Research on honeybee nest-building conducted by Professor Koichi Osaki of the Faculty of Science and his team was featured in the "Buratto Lab" column of the Asahi Shimbun evening edition

Research on honeybee nest building (specifically the formation process of the honeycomb structure)—conducted by a group including Professor Koichi Osaki (Department of Mathematical Sciences, School of Science) and Associate Professor Takayuki Narumi of the University of Kitakyushu—was featured in the evening edition of the *Asahi Shimbun* on August 24, 2026 (Page 3, "Buratto Lab" column).

Titled "The Mystery of the Hexagonal Beehive," the article introduces a unique experiment in which honeybee nest building was observed using foundation sheets (bases) modified via 3D printing, as well as the progress of the joint research aimed at deciphering natural pattern formation through mathematical modeling.
The report details the significance and prospects of this research, which approaches—from both mathematical modeling and experimental perspectives—the mechanism by which honeybees flexibly adapt their construction methods based on the shape of the provided foundation, ultimately creating beautiful hexagonal nests.

[Publication Details]

• Publication: *Asahi Shimbun* Evening Edition (Tokyo Head Office edition, Page 3; distributed in the Kinki region, etc.)
• Date: August 24, 2026 (Monday)
• Column: Buratto Lab
• Headline: The Mystery of the Hexagonal Beehive

[Related Links]

• University Press Release: Honeybee Nests Are Not Built According to a Fixed Template—Developmental Pathways of Nest Building Vary with Foundation Shape and Size—
https://www.kwansei.ac.jp/news/06498.html

• Research Activity Information (News on Paper Publication): Professor Koichi Osaki (School of Science) Published in *Scientific Reports*
https://www.kwansei.ac.jp/research-activity/news/03093.html