution Barrier of Fluorescence Microscopy Academic Background Fluorescence microscopy plays a crucial role in biological research, but its resolution is limited by the diffraction barrier, typically around 200 nanometers. In recent years, the development of super-resolution microscopy (SR) te...
Chiral π Domain Walls Composed of Twin Half-Integer Surface Disclinations in Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals Academic Background π domain walls in ferroelectric materials are interfaces that separate regions of different polarizations. Their structures are not only of fundamental interest but also hold practical importance in many application...
Mechanism of Proton Release during Water Oxidation in Photosystem II Academic Background Photosystem II (PSII) is the only enzyme in nature capable of catalyzing water splitting, a reaction that not only releases oxygen but also provides electrons for biomass synthesis. The water-splitting reaction releases protons into the thylakoid lumen, forming...
Research Background The asymmetric distribution of proteins in single-cell embryos is a critical step in cell polarity and development. This asymmetry often relies on complex reaction-diffusion mechanisms and involves multiple feedback loops. In the one-cell embryo of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the RNA-binding proteins MEX-5 and MEX-6, al...
Genome-Wide Single-Cell and Single-Molecule Footprinting of Transcription Factors with Deaminase Academic Background In humans and other mammals, although the genome of each somatic cell is essentially the same, the functions of different cell types vary significantly. This diversity is primarily determined by the binding of transcription factors (...
Capillary-Driven Self-Assembly of Soft Ellipsoidal Microgels at the Air–Water Interface Research Background The adsorption of colloidal particles at fluid interfaces (such as the air–water interface) induces interfacial deformation, leading to anisotropic interface-mediated interactions and the formation of superstructures. Soft ellipsoidal microge...