Scientists long believed that epigenetic modifications were not inherited by the next generation, but rather reset when a new individual was born, because modifications of this kind employ tools such as methylation to regulate gene function without affecting the DNA base sequence. However, research has shown methylation beginning again in the offspring’s somatic cells after fertilization. More specifically, it would appear that, rather than DNA methylation itself being inherited directly, a mechanism for reactivating methylation was at work. We therefore cannot deny the possibility that characteristics acquired by the parent might be passed on to the next generation.

The symbiotic relationship between eukaryotes and mitochondria began 2.1 billion years ago, after a primitive cell engulfed a bacterium. Since then, mitochondria have evolved into essential cellular organelles, which play a crucial role in energy production, thereby supporting vital biological activities, and have a profound influence on human health. They are also known to be closely connected to motor function impairments and neurodegenerative disorders, and increasing attention has been paid to their relationship with aging and Alzheimer’s disease. In recent years, various studies have been focusing on mitochondria, which have their own DNA, as a means of investigating the fundamental principles of life.

Renowned for having the fastest horizontal flight speed of any migratory bird, the white-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) comes to the warm climes of Japan in spring to nest, lays its eggs, and raise its young, then migrates to Australia when autumn arrives. However, as these birds spend their lives on the wing when they are not raising their young, they are very difficult to observe, and their migratory route remained unclear. Nevertheless, scientists have now succeeded in conducting a tracking survey of white-throated needletails fitted with small recording devices, and have determined their precise migratory routes in spring and autumn. Rather than taking the shortest route, these birds make a round-trip of as much as 40,000 km between Japan and Australia, following a figure-eight pattern.

Birds and many other creatures are thought to have an internal compass that detects the Earth's magnetic field. There are several hypotheses about the nature of this compass in birds. One of the recent —— the radical-pair mechanism hypothesis —— has emerged from the field of quantum biology, which investigates physical phenomena at the molecular level within the body. Efforts to shed light on this mechanism are underway. Photoreceptors in the retina of birds have magnetic properties when activated by blue light and respond to the geomagnetic field. Scientists say these signals affect the birds' vision, enabling them to perceive direction visually.

Tracing its roots back to the private laboratory museum founded in 1932 by Dr. Yoshimaro Yamashina with his own personal funds, the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology is the very cornerstone of avian research in Japan. During the Vietnam War, at the request of the U.S. military, the institute resumed conducting surveys in which leg bands are attached to migratory birds such as herons, which are involved in the transmission of Japanese encephalitis. The institute's bird banding surveys still continue today, with information provided by not only the 400 or so volunteers currently involved in the program, but also other members of the public. Cutting-edge instruments have also emerged, leading to the establishment of a variety of survey methods. The abundant data accumulated by the institute through its surveys over the decades is helping to speed up ecological investigation.

As the activity range of migratory birds is global in scale, it is very difficult to study them, and for a long time, their ecology remained mysterious. Many people are fascinated by migratory birds and find their thoughts turning to the birds' destinations, which evoke a sense of the seasons and a certain wanderlust. Once tracking studies began to be carried out with the aid of satellites in the 1990s, scientific and technological methods of tracking avian migration were established, and the hitherto-mysterious routes and behavior of migratory birds began to become apparent. At the same time, results have also emerged from field surveys carried out by citizens. Linking these results to science and technology is leading to the discovery of new facts.

Various attempts to reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions are underway. One such effort that has long been the focus of attention is biomanufacturing, which leverages biotechnology and uses bioresources as basic ingredients, rather than relying on fossil resources. However, finding microorganisms that are suitable for use is difficult and the path to commercialization has been a long one. Now, though, cutting-edge technologies in the form of AI and genome editing are reducing that distance. Scientists say that it is possible to efficiently produce various synthetic chemical compounds without fossil resources by using genome editing technology to modify microorganisms according to designs created by AI.

Newts are renowned for their outstanding regenerative capability, which allows them to repair damaged tissue, but the mechanism behind this ability had long remained unexplained. However, studies using the latest genome analysis techniques have revealed a regeneration gene that is specifically expressed in certain red blood cells. Accounting for around 25% of all red blood cells, these cells circulate throughout the body alongside the other red blood cells. Red blood cells —— also known as erythrocytes —— play a part in gas exchange by transporting oxygen to body tissues and receiving carbon dioxide in return. Scientists are achieving progress in research into newt-type regenerative medicine, which will facilitate human regenerative medicine through the application of this mechanism.

Like humans, honeybees have gut microbes. However, recent studies found the gut microbiota of a honeybee has a highly distinctive feature: whereas the human gut microbiota is said to consist of 100 trillion microbes across 1,000 species, 95% of the gut microbiota in honeybees is composed of no more than 8-10 genera of bacteria. This small number of gut bacterial species is beneficial to honeybees: for example, some of the bacteria assist in breaking down several pollen components that honeybees themselves can't easily digest. Several studies also suggest that gut bacteria also play a role in the behavior of honeybees.

Honeybee populations are in decline. The fall in the number of European honeybees, which are the main species used in beekeeping, is particularly pronounced. The main causes with direct impact, scientist's theories, are disease borne by varroa mites, and hornets, which are natural predators of honeybees. In contrast, the Japanese honeybee —— a subspecies native to Japan —— is resistant to varroa mites and employs a technique called the "hot defensive bee ball" to fight off hornets. Scientists say that genetic analysis of the Japanese honeybee could potentially be applied to its conservation and even to selective breeding of honeybees.