Search forthe origin ofEarth and life

Search for the origin of Earth and life
EARTH-LIFE SCIENCE INSTITUTE (ELSI) at Tokyo Institute of Technology isa unique research institution gathering top-level researchers from the fields
of geoscience, life science, and planetary science to seek the origin of Earthand life

ELSI is a springboard for Tokyo Tech to becomea world class science and technology university
in the global arena
Tokyo Institute of Technology Yoshinao Mishima

President

What is the significance of ELSI for
Tokyo Institute of Technology?

As the top science and technology
university in Japan, Tokyo Tech has astrong history in the field of engineering. ELSI, which seeks to address thefundamental and very challenging
problem of the origin of Earth andlife, represents a springboard for Tokyo Tech to become a global leader inpure science in addition to appliedscience.
University Support for ELSI
We fully support ELSI’s activities andmanagement. We have committed tothe success of ELSI’s mission
through the support of its activities
and management. We provide professor positions using the dean’s discretionary funds and salaries for PIs

Open and stimulating international
research environment
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Earth-Life Science Institute

What is the goal of ELSI?

Though scientists are beginning tounderstand the joint nature of the
problems of origin of Earth and originof life, no other institution exists to
support this integrated conception ofEarth and life as inseparable. Our current goal is to understand the formation and evolution of the early Earthand the series of events leading to
the rise of life on Earth. This perspective is then being expanded to thequestion of life elsewhere in the universe.
Research atmosphere?

We have been very busy building ELSI’s research facilities and hiring staff
since our launch in 2012. The majority of our efforts have involved international recruitment and creation of astimulating and open research atmo-1

Kei Hirose
Director, Professor

sphere. Most of our young researchers are from abroad, and they interact
with other researchers in a truly international environment. This approachleads to a "phase transition" within
the organization, generating a friendly and active research environmentthat will help us to achieve our sharedscientific goals.
Relationship with Bioplanetology?

At the moment, we are focusing on
Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years
ago and the emergence of Earth-lifearound 4 billion years ago. By understanding the relationship between
this planet and its life, we will be in abetter position to address the question of life in other environments inthe universe.

(Principal Investigators) and administrators. We have created a dedicatedresearch facility for ELSI on the
Ookayama campus, and a new research building was constracted in2015. We are planning to improve accommodation and living support inorder to attract excellent researchers
from overseas.
Future expectations for ELSI?

We will accomplish our goal by bringing together the best researchers
from around the world. Our new
multi-disciplinary research approachis a breakthrough in Japanese academia, which is traditionally segregated into specialties. I expect the expansion of ELSI’s research principles
to be a great source of stimulation for
the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

WPI

World PremierInternational
Research Center

Science

The four pillarsof the World PremierInternational (WPI)
Research Center Initiative
Advancing leading edge research

ELSI was selected as a World Premier International(WPI) focus center commissioned by the Ministryof Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) in 2012. The aim of WPI is to build
within Japan globally visible research centers thatboast a very high research standard and outstanding research environment, which will attract frontline researchers from around the world. These centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing
them to revolutionize conventional modes of research operation and administration in Japan. The
program is underscored by four main concepts:
advancing leading edge research, establishing international research environments, reforming research organizations, and creating interdisciplinary
domains.

FusionCreating interdisciplinary domains

Globalization

Establishing international research environments

WPI Summary (Based on the programs selected in 2012)
Requirements of a WPI Research Center
WPI center staffing•10-20 world-class principal investigators (PI)•At least 30% of the researchers from abroad
International-standard working and living environments•Strong leadership by center director•Strong support for researchers•English as the primary working language
Securing additional resources that match or exceed the amount of the
project grantSupport Summary
Funding period

10 - 15 years

Project Funding Around ¥700 million per year per focus center

ReformReforming research organizations
2

Science

First pillar of WPI: Advancing leading edge research.
ELSI achieves unique results by setting up a clear research theme and roadmap.

Exploring the origins of the Earth-life system...and life in the universe
Formation of primordial
oceans and crust

A Origin of the Earth
Giant Impact

Magma Ocean

The birth of the solar system

The solar system was formed following gravitational collapseof a disk of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago. It is believed that
the Moon was formed in the aftermath of a giant impact between the Earth and another proto-planet. The Earth was extensively molten (magma ocean) but rapidly cooled to form theearly atmosphere, ocean, and surface environment.

Approx. 4.6 – 4.5 billion years ago

ELSI Research Approach
ELSI is seeking answers in the following key areas.
1: Identify the key stages in the formation of Earth, byanswering questions such as how the Earth emerged in
the early solar system, the composition and internal stateof the early planet, and how water was delivered to the
Earth.
2: Seek the origin of life as the emergence of a newgeological system, accounting for the interactions between oceans, atmosphere, and solid Earth that are key
ingredients for early chemical evolution.
3: Investigate the co-evolution of the Earth-life system.
For example, how did life modify its environment, such as
the production of an oxygen atmosphere? What are theinfluences and feedbacks between the solid Earth andsurface environment? What is the importance of extra-terrestrial events in the Earth-life system?
4: Use the foundation of Earth-life science as a springboard to identify habitable environments in the universe,
and thereby establish a new dialogue for studies of theorigin of universal life.
ELSI brings together researchers from a broad spectrum of fields to address these questions as a multi-disciplinary effort.

3

Approx. 4 billion years ago

B Origin of the Earth-Life System
Birthplace of life

N

O

N

HO

C

O

O

P

OH
OH

Chemical Evolution(Organic molecule formation)

O

H

WPI

C

World PremierInternational
Research CenterCo-evolution of the Earth-Life system

Snowball Earth

Plate Tectonics

Present EarthD
Formation of the coreand mantle

Approx. 0.8 – 0.6 billion years ago

The evolution of Earth and life are intimately
linked. Examples of co-evolution of the Earth-lifesystem include: The emergence of a magnetic
field from the core along with magnetic minerals
in biological organisms, the rise of oxygen in theatmosphere due to the advent of photosynthesis,
the formation and migration of continents driven
by mantle convection creating bridges between
life from different environments, and periods ofclimactic instability such as snowball Earth thatexerted a strong evolutionary pressure on life.

Approx. 0.2 billion years ago

Present

PeptidePrimitive life

Primitive RNA

Habitable planets inthe universe
Bioplanetology?
Recent astronomical observations have revealed a large
variety of planets in the universe, some of which may
exhibit conditions similar to
the Earth. Understanding how
life emerged on the Earth will
guide our approach to identifying potential habitable environments on these planetsand elsewhere in the universe.

Primitive cell
membraneLife on Earth emerged early in our planet ’s history.
Though the precise processes that led to the rise oflife remain unknown, we believe that prebiotic organic
materials interacted with minerals, eventually forming
more complex molecules such as peptide, primitive
RNA, and eventually cell membranes allowing the encapsulation of processes critical to sustaining life.

4Roadmaps from the present to the future

Research fields

Problems

Bottom-up approach

Deep Earth Science

1 Earth s Building Blocks

Planet Formation Theory

2 Early Crust, Mantle, and Core
Top-down approach

Geology Geochemistry
Extraterrestrial Observation
Geomicrobiology Physiology
Genome Environment Database
Bottom-up approach

3 Initial Ocean and Atmosphere
4 Co-evolution of Earth-Life System
5 Geographical Supply of Prebiotic Molecules
6 Proto-metabolism System

Prebiotic Chemistry
Synthetic Biology

7 Proto-cell System

Complex Systems Science

Road Map

Establishing a roadmap for ELSI s success as a WPI instituteMoving from disciplines to common questions
Building a new multi-disciplinary institute with ambitious
scientific goals presents exciting challenges and necessitates careful planning and consideration of a “road map”
for the future.
The current version of ELSI’s road map shows an initialmigration from established scientific disciplines toward
the first goal of addressing common scientific questions
together as a collaboration. Although much progress has
already been made in understanding Earth and life from a
specialized approach, the questions that ELSI seeks to address are too big and complex to be encapsulated by any
particular field. Thus an important first step forward as an
institute is to re-focus on key problems where a variety of
disciplinary perspectives may combine to produce new

5ideas and approaches that will help illuminate ELSI’s future road map. This makes ELSI unique and very different
from a traditional Japanese academic unit consisting of
independent and unrelated research teams. ELSI members perceive their roles at the institute in the context ofthe common scientific questions they are addressing with
their colleagues, rather than simply as practitioners of aparticular tool or methodology, or as members of a single
research group or lab controlled by a single Professor.
Funding from WPI and support from Tokyo Tech give ELSI’s management the flexibility it needs to hire researchstaff in a way that helps to achieve our goal of scientificfusion.

WPI

Mid-goal

World PremierInternational
Research Center

Long-term target

Earth formation theory
ELSI is exploiting the productive fusion between thefields of planetary formation theory and Earth structure, composition, and evolution. Many new ideas,
models, and questions are being produced by thiseffort.

Modeling the early
Earth environment
Following Earth’s formation, differentiation into a
core, mantle, and atmosphere, the oceans were condensed and a surface environment was establishedthat was capable of both producing and sustaining
life. ELSI is combining approaches from geology,
geochemistry, and planetary science to characterize
the essential components of living systems.

Origin of life
scenarios
One of our goals is to map scenarios forthe origin of life on the Earth, and to begin
modeling and testing their relationship.
This combines perspectives from fields
ranging from chemical evolution, biochemical synthesis, and complex systems science.

Road Map

Characterizationof habitableenvironmentsin the universe
By understanding the key eventsin the Earth’s formation, early
evolution, and origin of Earthlife, we will be in a better position to understand the possibility of similar kinds of life
elsewhere in the universe. Establishment of a unified systems science theory encompassing all of the key processes
through deep space and time is
ELSI’s most ambitious goal.

An integrated approach using top-down (from the present to the past) andbottom-up (from the past to the present) methods

There are many established disciplinary research approaches that are presently contributing to ELSI’s science,some of which are listed below. These fields use many
approaches, such as "bottom-up" which uses theoretical
Deep Earth Science
Determination of the chemical composition and evolution of Earth’s interior using theory, observations, andexperiments.
Planet Formation Theory
Theoretical and observational workon the formation of planets from aprimitive disk of gas and dust.
Geology Geochemistry
Examination of the historical rock andchemical isotopic records to illumi-

models to predict the course of events in the early solar
system, or "top-down" which seeks to determine early
conditions by looking at fossils and other relics that can beobserved today.

nate the early Earth environment.
Extraterrestrial Observation
Astronomical observation and characterization of exoplanetary systems.
Geomicrobiology Physiology
Understanding life on early Earth bystudying present life in extreme environments.
Genome Environment Database
Collect and analyze genome and environment data to understand earlylife.

Prebiotic Chemistry
Formation of complex biomoleculesfrom abiotic chemical processes.
Synthetic Biology
Experiments and models of life-likemolecular systems.
Complex Systems Science
Modeling of complex phenomena
such as life from a general theoreticalsystems approach.

6Key questions as rallying
points to understand theorigin of Earth and life.

Our mission, to understand the origin of Earth and life, isvery challenging and exciting. In order to succeed, we believe it is necessary to bring together perspectives from avariety of different research fields and approaches. At thepresent, ELSI researchers are uniting around common key
questions regarding the origin of Earth and life.

Seven Problems
1. Earth s Building Blocks

What is the composition of the initial Earth, and how has
it been distributed over time?

2. Early Crust, Mantle, and Core

What was the state of the early core, mantle, and crust?

3. Initial Ocean and Atmosphere

What was the state of the early ocean and atmosphere,
and how did it evolve with time?

4. Co-evolution of Earth-life System

How did Earth and life influence one another over time?

5. Geological Supply of Prebiotic Molecules

What were the key geological environments for minerals
and abiotic organic matter to combine into complex
biological molecules?

6. Proto-metabolism System

What are the essential components of the earliest metabolic processes on Earth?

7. Proto-cell System

How did early cellular life come to exist, and what are its
essential components?

1 Earth s Building Blocks
Goals
1) Measurement and calculation of density and soundvelocity of lower mantle/subducted crustal materials at relevant P-T in order to test whether the lower
mantle is chemically identical to the upper mantle.
2) Constraint of core composition from properties of liquid Fe alloys• Measurement and calculation of density andsound velocity of liquid Fe alloy at core P-T• Creation of phase diagrams relevant to innercore crystallization• Test feasibility of alloy compositions
3) Estimation of core composition from formation scenarios4) Model Earth composition from planet formation theory

Understanding the composition, constitution, and dynamics of the present Earth’s
interior is vital to address its
origin and evolution. ELSI researchers study these subjects using state-of-the-art
technologies of high-pressure experiments, synchro-tron radiation, ab initio computations, and geophysicalmodeling. ELSI researchers
are currently addressing thecomposition of the bulk
Earth, by focusing particularattention on the uncertain
composition of the lower
mantle and core.

The world’s largest multi-anvil apparatus andpolycrystalline diamond installed at the Ehime
University satellite.

The enlarged view of diamond anvil cell (DAC)The DAC can simulate extremely high pressuresand temperatures up to the center of the Earth.

7

WPI

World PremierInternational
Research Center

2 Early Crust, Mantle, and Core
Goals
1) Initial conditions: Crystallization and outgassing of molten Earth following a giant impact,
production of early crust and atmosphere.
2) Hadean tectonics: Model connections between Earth s interior and surface environment, and dependence upon tectonic styles
and rates.
3) Hadean deep Earth: Age of geomagnetic field,
thermal evolution, formation and preservation of geochemical reservoirs, and connection to present Earth structure

In order to understand theearly Earth as the birthplaceof living systems, it is essential to consider the geologicalprocesses that influenced
the surface environment.
Researchers from Deep
Earth Science , Planet Formation Theory , and Geology and Geochemistry aredeveloping the next generation of models of the forma-

Initial differentiation of molten mantle and core

Earth was substantially melted
during formation but then cooled.
What clues are left behind following these events?

tion and subsequent evolution of early Earth that areconsistent with the presentinternal structure and chemical composition.
They are using high P-Texperiments, seismologicalimaging, and a combinationof mathematical and numerical models that integrate
geological and geochemical
observations.

Crystallization of magma ocean(s)Subsequent evolution

Possible relics of the early Earth

3 Initial Ocean and AtmosphereGoals1) Total amount of Earth s water and its distribution mechanism• Water in the present lower mantle and core
• Partitioning between interior and surface
2) Origin of water on Earth and in the solar system• Supply mechanism of water on Earth• Understanding of water in the solar system
3) Chemical compositions of initial atmosphereand ocean• Redox condition of atmosphere (H 2 /CH 4 /CO/CO 2)
• pH, alkalinity, and heavy metals of early ocean

Planet Formation

It is believed that the chemicalcomposition of the initial Earthocean and atmospherefluctuated dynamically as aresult of exterior influences.

Giant Impacts

We are trying to understandthe origin and total amountof Earth’s water and chemical compositions in the very
early atmosphere and ocean,which can give us information about the environment
where life emerged on Earth.
Collaboration among ELSI
members from different

Early Evolution

fields, such as planetary science, geochemistry, andgeophysics is the key to addressing these problems.
We are constructing generalmodels of planet formationand early Earth evolution
with particular attention directed towards the behaviorof volatile elements.

Hadean EarthAsteroid/
comet bombardment

Moon

SeawatersplashSalinity

Hydrogen in the core

Ocean

8

4 Co-evolution of the Earth-Life System
Goals1) Determine initial/minimal conditions for the
emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis
2) Decoding the chemistry of the early atmosphere and ocean• Speciation / metal concentration / redox state / pH
• Redox evolution through S cycling and H cycling(H-escape)3) Reconstructing the history of metabolic evolution between LUCA and oxygenic photosynthesis: Systematic microbiology
4) Developing new isotopic proxies for testing(2) and (3) (e.g., intramolecular signatures)
5) Coupling to thermo-chemical evolution ofsolid Earth (crust, mantle, and core) and therole of volcanic outgassing, hydrothermal circulation, magnetic field, etc.

Redox evolution is a key tounderstand early evolution of
the biosphere as well as theorigin of life.
We are trying to understand how the chemistry of
the ocean and atmospherechanged through the combination of biological andgeological co-evolutionary
processes through interdis-

ciplinary research based on
geomicrobiology, evolutionary
biology, genome analysis, geology and geochemistry.
ELSI researchers are now
developing new biogeochemical tracers for the chemistryof the early atmosphere andocean, as well as trying to create proto-cyanobacteria artificially in the laboratory.

Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer

5 Geological Supply of Prebiotic Molecules
Goals
1) Reductive environment• Ammonia: Haber-Bosch reaction in low-temp.
condition w/ cement catalyst• Amino acids and nucleobases: Miller-Urey experiments w/ minerals and light2) Oxidative environment• Ribose: Formose reaction w/ borate• Acetate: CO 2 Methanethiol Acetate
3) Phosphates: Phosphate mineral reaction with
H2O4) Proto-metabolic roles played by minerals andlight:• AFM/STM/TDS/NSOM measurements of Organics-Surface-Light interactions
Challenging goals
5) Abiotic synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate)• Reactions driven jointly by the influence of minerals and light6) Oligonucleotides and oligopeptides• Nucleotides and amino acids oligomerized onmineral surface with light7) Computer simulation for exploring potential
pathways• Development of computational algorithms andmodels9

Provided with up-to-dateknowledge of plausible conditions on the early Earth, we
focus on a question: How could
the geological environments
supply simpler inorganic andorganic compounds, leading to
the building blocks of life? We
try to reproduce continuous
chemical evolution in a consis-

Top: Flow type hydrothermal
reactorRight: Miller-Urey discharge
experimenttent set of environmental conditions, where minerals may
be of particular importance incatalyzing various reactions.
We have designed an integrated experimental system to realize multistep chemical evolution, starting from the simple
chemicals and minerals available on the early Earth.

6 Proto-metabolism System
Goals1) Reproduce previous experiments and beyond• CO 2 CH 3 SH
• CH 3 SH CH 3 COOH
• CH 3 COOH Pyruvate• Catalytic efficiencies of His and Cys in the TCA
cycle2) Demonstration of non-enzymatic metabolism
core from C2 to C 5• Acetate Pyruvate• Pyruvate Oxaloacetate• Oxaloacetate Malate• Malate Fumarate• Fumarate Succinate• Succinate-ketoglutarate
3) Production of biological building blocks• Pyruvate Ala and ribose• Oxaloacetate
Asp
Amino acids and pyrimidines• Succinate pyrroles• -ketoglutarate (C 5) Glu Amino acids

We attempt to understandhow the Earth has systematically produced building blocksof life through geochemical
processes. To understand thegeochemical system in the Hadean Earth, we have performed laboratory experiments

of prebiotic synthesis and analyzed the results from theviewpoint of systems chemistry. Particularly, we closely collaborate with geologists andgeochemists and focus on
specific environmental conditions on the Hadean Earth.

Proto metabolism experiment using ultra-violet rays

7 Proto-cell System
Goals
Experimental investigation of the possibility for
proto-cell emergence
1) Reaction of proto-cell• Gene replication by proto-cell• Growth of lipid bilayer vesicle2) Gene replication before enzyme generation• Primitive replication of RNA
3) Genetic code protecting proto-cell

To make the studies on theorigin of life more solid andconcrete, it is essential to experimentally establish proto-cell models that allow researchers to test scenarios
on how primordial cellular
life originated.
In the studies of the proto-cell through a constructive
approach using biomoleculesand computational analysis

of genome information, ELSI
researchers use a combination of synthetic and evolutionary biology to construct
the proto-cell.
ELSI researchers are in
the midst of experimentallydeveloping simple cell models with metabolic reactions,gene replication, gene expression, and evolution.

Division
FusionMaterials
Cellular multiplication
cycle

Self-replication

10

Recent research results and highlights
Research
Topic

Prebiotic hydrocarbon synthesis in the early Earth

The origin of methane
contained in unique hot springs
The ELSI research group of Prof.
Naohiro Yoshida, Prof. Shigenori
Maruyama, Prof. Ken Kurokawa, and
A. Prof. Yuichiro Ueno, in January
2014, discovered that the hot-springwater in the Hakuba area of Nagano
prefecture contained inorganically
produced methane gas after continuous research from 2010, which was asignificant achievement in addressing the mechanism of life’s emergence in the early Earth.
This hot-spring water reveals a

Hakuba Village in Nagano

Research
Topic

Hydro carbon reaction occurs withthe low temperature of 50 deg. inserpentinite hot springs, althoughpreviously the reaction betweenhydrogen and carbon dioxide wasconsidered impossible at temperature of over 100 deg. in a hot springwith a high density of hydrogen.

H2O, CO2

Hot spring0

Serpentine
H2
CH4

C2H6
C3H8

50

C4H10

Compound reaction
Compoundreaction
H2 CH4

H2O
CO2

Serpentinite

1km

high density of alkaline and H 2 causedby reaction with a unique rock called
serpentinite, which was very abundant during the early Earth before
life’s emergence.
The discovery of hydrocarbons,
which are necessary to create life,
generated by the inorganic chemical
reaction suggest a source of organic
compounds leading to the emergence of life.
This project is managed by Prof.
Ken Kurokawa of ELSI and was selected to receive a Grant-in-Aid for
Scientific Research in Innovative Ar-

eas in 2014. This new research field
program focuses on the Hadean ,the first 600 million years of Earth’s
history. Its purpose is to analyze
when, where, and how life emerged
through combining Earth and planetary sciences, biological science, andorganic chemistry.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2014, Vol. 386 pp. 112-125.
DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.11.001

Earth s deep interior may contain up to 80 oceans of water

Relation to the melting temperature of the deep mantle
and core
In January 2014, Dr. Ryuichi Nomura;
ELSI research scientist, (a former
Ph.D student from the Science Engineering Department at Tokyo Institute of Technology) and Prof. Kei Hirose carried out a research incollaboration with Japan Synchrotron
Radiation Research Institute (JASRI),
Kyoto University, and Japan Agency
for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and found that
there was a large amount of hydrogen in the Earth’s core.
At 2900 km depth inside theEarth, the solid rocky mantle meetsthe liquid iron core. The melting temperature of the mantle provides a limit on the temperature of the core.
The inner core is solid, and its own
melting temperature depends on theconcentration of alloys present in theliquid outer core. Therefore the melting temperature of the mantle can

11Hydrocarbon s composition
schema on surface of serpentinite

provide constraints upon the composition of the core.
Nomura and his team placed samples in a diamond anvil cell to simulate pressures at the core-mantle
boundary, and used a large synchrotron radiation facility (SPring-8) to detect the presence of melting. Theirsamples were melting at around3600K, at least 400K cooler than previous estimates. Such cool mantle
temperatures imply that the innercore solidifies at much lower temperatures than previously thought,

and is only possible if the core contains a significant amount of hydrogen. This amount of hydrogen could
have been taken into the core during
Earth’s formation, and implies thatthe material that formed the Earthalso contained a lot of water.
Science 31 January 2014: Vol. 343
no. 6170 pp. 522-525
DOI: 10.1126/science.1248186

A above melting point

B beneath melting point

7
A keV
above melting point

7 keV
B
beneath melting point

7 keV

7 keV

8 keV

8 keV

Heating region

8 keV

8 keV

Heating region

Melt
Melt

X-ray CT Image
from the sample obtained
after the high P-T experiment.
The unique structure was observed successfully by the combination of high P-T generation
technology and high-resolution
Microtomography (CT) technology utilizing high-luminance X-ray
from the large synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 .

WPI

FusionWorld PremierInternational
Reseach Center

Second requirement of WPI: Creating interdisciplinary domains.
ELSI employs various approaches toward promotion of interdisciplinary research.

Multi-layered communication
between researchers
193 people visited ELSI in 2016

Regular events to catalyze interactions

In order to address the origin of the Earth and life , interdisciplinary communication is necessary. Therefore, we
are introducing a multi-layered research and communication structure.
For example, we held an international symposium, 42
workshops and seminars in 2016 and invited a total of 193
researchers from abroad to our facilities in Tokyo.
We encouraged these guest researchers to present at
the ELSI seminar and during lunch, discuss about researchstatus and future collaboration, and participate fully in our
open discussion environment.

ELSI PI Piet Hut has had great success in establishing aninterdisciplinary research program at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Following Professor Hut ’s advice, ELSI established regular events that increase interactions and encourage researchers from a
broad range of fields to engage in dialogues on common
questions. These events also seek to remove language
barriers and increase cross-cultural understanding.
ELSI Assembly
ELSI Seminar
Lunch Talk
Coffee BreakIZAKAYA ELSI

We hold proactive discussions

Cross-disciplinary discussion and training
sessions led by ELSI researchers
Occasional seminar series in which ourguests present talks on their studies
Research topics presentation and introductionof different research fields twice a week
Coffee break in communication room at 3pm
every dayHappy hour on Friday nights. We enjoy
International hors d'oeuvres

IZAKAYA ELSI

Director’s fund forinterdisciplinary research

EON: The ELSI Origins Network

Seed funding to spur synthesis

Making ELSI a global hub for research on the Origin of LifeThe Director s fund provides an opportunity for young researchers to nurture an idea, and is only available for genuinely multi-disciplinary research. Seed funding for projects ranges from 0.1 to 4 million yen.

ELSI’s unique approach to the origin of life as part ofEarth’s planetary maturation requires a fusion of the leading concepts from biological and physical sciences. To tap
the best ideas in the world community and bring them towork together, we have formed the ELSI Origins Network(EON). EON will create a web of affiliated centers worldwide, with ELSI as the hub. It will support visiting researchers, jointly-hosted postdoctoral fellows, and workshops, and will provide seed grants for path-breaking
research on fundamental problems in the origin of life.

Proposer

Co-investigators

Fujishima

MamajanovLasbleis

Brasser

McGlynn

Bio-Unit and EON
researchers

Mochizuki

Gilbert, Hongo

Virgo

Aono, Chandru,
Cleaves, Mamajanov,
RuiqinProject Title
Liquid CO 2 - seawater reactor: abiotic polymer formationin Hadean ocean
Expected magnetic field strengthof rocky exoplanets
Infrastructure for Anaerobic Microbiology
Investigating DNA analogues
in modern thermophilic organisms: challenge for the
RNA-DNA world transition
High -Throughput Robotics
for the Exploration of Prebiotic Chemistry(FY 2016)

12

Globalization

Third requirement of WPI: Establishing international research environments.
At ELSI we have established a truly international research environment.

Over 40% of researchers are nonJapanese

Proactive recruiting of
foreign researchers

Cultural and gender diversity

Over 90% of applicants are from outside Japan

As of April 2017, the total number of ELSI researchers is
82: [15 PIs (Principal Investigators), 4 APIs (Associate Principal Investigators), 8 Affiliated Faculties, and 45 Research
Scientists]. 31 are non-Japanese researchers (43%) and
14 are female researchers (19%).
We perform international searches in order to attract
the very best researchers from around the world.

ELSI Director Kei Hirose assigned Vice Director John
Hernlund as the head of international recruitment, with a
specific target to implement international recruiting methods and find the brightest young researchers from aroundthe globe. Using an unprecedented advertising campaign
targeting international science journals (e.g., Science, Nature), job listing services overseas, ELSI booths at international conferences, and the professional networks of existing ELSI members, Hernlund has transformed the way
hiring has traditionally been conducted at Tokyo Tech. Currently, more than 90% of applicants to the ELSI Research
Scientist positions is from outside Japan.

Researchers
PIs
APIs
Affiliated Faculties
Research Scientists
Total

Total non-Japanese
15
8 53%
4
1 25%
8
0 45
21 45%
72
31（43%）

Female1 7%
1 25%
0 12 27%
14（19%）

As of April, 2017

Invitation of Nobel laureate
Nobel laureate Jack W. Szostak, director of the Origins ofLife Initiative at Harvard University, is one of ELSI’s foreign
PIs. Professor Szostak is widely respected in the field of synthetic biology, and members of the Szostak team regularly
travel between ELSI and Harvard to perform collaborative
research. Szostak
has contributed to
ELSI workshops
and gave public
lectures at Tokyo
Tech in support of
ELSI’s outreachefforts.

Jack Szostak, PI

International Summer School
In August 2014, ELSI held its very first summer
school. Its purpose was to provide practical education
about mathematical models of planet formation andearly Earth evolution using numerical simulations on
ELSI’s super-computers. A total of 24 young researchers attended the school, and ELSI staff managed thetransportation, accommodation, and other local needsof attendees.
In 2018 January a similar program is planned as thefirst ELSI/EON Winter School.

August 2nd - Saturday
9:30

Breakfast in ELSI communication room

10:00 - 11:00

Oral session: two 20 minute talks with 10 minute discussion

11:00 - 11:15

Coffee break

11:15 - 12:15

Oral session: two 20 minute talks with 10 minute discussion

12:15 - 13:15

Lunch Break

13:15 - 14:00

Oral session: one 20 minute talk with 10 minute discussion

14:00 - 14:15

Coffee break

14:15 - 17:15

First tutorial session

17:15 - 18:00

Gather and debrief

18:00

Dinner Break

August 3rd - Sunday

13

9:30

Light breakfast in ELSI communication room

10:00 - 13:00

Second tutorial session

13:00 - 13:30

Gather and final discussions

13:30

End

14:00

Bus leaves for Shonan Village

WPI

ReformWorld PremierInternational
Research Center

Fourth Requirement of WPI: Reforming research organizations.
ELSI takes a unique approach toward innovation of research administration.

Top-down and independent organization
The director s strong leadership
ELSI is a highly independent research facility unlike otherconventional university organization structures. Under theleadership of Hirose, the ways ELSI determines research
themes, recruits researchers, and organizes management
rules are unique and exceptional.
The annual evaluation process takes place in January,
in which all the ELSI researchers submit the Research Activity Sheet describing their research and other activities.
A mentor had been assigned to each API or Research Scientist and prepares the evaluation report. PIs are evaluated by the Director's Office. The evaluation results are informed to the researchers to assist their next steps inresearch. The Research Scientists may get ELSI Incentive
Awards, which include contract extension to 3+2 years,
salary increase, and additional research budget.

Communication room on the 1st floor of the ELSI building

Thorough information sharing during
ALL ELSI Meeting

ELSI Incentive Awards 2016 Testimonial

The director holds the monthly ALL ELSI meeting requiring
all (from researchers to administrative divisions) to attend.
This meeting is a monthly opportunity for the director toprovide all up-to-date information. ELSI welcomes all PIs
from overseas to attend this monthly meeting remotely.
The director also holds a monthly meeting with the
purpose of intimate discussion with the president andvice presidents of Tokyo Institute of Technology about
various issues, such as the budget, human resources,
and so on.

One-stop service for research focused environment
Providing services unavailable fromusual administrative divisions
ELSI provides a friendly one-stop support, much improved
compared to those provided from usual university administrative divisions, in order to maintain an environment
where our mainly non-Japanese researchers can focus on
their research.
For example, our two research administrators support
the grant application process. Our life-support staff assists the visa acquisition process, family and child care,and overall daily life. In 2017 April a child care facility "Tech
Tech Nursery" was opened within the campus. These considerate supports greatly contribute to the recruiting of
foreign researchers.

Japanese language class a part of living support

14

N etwork

Close cooperation with four satellites
ELSI gathers researchers from all over the world,
has close relationships with the four satellites inside and outside Japan,
and spreads its research network globally.

4

1
1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1
1
1

1

Geodynamics Research Center (GRC),
Ehime University

Department of Earth and Planetary
Science, the University of Tokyo

We study the dynamics of the interior of the Earthbased on computer simulations and experiments.
The Geodynamics Research Center (GRC) was
founded in April 2001 as an advanced research
center of Ehime University for studies of thestructure, constitution, and dynamics of the
Earth s deep interior, connecting Science and Engineering fields.

The relationship with ELSIGRC research on the interior of the Earth is at theforefront of its field. Ten researchers, including
Professor Tetsuo Irifune, GRC director and ELSI
PI, maintain the satellite.
ELSI and GRC work together to recruit young
researchers utilizing the researchers network
TANDEM (The Asian Network in Deep Earth Mineralogy) initiated and maintained by Professor Irifune and his team in west Japan.

15

The Department ofEarth and Planetary Science (EPS) of the University of Tokyo covers
wide research fields;
Earth's interior, ocean,
atmosphere, and biosphere, Earth as a planet and researches on
Solar-Systembodies,and space science. The
EPS department consists of about 50 research staff and is one of the most prominent research groups in Japan's geophysics.

The relationship with ELSIELSI and EPS of the University of Tokyo will conduct joint researches on the formation and evolution of Solar-System planets and satellites, habitability on the planets, and geology,
geochemistry, and life on early Earth. The ELSI director Hirose
is cross-appointed to the University of Tokyo from FY2017 andwill spend 20% of his time as University of Tokyo professor
and take leadership of the ELSI satellite at the EPS department of the University of Tokyo.

Many cooperating facilities andaffiliates

The number of

1 foreign researchers

ELSI has built relationships with cooperating and affiliatedfacilities by inviting PIs and sharing opinions with researchers from inside and outside Japan. This has led to major
projects of importance to ELSI. Proactive co-research, relationships, and communication are extremely importantfor ELSI to function as a research hub.

Researcher ’s Origin* As of April, 201713

Interdisciplinary Studies Program, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
A private and independent academic institution hosting 33 brilliant scholars and Nobel laureates, including
Albert Einstein and John von Neumann, has flour
ished since its launch in 1930.
The institute specializes in four studies: Historical
Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social
Science.
Each year, approximately thirty eminent academics
work with two hundred members from research institutions throughout the world. One program that weare particularly proud of is the Interdisciplinary Studies
Program led by ELSI PI Piet Hut.

The relationship with ELSIWith Professor Piet Hut, the director of the Interdisciplinary Program and an authority in thefield of astrophysics, ELSI and the satellite directors aim to improve interdisciplinary re-search.
Piet Hut is also the Principal Investigator of
the ELSI Origins Network (EON), which waslaunched in July 2015.

Origins of Life Initiative, Harvard University
The Origins of Life Initiative is an interdisciplinary program that was initiated in 2007. The joint effort ismade up of scientists representing five distinct areas:
Earth and Planetary Sciences, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, andAstronomy.
The initiative has grown to over 50 members who
are dispersed across the university s main campus in
Cambridge and Boston.

The relationship with ELSIProfessor Jack Szostak, recognized worldwide as an authority on Synthetic Biology, has
joined ELSI. This satellite studies the origin oflife based on the environmental findings ofearly Earth provided by ELSI.

This satellite also promotes mutual communication between young researchers. The workshop Origins of Life Chemistry Workshop washeld in March 2014, and following its successful
outcome it was held again in February 2015.

16

Facilities

World top-level research environments
In addition to the ELSI-2 building that was a renovated existing building,a new building, ELSI-1, was completed in 2015.
With these two neighboring buildings and advanced research facilities,
ELSI's research activity will be accelerated further.

Newly-designed research building ELSI-1
Utilizing a supplementary budget
from MEXT, the long-awaited research building ELSI-1 was built in2015 in the Ookayama campus. The
building was designed under the concept of "harmony between Japaneseand western styles", paying attention
to a good balance in research andcommunication spaces.
The basement houses an electron
microscope room, focusing ion beamroom, high-pressure experiment lab,geochemistry experiment lab, andchemical evolution lab.
The entrance on the 1st floor features an open information-sharing
space called "the Gallery", and a lecture hall that can hold over one hundred people.
The 2nd and 3rd floors will include
compact and functional researchrooms for ELSI researchers and extended-stay guest researchers.
The open-ceiling communication
room on the 2nd floor, called the Agora, can be used by many researchers to participate in interdisciplinary
communication.

Interior of ELSI-1
Big and open common area (the Agora), the Lecture Hall, and compact and functional labs.

3F

Lab, Director's office, Secretary's office, etc.

2F

Lab, Seminar room(s),Communication room (the Agora)

1F

Information - sharing area (the Gallery),Foyer and Lecture room

G1 Electron microscope lab, focusing ion beam lab,high-pressure experiment lab, rock processing lab,mineral separation lab, sample preparation room,
geochemistry experiment lab, chemical evolution lab,
explosion-proof lab, antimagnetic room, andequipment room.

ELSI’sInterdisciplinary
research facility
ELSI’s research facilities aredesigned to accommodate awide variety of research methods and tools.

17

Cray XC30 ™ Super Computer

Diamond anvil cell

ELSI’s super-computing facilities include
a Cray XC30 using Intel Xeon processors
with a total of 960 cores. We have computing power sufficient to simulate many
phenomena.

This device uses laser-heating and the immense pressures generated by forcing
the tips of two diamond crystals together
to simulate conditions deep inside theEarth, and is a key tool for understanding
Earth’s structure composition.

Exterior of ELSI-1

ELSI has two buildings
to accommodate our growing institute
ELSI researchers have been utilizing
ELSI-2, an existing building of 2,670
renovated for ELSI in 2012.
The 1st floor includes a large communication room (called the Lounge)with continent-shaped tables, a giant
blackboard, and a refreshment area.
Researchers utilize this space formeetings and communication.
ELSI-2 still hosts part of the labs
and admin office after the new ELSI1 building was opened, allowing ELSI
to expand and organize its space
more efficiently.

Left: ELSI-2 communication room (the Lounge)
Top: Meeting room with
Kotatsu table by thecommunication room

Next generation sequencer (NGS)

Batch-type high P-T Reactor

Research rock libraryThis device analyzes genomes using a
massive parallel sequencer, enabling
ELSI researchers to perform biological experiments with unprecedented speed
and flexibility.

This device reproduces a high P-T environment of up to 600 ATM/600 degC /,which can be utilized to investigate howorganic compounds, the elements of life,
are synthesized and to simulate conditions in primitive oceans.

The Museum of Evolving Earth at Tokyo
Tech stores 170,000 sample rocks andinformation collected from locations allover the world. Samples in this collection
provide a record from 2.8 to 4.0 billion
years ago.

18

Organization

Strong leadership and thoroughinformation sharing
ELSI has independently established an original organizational
structure tailored to its unique needs, which operates efficiently andtransparently in order to nurture the best possible research environment.

Tokyo
Institute ofTechnology

Operations
Committee

Director s
OfficeAdministrative
Division

Director
Kei Hirose
Computer& Network
OfficeInternational
Advisory
Board
Secretaries
OfficePublicRelations
Office* As of April, 2017

Research Members

Principal Investigator(Director)

Principal Investigator(Vice Director)

Principal Investigator(Vice Director)

Principal Investigator(Councilor)

Principal Investigator

Kei Hirose

Shigeru Ida

John Hernlund Piet Hut

High-pressure
geoscience

Planet formation

Geophysicalmodeling

Astrophysics

Solid Earthgeophysics

Principal Investigator

George Helffrich

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

Principal Investigator

19

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Ryuhei Nakamura Eric Smith

Jack Szostak

Yuichiro Ueno

Naohiro Yoshida

Electrochemistry

Biochemistry

Biogeochemistry

Environmental
geochemistry

Complex systems

The director, vice directors, administrative direc-

Director s tor, and assistants to the director are responsible
for making decisions at ELSI. The director holds
Officethe ultimate responsibility related to ELSI's structure and management as a leading global research facility.

International
Advisory
Board

Secretaries
OfficeThe International Advisory Board provides valuable strategic advice to ELSI on a regular basis.
The current members are Masuo Aizawa (Chair),Robert Hazen, Douglas Lin, Carl Pilcher, andFrances Westall.

The director, vice directors, administrative director, and other members hold monthly Operations
Operations
Committee Committee and give advice to the director regarding campus-wide arrangements, setting up andrevising various regulations, improvement in research environment, and human resources issues. In order to implement a smooth operationof the institute, the Operations Committee is attended by the chiefs of administration, secretary,
and PR offices as observers.

We have a dedicated secretary ’s office whose
staff support the research activities of ELSI
members, such as travel, purchases, and otheradministrative tasks.

PublicRelations
OfficeThe PR office helps promote ELSI to the public
and assists in outreach activities. They also host
events such as public lectures and maintainbooths at international conferences.

Administrative
Division
Administrative
Director
Takashi Sakurai

Computer& Network
Office
The administrative director and vice director oversee matters between the university and ELSI,
such as employment contracts, financial affairs,
and safety management. The administrative
team also provides support for foreign researchers living in Japan.
ELSI’s technical staff maintains a top-level information technology infrastructure in support of a
research-focused environment.

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Tetsuo Irifune

Joseph Kirschvink

Irena Mamajanov Shigenori Maruyama Shawn McGlynn

Solid Earth materialscience

Geobiology

Astrobiology

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

A.Principal Investigator

A.Principal Investigator

A.Principal Investigator

Photo: Nerissa Escanlar

A.Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator
History of the Earth

Principal Investigator
Evolutionary biology,
Microbiology

A.Principal Investigator

Albert Fahrenbach Yuka Fujii

Hidenori Genda Betur Kacar

Tomohiro Usui

Organic chemistry,Origins of life

Planet formation

Geo- and CosmoChemistry

Planetary Science(appointed 2017 June)

Evolutionary Biology,
Astrobiology

20

334

Data

520
Total Income
Total Income
819 1,601 1,601

819

520

54

Total Expenses
Total Expenses
1,601 1,601
334
54
819 819448 448
284

284

819

2015はグラフのデータが2015はグラフのデータが数値。 数値。

334

520
262 262
Total
IncomeTotal
Income
1,102
1,601
56

284

284

2013 2013

Total
Incomeはグラフのデータが1,102
56 数値。

2015

Total Expenses
1,102

762

Total Expenses2012
1,601

2012

764

Data: ELSI progress and current status
Total Expenses
1,102

762

819

2013

448

764

54

262

334

284

284

520

397

520
Total Income

616

Total Income
1,102

56

334

397

Total Expenses
1,102
2015はグラフのデータが
数値。

762

1,377 1,377

1,377 1,377

819

448

262

Total Income
1,601

Total Expenses
1,601
819

2013
448

262

764

Total Expenses

819
1,601Budget Million JPY
1,601
Program
2013
Total
IncomeTotal Income
510 510 616 616
Total Expenses
Total Expenses

616

2012
819

2014 2014

54

397
284
364 364
616
Total Expenses
Total Expenses
Total Income
1,377 819
2012
1,601
1,102

284

251 510
Total251
IncomeTotal Income
1,377
1,102

616

56

616

762
Total Income
510
1,377

616

251

520

Total Income

750

565
262
Total Income
1,850

565

Total Income

Total Expenses
1,850

251
Total Income
1,587

762

666 666
750666 Total Expenses
1,850

535 535
Total Income
1,850 535

WPI Budget

762

762

585

666
Total Income
750
1,850
Labor Costs
Labor Costs 2014364
Total Expenses
1,587

Total Expenses
1,850

240

762

ResearchResearch
Costs Costs
364

251

535

666
435

762
WPI Budget

390 390
Total Expenses
1,587Labor Costs

762

Research Costs

Competitive Grants

Competitive-Grant
435Expenditures

Total Income
1,587

585
762

Total Income
1,587

240

University Support

666

535

390

Total Expenses
1,587

Labor Costs
Research Costs

University Support

434

565
Competitive Grants
750

FY 2016WPI Budget

Labor Costs

University Support

Research Costs

Total number of refereed publications

Competitive Grants

Competitive-Grant
435Expenditures

Total Income
1,587

Total Expenses
1,587

Competitive-Grant Expenditures
585

Total Expenses
1,850

The number of persons

762

666

535

240

A.Principal
Investigator
4

WPI Budget

Labor Costs

University Support

Research Costs

Competitive Grants

Competitive-Grant Expenditures

Administrative
Office Member
22

Principal
Investigator
15

Total
112

390

240

Competitive-Grant
Competitive-Grant
Expenditures
Expenditures

WPI Budget

762

2013
2013

92
92

390

2013
2013
124
124

2014
2014
2015
2015

128
128

2016
2016

131
131

Affiliated Faculty
8

0
0

50
50

100
100

2014
2014

2015
2015
150
150

Number of seminars
FY
FY
2013
2013

Researchers
45

49
49

FY
FY
2014
2014

43
43

FY
FY
2015
2015

51
51

FY
FY
2016
2016

As of April, 201721

Total Expenses

Total Expenses
Total Expenses
1,850
762 1,587 1,587

762

565
750

750

Total Income
750
1,850
2014

585
240 240
Total390
Income
1,587

435
434

565

Competitive-Grant Expenditures

Competitive
Grants Grants
Competitive

Technical staff
18

585
Total Expenses
Total1,377
IncomeTotal Income
762
1,5874351,587

585

616 Labor
Total Costs
Expenses
1,377
Research
Costs

University
SupportSupport
University

Total Income
1,850

616

397

434

FY 2015

Competitive Grants

750

762

240

397

Total Income
616
535 510
1,377Support
University
WPI
Budget
WPI Budget

510

FY 2014435

2015はグラフのデータが
数値。

2014

364

251

434

Total Expenses

397

Total Expenses
1,377

FY 2013434

616
7501,601 Total
750 Expenses
Total Expenses
1,377
2013
434 1,850 1,850
819
448
434
750

616

510

448

3642014334

565

819 Income
Total
Total
1,601Income
750
1,850 1,850
750

2014

364 2012
FY

565

Total Income
616
1,377
2013

262

764
Total Expenses
1,377

251

750

Total Expenses
1,601

819

397

2015はグラフのデータが
数値。

334
520

43
43
0
0

10
10

20
20

30
30

40
40

50
50

60
60

0
0

Recent Awards
Month/Year

Name

Type

February 2015

Ryuichi Nomura

Inoue Research Award for Young Scientists

April 2015

Hiroki Ichikawa

MEXT Prize for Science and Technology

April 2015

Joseph Kirschvink

Geological Society of America Fellow

April 2015

Tetsuo Irifune

Medal with Purple Ribbon

November 2015

Tetsuo Irifune

R.W. Bunsen Medal (European Geosciences Union)

February 2016

Yuka Fujii

Inoue Research Award for Young Scientist

March 2016

Daisuke Kiga

JSPS Prize

April 2016

Masashi Aono

MEXT Young Scientists' Prize

June 2016

Kei Hirose

57th Fujihara Award

December 2016

Kosuke Fujishima

WIRED Audi INNOVATION AWARD2016

Tokyo and ELSI Map
Tokyo is one of the world’s most important and intriguing cities, in addition to being the largest by a significant
margin.
Whilefamousneighborhoods like Shibuya or Shinjuku often conjure images of an
over-crowded megalopolis, much ofTokyo is composed of relatively quiet
neighborhoods where families shopin small markets, play in the parks,
and find tranquility at numerous
shrines and temples. There are more
excellent restaurants in Tokyo thanmeals to be eaten in an entire lifetime. Many fascinating discoveries
and surprises await the urban explorer in this city of stunning intricacy anddiversity. We are certain that you will
fall in love...welcome to Tokyo!
The world’s largest metropolitan
area is inter-connected by the world’s
largest train network, truly one of thehuman-made wonders of the world.
The Tokyo train system map beckons
the urban traveler, evoking analogies
to complex metabolic pathways orelectronic circuits. This efficient anduser-friendly mass transit network
encourages people to leave their cars
at home, thereby mitigating air pollution, and catalyzes interactions between all of humanity in the Tokyo
region. Shinjuku, the world’s busiest
train station, efficiently handles over
3 million passengers every day! Besides trains, Tokyo is also very pedestrian and bicycle friendly, andthese are the best means to explore
its nooks and crannies.

22

Search for the origin of Earth and life

Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI)Tokyo Institute of Technology
2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama,
Meguro-ku,Tokyo,152-8550,Japan
Tel:+81-3-5734-3414
Fax:+81-3-5734-3416
E-mail:information@elsi.jp

http://www.elsi.jp

Tokyo Institute of Technology
President
Yoshinao Mishima
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Earth-Life Science Institute
Director, Professor
Kei Hirose
WPI

The four pillars of the World Premier International (WPI)
Research Center Initiative
Science/Fusion/Globalization/Reform
Network

Close cooperation with three satellites
Facilities

The new research building in 2015
Organization
Me

g

li
ur o

ne

e

lin
chi

Strong leadership and thorough information sharing

Ookayama
Station

Data

a

Oim

Data : ELSI progress and current status

Tokyo Institute ofTechnology
Ookayama
South Area

ELSI-1

Ishikawadai
Area

ELSI-2lineBunkyo University
Elementary School
Ik
eg
am
i

Na
ka
ha
ra

Ro
ad

Senzokuike
Elementary School

Ishikawadai
StationPublished December 2017
Created by Earth-Life Science Institute,Tokyo Institute of Technology