Latest news with #RikenCenter
NHK
03-08-2025
- Science
- NHK
Japan research group uses ethanol to grow heat-tolerant vegetables
A group of researchers in Japan is advancing studies on the application of ethanol for vegetables to grow steadily under high heat stress. The group, led by Seki Motoaki at Riken Center for Sustainable Resource Science, has discovered that plants can grow in high temperatures by feeding ethanol through the roots and spraying the alcohol on leaves. In an experiment using cherry tomatoes, the researchers applied ethanol, diluted to about 0.1 percent, to the plants and exposed them to heat at 50 degrees Celsius for several hours. They said they found that the leaves grew larger than those treated only with water and the number of fruits more than tripled. When ethanol was applied to other plants, the researchers said they detected changes, such as increases in proteins that protect cells from heat and sugar contained in leaves and fruits. The research group said the findings show that ethanol can effectively bring out plants' ability to grow, even under severe heat. Seki noted that ethanol is readily available and can be used in a simple way just by diluting it. He expressed hope that his group will further advance studies to make the methods applicable worldwide to help alleviate agriculture problems caused by extreme heat. Japan has been facing record summer heat, raising agricultural concerns about poor harvests and a decline in quality. The agriculture ministry says continued hot weather could have negative effects on various crops, such as causing cabbage and other leafy vegetables to stop growing and tomato plants to bear no fruit.
Japan Times
05-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that quickly dissolves in seawater
Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialization, project leader Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day marked on Thursday. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the U.N. Environment Program has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about 5 centimeters in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team are focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added.
