Professor Hirotoshi Mori (Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University), together with Nichika Ozawa (first-year Ph.D. student at Ochanomizu University) and Assistant Professor Nahoko Kuroki of Ochanomizu University, has proposed a new design principle for QM/MM (quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics) simulations. The approach enables objective and automatic determination of the quantum-mechanical region based on electronic-state changes, addressing a long-standing challenge in multiscale molecular simulations. This work was published online in Advanced Science on December 23, 2025 (JST), an international journal that features conceptually innovative and interdisciplinary breakthroughs across materials science, life science, chemistry, and physics. This article will be published in issue 17 (March 23rd) of Advanced Science, and the cover design suggestion has been selected to be featured on a frontispiece in it. A frontispiece is a full-page image (similar to a cover) placed at the beginning of this article that highlights outstanding results.

Skeletal muscle stem cells in hibernating Syrian hamsters preserve their ability to function by suppressing their activation during the hibernation period, a research team led by Hiroshima University has shown. This insight may lead to a broader understanding of the maintenance of muscle tissue under prolonged low temperature conditions and may eventually lead to therapeutic applications.

Several severe allergic diseases are driven by immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to immune cells, such as mast cells. Current therapies have delayed effect in these diseases as they can only eliminate free IgE in the serum. Researchers have now identified antibody fragments that target Cε2 domain of IgE, capable of destabilizing its complex with the receptor FcεRI and removing it from mast cells. The antibody fragments offer a potential rapid-acting therapy for IgE-driven allergic diseases.

Organic semiconductors are useful materials for both electronic displays and solar cells, but combining efficient light emission and power generation in a single device has been difficult. In a recent study, researchers from Japan addressed this challenge by precisely tuning energy states at the interface of advanced optoelectronic materials. Their approach enables high-efficiency operation and full-color emission, paving the way for multifunctional devices that can both produce and harvest light.

A research team from the Visual Perception and Cognition Laboratory and the Cognitive Neurotechnology Unit at Toyohashi University of Technology investigated how the movements of autonomous mobile robots influence human emotional responses during passing encounters in virtual reality (VR) environments. The study found that when the robot moved monotonously in a straight path, participants initially exhibited increased arousal and skin conductance responses, which gradually diminished over repeated trials—indicating habituation. In contrast, when the robot’s motion included unpredictable pauses and restarts, both arousal and skin conductance responses remained elevated throughout the experiment, suggesting a lack of habituation and a greater tendency for participants to experience discomfort. These findings highlight the importance of predictability in robot behavior as a critical factor affecting human comfort in shared spaces. The results of this study were published online in the International Journal of Social Robotics on January 19, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-025-01341-3