Science View

Science News Watch:
598 Cloned Mice, 26 Generations

Science Watcher Katsuyuki Sakai was impressed by the news of important progress in cloning technology. A research group at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology has managed to create 598 mice in 26 generations from just a single mouse. Until now, attempts to reproduce successive generations of clones from cloned animals have failed due to abnormalities. The group's new technique has greatly reduced the abnormality rate by the addition of a special substance. Now what could it be…? The new technique could have applications in stock breeding and many other fields. Catch up on the latest in cloning research.

The Leading Edge:
The Magic Metal of Life - Calcium

Calcium could be called the "magic metal" of life. It is found throughout the body - 99% in our teeth and bones, and 1% in the form of ions in our cells. That 1% weighs only about 10 grams in total, but plays a crucial role in our bodies' basic functions. Did you know we depend on momentary shifts in the concentration of calcium ions in our cells for our muscles to contract, and neurons to transmit information? And that it all happens at lightning speed? What cellular process produces such changes in only half a second? Calcium is also intimately involved in the formation of new life. We explain the "calcium oscillations" that are fundamental to the process. Tune in to find out what role they, and other little-known activities of this magic metal, play in our bodies.

J-Innovators:
Micronanobubbles - Tiny and Eco-friendly

This week's innovator developed a machine to make large numbers of micronanobubbles - bubbles so small they can't be seen with naked eyes. They have properties that set them apart from your average bubble, and the innovator has found applications in an astonishing range of fields, from oyster farming to color dyeing. So what exactly do these tiny bubbles do? And how can they be stably produced in commercial quantities? The innovator solved that by persevering with improvements to one part of his device in particular. Discover the key to his success in this feature on state-of-the-art tiny bubble-making technology.