SUMMER 2021 SHOWCASING THE BEST OF JAPAN’S PREMIER RESEARCH ORGANIZATION • www.riken.jp/en/ PREYING ON PLANTS How parasites target healthy vegetation UPPING THE ANTI New physics possibilities from classic device DRAWING ON DATA AI provides answers in a crisis HAIR TODAY, HAIR TOMORROW Stem cells regenerate follicle growth ▲ Bigger fish to fry A RIKEN-led team has developed larger strains of zooplankton by creating mutations with a heavy-ion beam. Bigger versions of this important feed stock for fish nurseries could improve fish farming efficiencies and help supply the needs of a growing global population (see page 16). 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Articles showcase Saitama, 351-0198, Japan • Hitoshi Okamoto (CBS) • Yasuo Nabekawa (RAP) Initially established RIKEN’s groundbreaking Tel: +81 48 462 1225 • Kensaku Sakamoto (BDR) • Shigehiro Nagataki (CPR) as a private research results and are written for a Fax: +81 48 463 3687 • Kazuhiro Sakurada (R-IH) • Masaki Oura (RSC) foundation in Tokyo in 1917, non-specialist audience. [email protected] • Harukazu Suzuki (IMS) • Toru Tamagawa (RNC) RIKEN became a national • Toshitada Takemori (IMS) • Tomohiro Uesaka (RNC) research and development RIKEN Research is published ISSN 1883-3519 • Koji Yonekura (RSC) • Yasunori Yamazaki (CPR) institute in 2015. by RIKEN in collaboration www.riken.jp/en with Nature Research CHEMISTRY COMPUTER / RIKEN Research is an online Custom Media, a part • Hideki Abe (CSRS) COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE and print publication that of Springer Nature. • Keisuke Tajima (CEMS) • Toshiaki Iitaka (ISC) highlights the best research • Katsunori Tanaka (CPR) • Takahito Nakajima (R-CCS) published by RIKEN. This • Hirofumi Tomita (R-CCS) © FRANK FOX / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial Infographic Quantum questions 3 Calling all 8 The new RIKEN Center for Quantum collaborators Computing (RQC) is co-ordinating the Japanese-government's quantum agenda, and exploring a number of important People approaches for qubits, quantum circuits 4 and quantum architecture. Physics modeling of viral spread between cells Catherine Beauchemin Deputy Program Director Managing a marmoset brain atlas Alexander Woodward Research Unit leader 10 highlights 10 Revealing the origins of skyrmion lattices Briefs 11 Glycans play crucial role 6 in COVID-19 infection Gene database 12 Choreographing the RIKEN protects cherry downward dance of blossoms plant roots 13 Giant pulses have gigantic BDR Symposium levels of energy RNA diagnostic test for 14 New way to create COVID-19 faster than particles for quantum current PCR detection computers predicted p.13 Virtual open day 15 Bringing inductors down to size Japan’s new quantum headquarters 16 Supersized snacks for growing fish 17 Chemical reaction zips along at water surface 18 A new drug target for schizophrenia p.15 SUMMER 2021 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Research COVER STORY 19 highlights Feature 26 Hunting for big game in physics with a small trap: An instrument designed to probe 19 Mysterious magnetar may power bright the imbalance between matter and antimatter binary star could make the search for axions much, much more affordable. 20 Unfertilized egg modifications key to some traits 21 Organic make-up of planetary systems differs from early on 22 Alpha particles lurk at the surface of neutron-rich nuclei COVER STORY 23 Parasitic plants make their point with ethylene 24 Quantum nanodevice can simultaneously do work and cool Perspectives COVER STORY 30 AI of the storm: During the pandemic, RIKEN’s artificial COVER STORY intelligence teams have been able to advance everything from 25 Regenerating hair travel advice to online medicine. Has COVID-19 unlocked in the lab Japan’s big data doors? p.21 2 RIKEN RESEARCH EDITORIAL Calling all collaborators Hidetoshi Kotera Executive Director, RIKEN ne of our goals in publishing and of our research to society in the form of innovation. distributing this magazine is to provide For this, we work with universities and research SUMMER 2021 SHOWCASING THE BEST OF JAPAN’S PREMIER RESEARCH ORGANIZATION • www.riken.jp/en/ information with the potential to institutes, as well as with a number of companies in PREYING stimulate new collaborations between the private sector. ON PLANTS How parasites target ORIKEN and partners around the world. Today, I We have seen many positive results from such healthy vegetation would like to update our readers on some exciting collaborations, including the establishment of a new developments regarding our collaborations. research organization, the Interdisciplinary Theo- UPPING THE ANTI New physics possibilities from classic At RIKEN, our collaborations are now managed retical and Mathematical Sciences Program, based device DRAWING ON DATA by a new organization called the Science, Technol- on collaboration between RIKEN, Kyoto University, AI provides answers in a crisis HAIR TODAY, ogy, and Innovation Hub. As the name implies, it and research groups in China, India and the United HAIR TOMORROW Stem cells regenerate is meant to act as a hub for collaborations. One States. Another collaboration with Hiroshima Uni- follicle growth of its functions is to promote collaboration inside versity has furthered cell-imaging technologies and RIKEN, through initiatives such as our Engineering one with Nagoya University has led to the devel- COVER STORY: The invasive organs Network, which brings together people working opment of a new rice strain that is currently being (pictured) of parasitic on joint research projects beyond each discipline. evaluated in Kenya. We are looking to expand these plants, such as Phthei- Another important function is to promote projects networks to many more universities and companies rospermum japonicum, between RIKEN researchers and other institutes outside of Japan. respond to the plant and universities. We hope that you will find examples of research hormone ethylene. Page 23 The basic method we use to find collaborators is in this issue of RIKEN Research that will lead to to analyze the fields where we have strengths, and future collaborations. © 2021 RIKEN then identify partners that we can work with to enable us to pioneer new research fields, nurture young scientists, and ultimately return the results Keep up to date Online Facebook Twitter LinkedIn www.riken.jp/en facebook.com/RIKENHQ twitter.com/RIKEN_en linkedin.com/company/riken SUMMER 2021 3 PEOPLE infected cell sees the same amount of virus as one that is far away. In my Physics modeling first research project I constructed a simple, spatial model for the spread of a respiratory virus infection to of viral spread show how local effects impact cell- to-cell virus spread, and the immune response. There was very little known about SARS-CoV-1 at that time, so I between cells decided to construct my first model based on the influenza virus. I didn’t Catherine Beauchemin know that influenza would become Deputy Program Director, RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical important due to the possibility of an avian influenza pandemic, which and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) program remains a threat today. Describe your role at RIKEN mathematical models to explain the I first joined RIKEN in 2016 as a senior experimental observations made when I construct visiting scientist at iTHES, the prede- viruses infect cell cultures. In biology, cessor of the Interdisciplinary Theo- such knowledge is usually advanced computer models to retical and Mathematical through experimental trial and error, explain the observations Sciences (iTHEMS) but physics modeling can help program. In 2020, streamline this process. made when viruses infect I became one cell cultures. of four iTHEMS How did you become deputy program interested in your field? directors. I am As an undergraduate in My research is important to in a field I call computational physics, I society because… ‘virophysics’; became interested in self- Let’s say we want to determine the time the applica- organizing systems and between giving two doses of a vaccine tion of physics distributed intelligence. As a to confer optimal protection. In immunol- methods to virology. graduate student, I intended to ogy or virology, this is done by testing Primarily, I construct work on social insect behavior, different dosing intervals in as many computer and but my doctoral advisor wanted people as possible, and then we can me to work with him on cancer. choose only from the options that were He gave me a paper called tested. Without equations, we cannot Immunology for physicists. predict what happens if the interval is Reading it, I became longer or shorter, because the system is fascinated by how our complex and the response is nonlinear. immune system learns My research is developing physics-