A substantial share of the world’s materials research output comes from Asian countries, and the Asia-Pacific region is making rapidly increasing contributions to global scientific research. In response to these developments, the material science departments at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan (grouped together into the Global Center of Excellence (G-COE)), together with NPG Nature Asia-Pacific, the Asia-Pacific wing of Nature Publishing Group (NPG), publisher of Nature, the international science weekly, have launched this website NPG Asia Materials in preparation for establishing a new research journal devoted to materials research. http://www.natureasia.com/asia-materials/ Nature Publishing Group en © 2008 Tokyo Institute of Technology and NPG Nature Asia-Pacific 2010-03-15 00:00:00 http://www.natureasia.com/asia-materials/highlight.php?id=642 Dye-sensitized solar cells with carbon-based counter electrodes can achieve efficiency similar to solar cells containing expensive platinum-based electrodes at a fraction of the cost. 2010-03-15 00:00:00 http://www.natureasia.com/asia-materials/highlight.php?id=638 The interplay between carrier localization and magnetism in dilute magnetic semiconductors has been revealed. 2010-03-15 00:00:00 http://www.natureasia.com/asia-materials/highlight.php?id=640 An efficient process makes it possible to spin kilometer-long yarns of carbon nanotubes.