Type: International Document INT 97-8- Special Scientific Report #97-04

(February 12, 1997)

Exposure: Public NSF

Org: INT

Date: 3/3/97

Delete: 3/3//98

Replaces: None

The National Science Foundation\'s offices in Tokyo and in Paris
periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the
Foundation\'s mission. These documents present facts for the use of NSF
program managers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF
policy.

Special Scientific Report #97-04 (February 12, 1997)

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The following report was prepared by Dr. Machi F. Dilworth, Program
Director, Division of Integrative Biology and Neurosciences at NSF. In
November 1996, Dr. Dilworth began a 10-month fellowship at the
Laboratory for Regulation of Plant Functions, Institute of Physical and
Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-01, Japan. At
RIKEN, Dr. Dilworth is working jointly with Dr. Shigeo Yoshida. Dr.
Dilworth received an Science and Technology Agency (STA) Fellowship to
partially support her visit to Japan. Dr. Dilworth can be reached via
email at: mdilwort@nsf.gov OR mdilwort@postman.riken.go.jp.

**Visit to Kazusa DNA Research Institute**

On January 21, 1997, I visited the Kazusa DNA Research Institute (KDRI)
with Dr. Michel Caboche, a visiting scientist from France, who is
spending his sabbatical at RIKEN. Our visit was hosted by Dr. Satoshi
Tabata. Dr. Tabata is known for sequencing the *Synechocystis* genome
and is now the principal scientist for the *Arabidopsis* genome
sequencing effort at KDRI. KDRI participates in the multinational
*Arabidopsis* genome sequencing effort. Dr. Tabata is a member of its
coordinating committee.

**General Description of the Institute**

KDRI is situated in an area of 1,000 ha (2,470 acre) of wooded gentle
hills located about 1 hour by train from Tokyo. It was established as a
showcase for the Kazusa Academia Park, an ambitious 30 year plan
initiated in 1987 by Chiba Prefecture to develop a world-class science
and technology center. KDRI opened on October 26, 1994. It is built on a
19 ha (47 acre) site and is the only research institute within the
Kazusa Academia Park at the moment. An ultra modern conference facility
is about to open in an area adjacent to KDRI. The International tDNA
Workshop is scheduled to take place at the conference facility in May of
this year.

KDRI is managed by the Kazusa DNA Research Foundation, a
semi-governmental organization of the Chiba Prefectural government. KDRI
staff are therefore not employees of the Prefectural government,
although the entire funding for KDRI comes from the Prefectural
government. The KDRI building complex constructed at a cost of
approximately \$150M contains 16,500 square meters of floor space and
includes laboratories, offices, a library, seminar rooms, animal care
facilities, a well-equipped gym, a lounge, kitchen, lodging facilities
for visiting scientists and training course participants, and a visitor
center for the general public. It is a well designed building providing
a pleasant work environment. KDRI scientists were involved in designing
the labs, offices and common facilities.

The visitor center serves as an educational facility for the public. It
received 22,000 visitors (mostly primary and secondary school students)
in the two years since KDRI opened. One floor of the main laboratory
building is rented to Helix Research Institute which is a joint venture
between the Government (MITI and the Ministry of Posts and
Telecommunications) and 10 private companies. Helix Research Institute
is not related to KDRI.

**Research Activities:**

The stated purpose of KDRI is to conduct world-class research in the
area of genome science, with a long-term goal of contributing to the
advancement of science and creation of a new, high technology industry.
With 20 ABI machines in a single room devoted to large scale DNA
sequencing, KDRI is currently the largest sequencing lab in Japan. (KDRI
has an additional 4 ABIs located in individual labs.)

The annual budget of KDRI is approximately \$16 M including research
funding and operating costs. About 60 scientists and technicians
currently work in 6 research groups: (1) Laboratories of gene structure,
I and II, (2) Laboratory of gene function, (3) Laboratory of DNA
technology, (4) Laboratory of genome information, and (5) DNA sequencing
facility. Two additional laboratories of gene function will be
established within the next two years, at which point KDRI would be
considered fully staffed. Each research group consists of 5 scientists
and 2 technicians except that the laboratory for genome information
comprises 2 scientists and 5 technicians and that the sequencing
facility is managed by 2 scientists and 20 technicians. Some of the
scientists hold a joint appointment with the Chiba University Graduate
School, providing opportunities for graduate students to work at KDRI.
Space and facilities for visiting scientists and postdocs are also
available.

*Arabidopsis* genome sequencing: Currently, 70% of the KDRI\'s total
sequencing capacity is devoted to sequencing the *Arabidopsis* genome.
The sequencers run once a day and for five days a week. Using P1 library
as the substrate, the KDRI group focuses on the long arm of chromosome
5. In collaboration with the EU and the Cold Spring Harbor/WashU/ABI
consortium, they also are contributing to the effort to sequence the
short arm of chromosome 5. Currently, they are producing data at a rate
of 400 kb of finished sequence a month, and have sequenced 1.2 Mb of the
genome so far. The status report is on the web site
(***http://www.kazusa.or.jp/arabi/***). The report shows which clones
have been sequenced and are being sequenced. They have not released the
data yet because they have not finished annotating. They plan to begin
releasing the finished and annotated sequence data this spring. Dr.
Tabata said that if anyone wants to see unfinished sequence data, he
will share it. He has not received a single request for raw data thus
far. Dr. Tabata talked with Dr. Caboche about collaborating with the
French group on sequencing chromosome 3.

Other research activities: Approximately 20% of KDRI\'s sequencing
capabilities are devoted to sequencing human cDNAs. A group at Kazusa is
mapping 1,000 cDNA per year and sequencing 300 full length cDNAs a year.
Formally, they sequenced human cDNAs by picking random clones, however,
they now choose cDNAs to sequence based on their possible function or
tissue-origin. This project is not coordinated with any other human
genome project within or outside of Japan.

One gene function lab studies yeast cell cycle mutants in order to
identify genes involved in nuclear fusion. A new gene function lab being
planned will study the function of sequenced human cDNAs, and another
new gene function lab will study the function of sequenced *Arabidopsis*
genes.