NEWSLETTER
Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center
Consortium and International Activities Special Issue

April 10, 2024 vol. 8. Spring 2024 issue

The Tsukuba Digital Bio Consortium is now in full swing!
About the Tsukuba Digital Bio Consortium
The purpose of this program is to support theindustrialization of innovation by conducting datadriven bio-research necessary for the developmentof products and services that meet corporate needs,
based on strong collaboration between member
companies and the Center's research institutions,using a "Tsukuba-style integrated research platform".

Tsukuba Digital Bio Consortium Features andServices
1.

2.
3.

A place for information exchange between industry,
government and academia, and consultation onindividual development research
A place to support research planning anddevelopment driven by corporate needs for thepurpose of social implementation
A place for matching with bioresources, specialized
knowledge, digital analysis technology, POC
verification fields, etc.

Tsukuba Digital Bio Consortium:
Information on Joining
Apply for membership by submitting a "Membership
Application" to the Center Project Leader, which will
be evaluated by the Tsukuba Digital Bio International
Center Steering Committee (Center SteeringCommittee). The decision will be made with theapproval of the base project leader. If you have any
questions about the consortium or the admission
procedure, please contact the Tsukuba Digital-Bio
International Center Secretariat
E-mail：digitalbioeco@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
Tel：029-853-1131(Extensions: 91416 or 91421）

Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center NEWSLETTER April 10, 2024 vol. 8. Spring 2024 issue2024

International Activities（University Visit）
Oxford University Cooperationand Exchange

Visitation from February 21 to24, 2024: Hiroyuki Nishiyama(Project Leader), Tetsuya
Sakurai, (Deputy ProjectLeader), Hiroko Isoda (Leaderof R&D Subject 5), andAssistant Professor Takafumi
Miyamoto (University ofTsukuba, School of Medicineand Medical Sciences).
Visitation from March 4 to 8:
2024, Hisato Suzuki (Associate Professor at theUniversity of Tsukuba).
Our members visited prestigious Oxford University in
the U.K., where they discussed research in theirrespective fields of expertise. During this exchange,
the two parties enthusiastically discussed thepromotion of future international exchange and thepossibility of joint research. It is hoped that thisexchange of researchers from both institutions willallow sharing of expertise and technologies, leadingto new discoveries and the creation of innovative
projects.
Through this visit, the Tsukuba site and Oxford
University have confirmed their commitment to aclose partnership. The two institutions plan tocontinue regular exchanges and develop joint
research projects. This strengthened collaboration
will provide valuable international experience forresearchers at both institutions and will generate
new scientific knowledge that will contribute to global
health and well-being.

Visit Report

Associate Professor Hisato Suzuki, Universityof Tsukuba, School of Medicine and MedicalSciences
In the United Kingdom, whole genome analysis forcongenital disorders can be performed by insurancethrough the NHS (National Healthcare Service) while,
in Japan, whole genome analysis remains
categorized as "research," but is expected to be
implemented as a "clinical" insurance treatment for
intractable diseases, following cancer genome
treatment. In the UK, which is ahead of Japan ingenome diagnostics, we were able to inquire about
the current situation and challenges from bothclinical and research perspectives.

On the clinical side, Ms. Carolyn Campbell ofChurchill Hospital and Professor Jenny Taylor of theCenter for Human Genetics at the University of
Oxford gave us an overall diagram of who isresponsible for whole genome analysis when aphysician actually requests it. The overall picture of
who is responsible for whole genome analysis whena physician actually requests it was shown.

Compared to Japan, there was a utilization of humanresources who did not graduate from medicalschools, and students who graduated from theFaculty of Biology or the Faculty of Informatics were
noticeably active as bioinformaticians after training ina curriculum designated by the government.
On the research side, Associate Professor Nicola
Whiffin and Professor Andrew O M Wilkie from theUniversity of Oxford discussed how to link patientswith unresolved clinical whole genome analysis toresearch and future collaboration with the Universityof Tsukuba.
Coincidentally, on March 25, after my return toJapan, the three academic societies responsible forgenetic diagnosis and treatment of intractablediseases (the Japan Society of Human Genetics, theJapanese Society for Genetic Counseling, and theJapanese Society for Gene Therapy) issued the"Guidelines for Genetic Testing for DesignatedIntractable Diseases. The visit served as a road map
for the clinical effectiveness of this guideline.

Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center NEWSLETTER April 10, 2024 vol. 8. Spring 2024 issue2024

National Taiwan University
Cooperation and Exchange

Researchers from the Tsukuba Digital-Bio
International Center visited National Taiwan
University, with whom they have been in contact
since last year.
During the visit, researchers from both institutions
exchanged information about each other's latest
achievements and research plans, and had lively
discussions about the possibility of futurecollaboration.
Through this visit, the two institutions confirmed theircommitment to further strengthen international
exchange and promote joint research. Researchers
from both institutions will continue to interact anddevelop new research projects and, in doing so, wewill promote digital (AI) and medical innovations.
The Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center andNational Taiwan University are determined to further
deepen international collaboration by leveraging
each other's strengths. It is expected that thepartnership between the two institutions will continue
to grow stronger.

Discussions at the meeting included segmentation ofneck tumors using MRI, predicting the onset of
diabetes, and predicting left ventricular myocardial
weight from electrocardiograms.
These themes are ones in which artificial intelligencehas great potential in the medical field, and thefindings of the researchers from both universities
were exchanged.

Visit Report

Center for Artificial Intelligence Research,
University of Tsukuba,
Yuji Kawamata (Researcher)Through this meeting, it is expected thatcollaborative research between the two universities
will become more active and yield further results.
In the evolution of medical technology, artificial
intelligence will play an increasingly important role. It
is hoped that this meeting will serve as a driving
force for this advancement.

The meeting for the joint research between National
Taiwan University and our university was held at
National Taiwan University for four days fromMonday, February 19th to Thursday, February 22nd.
The meeting focused on several projects that utilize
artificial intelligence technology in the medical field,
which were discussed with great enthusiasm.
This visit was made possible through the "Supportfor Human Resource Development for the Next
Generation" program at Co-Creation Place.
Assistant Professor Anna Bogdanova, student
Tomoru Nakayama, URA Xiangyou Yu, and myself
participated in this second exchange, following avisit in December 2023.

Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center NEWSLETTER April 10, 2024 vol. 8. Spring 2024 issue2024

TOPICSThe Consortium Symposium of the Tsukuba
Digital-Bio International Center
The Consortium Symposium of theTsukuba Digital-Bio International
Center was held on March 13, 2024.
We had nearly 100 diverse
individuals, including representatives
from businesses and organizations,participate in the event, which washeld in a hybrid format at the Tsukuba
International Congress Center and also via webinar.

The Tsukuba Digital-Bio International
Center was established within SakuLabTMTsukuba, an open innovation centerestablished at the Tsukuba ResearchCenter of Astellas Pharma Inc.

The University of Tsukuba will promote needsdriven research in line with corporate needs toward
the formation of "Tsukuba Bio Valley," a center forindustry-government-academia collaboration in thebiotechnology field.
As part of this effort, we will establish ITF.F(Imaginethe Future. Forum), which will attract companies tothe University of Tsukuba facilities to conduct
large-scale joint research. We also established theTsukuba Digital-Bio International Office within theopen laboratory facility in Astellas Pharma Inc.

SakuLabTM-Tsukuba HP
https://www.astellas.com/en/innovation/openinnovation/labs/tsukuba

At the symposium, ten speakers presented in detailthe efforts and achievements at the Center by theUniversity of Tsukuba and other research institutionsin the Tsukuba area, providing a valuable opportunity
to demonstrate new developments in the field ofbiotechnology and the importance of industrygovernment-academia collaboration.
During the reception that followed, presentations
were made by Astellas Pharma Inc. and Tanita
Corporation, who are already participating in theproject.
The two companies' efforts demonstrated the newvalue and potential created by their collaboration
with the Tsukuba International Center for Digital-Bio,and provided an effective opportunity to encourageother companies to participate.
Astellas Pharma Inc.
From SakuLabTM-Tsukuba pamphlet【For inquiries about this office or to request anarticle to be published, please contact us here.】
Tsukuba Digital-Bio International center
digitalbioeco@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
Tsukuba Digital-Bio International center Website
https://tsukubadigitalbio.jp/

Tsukuba Digital-Bio International Center NEWSLETTER April 10, 2024 vol. 8. Spring 2024