Hydrogels are biomaterials that resemble Jell-O. Scientists are trying to develop hydrogels made from peptides—protein building blocks that are common in all cells and tissues—because unlike silicone, they can interact with biological tissue and be recycled by the body. They are also known to nat...

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR) in Japan have discovered that the natural turnover of gut cells in the fruit fly depends on how much food the flies get, rather than any specific nutrient. They found that erebosis increased and gut cells were replaced more when nutrient levels were low and the insides of gut cells were fluid and watery.

Efforts to accelerate science through artificial intelligence are known as “AI for Science”. RIKEN has launched the Advanced General Intelligence for Science (AGIS) program to develop AI specialized for research, with the goal of building new scientific research infrastructure for the AI era. Leading these efforts is Program Director Makoto Taiji.