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Asia Research News Editor's Choice header
13 Feb 2024
AI records rare bird footage, Lighting up IoT and smart cities, Crystal language designs new materials, Detecting toxins with mobile phones, and Dragonfly wings for better aerodynamics. Plus join us for SciCom coffee. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
glacier and marine snow
07 Feb 2024
Yokohama National University scientists are working towards creating a better tomorrow by addressing diverse challenges, from snow algae and tropical cyclones to AI cyberthreats, and much more.
26 Jan 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a closer step towards artificial spider silk, rocks made from plastic, and why a flightless dinosaur developed small wings.
24 Jan 2024
This week sees the launch of the first published content in Sustainable Microbiology, the new open access journal which will apply microbiology to sustainability. The journal is published by Applied Microbiology International.
19 Jan 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are watching plants warn each other of danger, how even “harmless” addictions can have a serious side effects, and how to clear roads and railways faster using gold nanorods.
Screening of PFAS binding potential to PPARα using an explainable machine learning approach
16 Jan 2024
7000 forever chemicals (PFAS) and human PPARa binding properties predicted using AI technology
15 Jan 2024
Research by Assistant Professor Edison Ang Huixiang and his team from National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University Singapore
12 Jan 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how a King Kongesque ape went extinct, how antibodies can make you dizzy, and a material that can break down harmful chemicals using the sun.
11 Jan 2024
Researchers from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University, Shizuoka Institute of Science & Technology, and collaborating partners have resolved a problem that has limited the environmental sustainability of peracid synthesis. By judicious choice of the solvent and light input, approximately room-temperature autoxidation of aldehydes proceeds in a manner that results in industrially useful peracids or carboxylic acids. This work is an important advance in green chemistry that will help minimize the carbon footprint of the chemical industry.
05 Jan 2024
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are self-sacrificing cancer cells, tiny new drones that kill cancer cells and a living “skin” that covers the Great Wall of China.
22 Dec 2023
The State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was awarded the prestigious Gold Award at the Hong Kong Green Innovations Award (HKGIA) as part of the 2022 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). This recognition highlights the remarkable achievements of the CityU team in the field of green innovation. Organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee of the Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) Government, the HKAEE is renowned as the city’s annual “Oscars of Environmental Protection.”
22 Dec 2023
Researchers from Osaka University developed a bio-logger for seabirds that enables long-term observation of rare behaviors. The bio-logger employs low-power depth sensors and accelerometers to identify rare behavior using a light-weight outlier detection model and records the behavior in a 5-min video. Observations using the bio-loggers on Streaked Shearwaters revealed novel aspects of head-shaking and foraging strategies. This approach will enable a wider range of animal behaviors in various environments to be observed.
Flax
15 Dec 2023
A new study have compared the reinforcing efficiency of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) and cultivated flax fiber in poly(butylene succinate) composites. PALF, a less explored but potentially sustainable alternative, outperformed flax at 20 wt.%, showcasing its potential in high-performance bio-composites and aligning with environmental goals.
15 Dec 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a motorized tentacle you can wear on your finger, a star that came from a long way away and a long time ago, and a new champion in the competition for the fastest robo-quadruped.
15 Dec 2023
The MTE 2023 Sustainable Energy and Green Technology International Innovation Awards (SEGT IIA) is set to take place from 19-21 December 2023. This prestigious accolade dedicated to celebrating outstanding achievements and breakthrough innovations in sustainable energy and green technology.
Asia Research News:  Editor's choice
13 Dec 2023
"Amaterasu" particle: a new cosmic mystery, Geckos inspire robotic device, Targeting cancer while protecting healthy cells, Honey, I shrunk the bear, Two species lost to science spotted again. Plus New Science Communication Resources. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
08 Dec 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how eels can transfer DNA, older babies falling for tricks that younger ones do not, and a crystal layer deep in the Earth.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vent 'Crab Spa'
30 Nov 2023
A new bacterial species discovered at the deep-sea hydrothermal vent site ‘Crab Spa’ provides a deeper understanding of bacterial evolution.
16 Nov 2023
The winners of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards were announced at the prestigious Environmental Microbiology lecture 2023, held at BMA House in London on November 16.
10 Nov 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are how mice help disperse seeds of a centennial blooming plant, a new isle created by recent volcanic activity, and how organisms breaking up microplastics is not always a good thing.
10 Nov 2023
A significant breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material has been announced by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The findings have just been published in the prestigious scientific journal Science titled “Hierarchically structured passive radiative cooling ceramic with high solar reflectivity.”
Camera trap photo of Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna
10 Nov 2023
Expedition led by Indonesian NGO YAPPENDA with Cenderawasih University students finds two species lost to science: Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna—one of Re:wild’s most wanted lost species—and Mayr’s honeyeater.
09 Nov 2023
New shrimp species in ancient hot spring, Super sprouts, How "warm-ups" work, New antiviral candidate, Solving voltage decay and from our blog: A sustainable future shines in TIE 2023. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
07 Nov 2023
SINGAPORE, November 7, 2023 – TechInnovation 2023, IPI's flagship event and a premier technology-matching platform, successfully concluded on Thursday, 2 November 2023, profoundly impacting audiences with insights into Sustainability, Health & Well-being, and AI in Healthcare. Over 5,000 people registered to attend TechInnovation, which brought together industry leaders, innovators, and technology experts alike to share and discover opportunities to partner and collaborate to create a sustainable future.
27 Oct 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are parasites that borrow their hosts genes, how waste feathers can be used in hydrogen fuel cells, and a poor bird that was caught up in a powerful typhoon.
23 Oct 2023
[Kuala Lumpur, 21 October 2023] - The MTE 2023 Sustainable Development Goals International Innovation Awards & Expo, a virtual expo held from 18th to 20th October 2023, witnessed a gathering of visionaries, innovators, and advocates committed to advancing the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
20 Oct 2023
Evaluation of developmental toxicity in early chicken embryos exposed to tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate
20 Oct 2023
This study examined how the origin (wild or hatchery-reared), feeding area (Baltic Sea mainstem, Bosnian Sea, and Gulf of Finland), and organic halogen compound (OHC) concentrations of Baltic Sea Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) affect the salmon liver proteome, transcriptome, and oxidative stress markers. Results suggest that the Baltic salmon liver proteome, together with the transcriptome, is influenced more by OHC concentrations and oxidative stress levels in the feeding area than by their origin.
20 Oct 2023
Structural characteristics of environmental pollutants and computer simulations predict effects on the endocrine system of seals
16 Oct 2023
The shortlist for the Applied Microbiology International Awards 2023 has now been announced. The AMI Awards programme is designed to celebrate the brightest minds in our field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.

Events

The Khwarizmi International Award (KIA) acknowledges the efforts made by researchers, innovators and inventors from across the globe and to appreciate their high quality research work and contributions to different fields of science and technology.
09 Dec 2019
The ASEAN Emerging Researchers Conference is a flagship programme of the ASEAN Young Scientists Network; the official platform for young researchers in the region.
26 Nov 2019
Conference will focus on the issues and challenges of sustainable waste management, from the planning to implementation phases.
09 Oct 2019
This 3-day event will showcase green technology solutions represented by 350 exhibitors from 35 countries.
10 Oct 2019
The promotion period has been extended to 30 August 2019.
03 Sep 2019
For more than a quarter of a century, POWERGEN Asia has served as Asia's premier forum for the power generation industry. Attracting over 8,500 attendees from more than 60 countries, POWERGEN Asia covers all forms of power generation, from conventional to renewable energy and other low-carbon options. This leading forum is where the power industry can meet, share and discuss solutions for Asia's energy future.
01 Oct 2019
Advancing Innovation, Embracing Transformation and Securing the future

Researchers

Nanyang Technological University
Kenneth Y T Lim operates at the intersection of cultural anthropology, the learning sciences, and cognitive psychology.
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK)
Dr. Lewis Cheung Ting
Dr. Lewis's research interests focus on sustainable tourism with particular emphasis on nature-based tourism in protected areas, environmental education, and environmental conservation.
The University of Tokyo
Lian is an IT professional with a bachelor's in Computer Science at De La Salle University and a masters in Information Studies at The University of Tokyo. She had previously handled professional projects in culture-based conservation and blended learning. She is currently based in Chiba, Japan as a research student in Sustainability Science at UTokyo's Kashiwa campus. Her research focuses on educational technology for sustainable development (ICT4Ed and ESD). Aside from her day job, Lian enjoys painting and has participated in a number of exhibitions in her hometown, Davao City.
Lingnan University (LU)
Picture of Paulina Wong Pui-yun
Prof. Paulina's areas of specialization include air pollution, urban climate, GIS modeling and environmental health. Her research interests focus on examining the effects of air pollution and urban heat islands on health-related problems in densely populated cities.
Dr. Huichao Jin
He is currently an assistant researcher in Jilin University. His research focuses on functional surfaces, bioinspired antifouling coatings, and medical antifouling materials.
Guangshun Jiang
Guangshun Jiang does research in ecology and zoology with a special focus on big feline ecology and conservation research.
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Dr. Fariha is a Senior Lecturer and a Civil Engineer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. She is actively conducting research on Kenaf-sorb beads that is potentially for wastewater treatment at the factory’s effluent point.
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Cho Jae-Weon
Prof. Cho Jae-Weon is a professor of environmental engineering at the National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in Ulsan, South Korea and has devised a way to convert human waste into power.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Krishna Institute of Allied Sciences Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Deemed To Be University, Karad
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Kenneth Leung Mei Yee
Prof. Kenneth Leung Mei Yee has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles which are principally related to marine ecology, pollution, ecotoxicology, environmental risk assessment and ecological restoration using eco-engineering.
Dr. Mohammed N. Abdulrazaq is currently an Assoc. Prof. at Department of Engineering & Technology, Management & Science University (MSU), Malaysia.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Dr. Connie Cassy Ompok is an early childhood education expert and a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. She Started her career in Early Childhood Education as a preschool teacher (2004-2007), a lecturer in early childhood education at the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education (2008-2016) before serving as a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at UMS (2016 until now).
Dr. A. Ahmad obtained his BS, MSc, and PhD degrees in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, respectively. Dr. Ahmad's areas of expertise include algal engineering for bioenergy production, environmental remediation, dark fermentation, and biochemicals, CO2 mitigation, industrial wastewater treatment, and heavy metals biosorption. Ahmad has worked on several projects using integrated microalgal engineering in industrial wastewater. Dr. Ahmad has published over 35 articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings and generated significant research interest. He serves as a reviewer for more than ten scientific journals.
Currently a research assistant in the laboratory of green energy in Zhejiang University of Technology.
I'm Senior Lecturer at the School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffiield. I research and teach about post-developmental Japan in the Asia-Pacific region.
Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology
Mayuko Nakagawa is a biochemist at Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) based at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.
Dr Ye Zhou is an electronic engineer at the Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, China.
Hokkaido University
Daisuke Hirano is an assistant professor at the Ocean and Sea Ice Dynamics Group, the Institute of Low Temperature Science of Hokkaido University, Japan.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Zuankai Wang is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean (Internationalization & Industry Engagement) of College of Engineering at City University of Hong Kong.
Dr. KeweiGao is the Professor of Materials Physics, and the Associate Chair of the Department of Materials Physics and Chemistry at University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB).
Hokkaido University
Jorge GarcĂ­a Molinos is an aquatic ecologist broadly interested in global change ecology and macroecology.
Fatima Akter
Assistant Professor, Department of Meteorology, University of Dhaka
A Tenured Professor at the Institute of Space Technology (Pakistan), Dr. Shabbir is working on Polymer based Nanomaterials for water treatment, food safety, nano-drug delivery systems, solar cells and carbon dioxide capture.
Assoc Prof Tuncer is the Capstone program director at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Director of the Informed Design Lab, which works on using data for informed architectural and urban spaces. Using computation, the lab looks at how they can strengthen and automate some things in urban design by building models and testing them better for human use, human perception, human comfort before actual constructions.
Picture of Lynette Cheah
Associate Professor Lynette Cheah leads the Sustainable Urban Mobility research group at SUTD, which develops data-driven models and tools to reduce the environmental impacts of passenger and urban freight transport. Her expertise is in transport modelling and simulation, life-cycle energy and environmental assessments (LCA) of products and systems, and urban metabolism. She is a Fellow with the Martin Family Society for Sustainability, winner of the Singapore Challenge Prize in the Global Young Scientists Summit 2013, and is currently serving as a Review Editor for the UN IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report.
Honey Gupta is a PhD student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University f Canterbury, New Zealand.
National University of Singapore
Picture of Audrey Chia
I work at the intersection of Business, Medicine and Environment. Many of the world’s current problems are best addressed from multiple perspectives. I examine issues ranging from sustainable development, pandemics, diversity, environment, social innovation and philanthropy, and suggest how we can do better.
Nanyang Technological University
Picture of Sravya Tekumalla
Dr. Sravya Tekumalla is currently a Principal Investigator in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she works as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow. In addition, she also leads a small team of staff and students working in the domain of metal additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing).
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Associate Professor Sitti Raehanah Muhamad Shaleh is the director of Borneo Marine Research Institute at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Dr. Hemu Kharel Kafle is the Founder and Director of Research at Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences (KIAS), Nepal, and a scientist at the Centre for Water and Atmospheric Research (CENWAR) within it.

Giants in history

Tetsuya Theodore Fujita (23 October 1920 – 19 November 1998) was a Japanese-American meteorologist who created the Fujita scale that classifies the strength of tornadoes based on damage to structures and vegetation.
Archana Sharma (16 February 1932 - 14 January 2008) conducted research into plant and human genetics that expanded the understanding of both botany and human health. In relation to botany, she uncovered the means by which asexually-reproducing plants evolve into new species.
Roseli Ocampo-Friedmann (23 November 1937 – 4 September 2005) was a Filipino-American scientist whose research focused on cyanobacteria and microorganisms that inhabit extreme environments.
Edgardo Dizon Gomez (7 November 1938 – 1 December 2019) was a Filipino marine biologist who recognized the need to protect marine resources, especially coral reefs, in the Philippines.
Anna Mani (23 August 1918 – 16 August 2001) was an Indian meteorologist who contributed significantly to the understanding of solar radiation, ozone and wind energy by developing a wide range of measurement tools. One of India’s pioneering female scientists, Mani excelled in the male-dominated area of meteorology and became the Deputy Director-General of the India Meteorological Department.
VĂ” QuĂœ (1929 – 2017) was a Vietnamese ornithologist who studied the destruction of tropical forests and agricultural lands in Vietnam by Agent Orange, a herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. In addition to planning forest restoration projects, QuĂœ rediscovered the rare eastern sarus crane, an endangered species that had vanished during the war.
Japanese geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi developed the first method and tools for measuring carbon dioxide in seawater