Kyoto University

Worker bees and queen bees, despite beingborn alike as larvae, look structurally different
when grown. What causes this difference?
There is a tiny factor behind this phenomenon. Turn to page 2 to read the full story.

Learning Lounge

Feature article 1

iCeMS Learning Lounge Digest

1

Since June 2015 iCeMS Learning Lounge has brought the work of young scientists to the public. In the forum, open to any curious listener and not only those with scientific background, researchers present why,in 20 minutes or less, their research is important for the world. By connecting their research to society
at large, they make an easily understandable case as to why it will change the future. In this newsletter,
we present Dr. Namasivayam, whose talk was held in the second session.

Nature-inspired curefor the incurable.
Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam
Assistant Professor

We often see on the daily news that a recent scientific discovery has
brought us one step closer to the cure for diseases considered incurable.
But how close are we? Dr. Namasivayam brings us a closer look at theneed to develop nature-inspired therapeutic strategies to speed up thejourney towards sustainable cures for complex diseases.

I would like to ask you a simple question
before moving on to my topic. Can you
identify which is the queen bee and whichis the worker bee in Fig.1? The queen bee
is on the right, looking large and healthy.
Fig.1 Photos of a workerbee (left) and queen bee(right) that, despite beingborn alike as larvae, lookstructurally different whengrown. The science behind this difference also
has a profound effect onhuman health.

They started life as babies, in the same
form of insect larva, but as they grow up,
they look different. What made this big
difference? There is a tiny factor. The factor
behind this phenomenon is important not
only for the structural development of bees,
but also for human health and wellbeing.
“The guardian of the genome” p53
The key word here is cure. Looking at
the Merriam-Webster dictionary, cure isderived from “cura”, a Latin word whichmeans a divine god that protects humans
from evil effects. So, “Incurable” literallymeans a disease which cannot be resolved.
There are many incurable diseases in
the world, and as if that’s not enough, we
keep inventing new ones. Even though twowell-known major diseases causing humandeath, cancer and diabetes, have been
known since the B.C. era, we can still onlyoffer just a superficial treatment instead of
overpowering the disease out of the system.
When we face a problem, we need to

NAMASIVAYAM Ganesh Pandian, born in Tirunelveli, completed his schooling at SBOA Matriculation School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Ganesh
received his Master’s degree from University of Madras, India, specializing in biotechnology. In 2002, he began multidisciplinary research involving
microbial biotechnology, biosensors, and biotransformation with Prof. Anju Chadha, (Department of Biotechnology) and in the Electrical Engineering

Fig.2 A representative illustrationof the human genome, comprisedof the three billion letters required
to create a human being.

A
T

Department, Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT-M), India. In 2006, Ganesh received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science & Technology in Japan to conduct doctoral research on “A novel innate immune system in insects” with Prof. Hidetaka Hori at Niigata

C

University. Ganesh continued as a Research Assistant Professor in the Hori Lab and as a Scientific Advisor in the Ushiki patent office, Niigata, untilG

2009. Since 2010, he has been working at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, with Prof. Hiroshi Sugiyama. Ganesh is now a Program Specific Assistant Professor working on the creation of nature-inspired smart biomaterials for therapeutic applications.

2

get to the root of the problem. We have
traveled a long way since the B.C. era
and now know fundamental information,
specifically the genome, which is presented
in Fig. 2.
We are made from combinations of
three-billion letters (ATGC). These lettersstand for adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine(G), and cytosine (C). The 7.3 billion
people living in the world today all have analmost same combination of these letters,arranged in a double helical structure,
known as DNA. A gene is a functional unitof DNA. DNA is called the blueprint oflife, as it stores the biological informationnecessary for life and informs the biologicalsystem when needed through a code called
the genetic code. There are about 20,000
genes in a human.
With modern technologies, we havediscovered sensitive genes in which a fault or

Fig.3 The structure of DNA.
Two strands coil together toform a double helix throughchemical crosslinks of letters that make up the language of DNA: Adenine (A),Thymine (T), Guanine (G),and Cytosine (C).

defect can cause disease. We can also
Disease Signal
RepairArrestCell death
identify other genes that can resolve
p53
problems, which we call “guard genes” or“caretaker genes.” Let me introduce themost important caretaker, the “guardianFig.4 The role of the natural guard p53. To stabilize theof the genome”, known as p53.
disturbed cell (emoticons) by disease signals, p53 starts
biological machinery (wheels) to either repair, arrest, orImagine the cute little smiley facedestroy the affected cells, thus avoiding the unconin Fig. 4 as a cell in our body. Whentrolled cell division causing cancer.
a disease signal comes in the form of
a mutation or a change in DNA, p53
CAS9, was developed by researchers fromstarts the machinery, like the wheels in Fig.
North Carolina University to cut only the4, to either repair or arrest the mutation. If
oncogene E6 in the human genome andthere is no hope, p53 destroys the damaged
restore the natural guard p53.
cells to rejuvenate new cells. When p53
This technology is not only useful foris either absent, modified, or arrested bycancer gene editing but also for HIV,
another gene like the cancer gene E6, cells
muscular dystrophy, and many othergo out of control and cause cancer. In fact,diseases. However, some problems remain
p53 is known to be affected in 50% ofwith this approach. This technology
cancer cases.
involves gene modification, and few of us
want to have our own DNA cut, even if
Bacterial immune system
we have a disease. To avoid this concern,used to restore p53
there is an alternative approach that can
One of strategies developed to restore
control the governors outside DNA. Thisp53 is a type of targeted gene-editing, called
phenomenon is termed epigenetics.
CRISPR/CAS9. This latest technology was
Epigenetics is the process of theinspired by a tiny living organism, bacteria.
methylation or acetylation of DNA
Microorganisms, like bacteriophage viruses
or histone proteins without changing
look for the opportunity to infect DNA
DNA sequences. The information fromby injecting their DNA into bacteria.
the modification is passed on, like theThe bacteria, however, protect themselves
inheritance of DNA, to daughter cells.
by a specificimmune system, called
A system to control gene expression
CRISPR, which can recognize foreign
DNA elements. CRISPR carries the DNA
The epigenome is a kind of functional
repair enzyme, CAS9, which prevents virus
layer that lies above the genome andinfection by targeting and cutting out thecontrols which genes need to be switchedforeign DNA. Scientists have been using
off or silenced and which genes need to be
this technology to develop many CRISPRswitched on or expressed. What is the state
CAS9 systems for editing the gene(s) ofof “silenced” or “expressed” genes? Humaninterest. One of the CRISPR systems, E6
DNA is 20 meters long and bound around3

Learning Lounge
4

Feature article 1: iCeMS Learning Lounge Digest
the histone protein like a spool, as shownin Fig. 5. The position and way in which
DNA is packaged determines the ON or
OFF status of the gene.
This state depends on the presence orabsence of marks over the DNA, epigenetic
marks that are either expression marks orsilence marks. When silence marks arepresent, illustrated by the red buttons in Fig.
5, they send signals to histone proteins totightly pack the DNA, thereby protecting
or hiding the genes away. As our body also
cannot read what is written on this hidden
sequence of DNA, these genes are OFF.
On the other hand, when expression
marks appear, as shown in green, they send
signals to the histone proteins to relax andloosen up, revealing the hidden DNA.
When this happens, the genes are switched
ON. Gene expression is simply the actof DNA being read by the body system
to inform compound molecules that haveseveral biological functions, such as proteins.
Cells maintain their function and state bycorrectly controlling gene expression.
The switch to make a queen a queen
I hope you still remember the firstquestion that I asked regarding the queen
bee. At some point in development, one
set of bee larvae is fed with only worker
DNA

Histone protein
Silence markOFF

State of silence

Human skin celljelly, which go on to become worker bees.
The other set is fed royal jelly that go on
to become queen bees. Royal jelly that
contains fatty acids silences the silencing
marks, which in-turn activates theexpression marks and initiates the queen
factors in the genetic code.
We humans also experience a similar
phenomenon. Extrinsic stimuli such as
smoking, drinking, and poor diet can affectour health and leave bad epigenetic marks,
not only on us, but also on our children andeven grandchildren. For those of us who
have already corrupted our genetic system
and are afraid of being blamed by ourchildren and grandchildren, there is good
news. These epigenetic marks are reversible.
Among several approaches, the most
preferred way by both clinicians andpatients is to use small molecular switches
as drugs. Imagine the genome inside thediseased cell, where key genes like theguard gene p53 are silent. When taking
these small molecules, they enter genome
and switch on the guard genes to recover
their function.
How to aim at specific switches
Although this technology restores thenatural guard genes, selectivity is an issue.
Some genes that are not supposed to be
Expression markON

State of expression•

Fig.5 In the OFF state, when DNA (blue) is bound tightly, OFF marks ( ) cause histones (yellow) to
huddle close together making the gene invisible [left], but when loosened by ON marks ( ), the geneis visible to be expressed [right].

•

disturbed can also be activated with thismolecule. Finding a way to direct molecularswitches to specific DNA sequences is a key
point in the field of drug designing.
Regarding this specificity, I will briefly
introduce a small molecule called pyrrole
imidazole polyamides, or PIPs. This was
discovered by Professor Peter Dervan of
the California Institute of Technology
from the naturally occurring antibiotic,
distamycin derived from a bacteria and theamino acid, histidine.
Pyrrole is shown as the blue circle andimidazole as the yellow circle in Fig. 6a.
Like the genetic code, there is a binding
rule proposed for these small molecules.
Their arrangement in different places
allows for reading of different sequences of
ATGC. For example, pyrrole-pyrrole canread either A or T, while imidazole-pyrrole
can read GC. A significant advantage
of PIP is its ability to enter live cells andbind to pre-designed DNA sequences, in a
fashion similar to natural body factors.
Genetic switch discovered by
Sugiyama group
In nature, gene expression is controlled
well at both the genetic and epigenetic
level. In Professor Hiroshi Sugiyama’s
lab at iCeMS, we combine this selective
DNA binder, PIP, with a synthetic
epigenetic switch called SAHA to make anature-inspired genetic switch known as
SAHA-PIP.
We made 32 kinds of SAHA-PIPs by
positioning the blue dot pyrrole and yellow
dot imidazole in different places, where
they bind to different DNA letters. When

we tested their activity in human skin cells,
we found that when one kind of SAHAPIP was employed, a key gene importantfor stem cells, OCT4, was activated. Whenanother SAHA-PIP was employed, thegene PIWI, whose absence can cause
infertility, was expressed. Another SAHAPIP activated PAX6, which is important for
retina development in the eye.
Each SAHA-PIP activates a different
set of key genes, and the gene networks
activated by one SAHA-PIP do not activate
the others. They are much more selective
than the simple small molecule switches
explained before. Some of our SAHA-PIP
epigenetic switches also activated key guard
genes like the HIV-1 silencing gene, MX2,
autism silencing gene, CNTNAP2 and theanti-obesity gene, KSR2.
At this moment, we are using natureinspired genetic switches only as a researchtool. To progress towards our ultimate aimof making this strategy available for clinicaluse, we need to make these switches more
tunable and carefully consider their design,
as the epigenome is more complex than thesimple marks discussed here. However,I am confident that at some point thesesmall molecules can be fine-tuned forclinical applications.
a PIP(Pyrrole-imidazole polyamide)

5’- A G G A/T C T - 3’

3’- T C C T/A G A - 5’
H
N

H
N
N
I

PyrroleO

N
N
I

ImidazoleObO

ON PAX6

ON OCT4

Fig.7 Distinctive SAHA-PIPs successfully lighted
ON the exclusive set of therapeutically important
genes associated with i) infertility, ii) retinal cells
and iii) stem cells in human skin cells, where they
are usually silent or OFF.

*To conclude, we took a major step inthe journey towards finding a cure forseveral diseases with the discovery of the
DNA helical structure in 1953. Within thenext 50 years, we made several importantdiscoveries, including the landmark
completion of human genome project. In
the last decade, we have accelerated ourjourney at such a rapid pace that discoveries
have become daily news. I am confident
that with the nature-inspired strategies like
CRISPR-CAS9 and by finding innovative
ways to restore the natural genetic guard,
a cure will be achieved soon. I, personally,
believe in the famous saying that nothing, I
mean nothing cures like nature.

H
N OH
O

Epigenetic
switchPIWI

OFF random

SAHA

N
H

ON

+

PIP

SAHA-PIP
Genetic accessSelective
DNA binder

Epigenetic
accessFig.6 SAHA-PIP, simulating the naturally occurring gene ON switches,
was constructed by fusing the epigenetically active chemical SAHA
with pyrrole ● -imidazole ● polyamides (PIPs) preprogrammed to bindparticular DNA sequences according to a established rule (right).

Why don’t you experience
the energetic atmosphere in
the Learning Lounge?
iCeMS is growing as a visible institutethat commands attention from theworld. To continue to develop, the success of young researchers is essential.
At the Learning Lounge, we activate interdisciplinary research in chemistry, cellbiology and physics to improve our international presence and convey cuttingedge information. We have broadcast
these presentations for free through theaddress below.
http://www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/rsch/ll/
This Learning Lounge, which is held
once every two months, is open toanyone who is curious about scientificresearch. There is no need to contact us
in advance. Please check the webpageof iCeMS to look for future Learning
Lounge Seminars.
#1 June 29, 2015
Talk 1 Dr. Ken-ichiro Kamei (iCeMS Young Chen Lab)My Life as a Microchip ＊Talk 2 Dr. Koh Nagata (iCeMS Kazumitsu Ueda Lab)
What Did You Eat Yesterday? – How to Manage Your Cholesterol ＊#2 August 3, 2015
Talk 1 Dr. Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam (iCeMS Hiroshi
Sugiyama Lab) Nature-inspired Cure for the Incurable —Coming soon? ＊Talk 2 Dr. Marcel Hörning (iCeMS Motomu Tanaka Lab)
What Is a Heart Attack? ＊#3 October 21, 2015
Talk 1 Dr. Aya Sato-Carlton (iCeMS Peter Carlton Lab)How Is Your DNA Passed on to Your Children?
Talk 2 Dr. Hideki Hirori (iCeMS Koichiro Tanaka Lab)
Making Invisible Worlds Visible#4 November 19, 2015
Talk 1 Dr.Yuta Takano (iCeMS Hiroshi Imahori Lab)Powering the People with Nano Solar Cells
Talk 2 Dr. Yoji Kojima (iCeMS Mitinori Saitou Lab)
Decoding the Keys of Our Life Cycle＊ Talks with asterisks are available on the internet.
After the presentation,
we had the opportunity to exchange opinions and ideas among
researchers and theaudience.

5Dr. Ayami Joh

Feature article 2

Creating new ways of learningThis academic year four younger iCeMS professors instructed Kyoto University’s small-class education
course (pocket seminar) for freshman students, a series taught since 1998 by instructors from outside
the student’s faculty to broaden their perspectives and develop deeper insights into humanity, society,and nature. The curriculum titled “Looking beyond Chemistry and Biology” took a practical learning
approach, based on the iCeMS model of innovation, to cultivate an awareness of what it takes to become
the great scientists of tomorrow.

The Upside of Chaos
Learning 'the iCeMS Way'Interviewees (Professors)

Shuhei Furukawa (Assoc. Prof.)
Kaoru Sugimura (Asst. Prof.)
Masakazu Higuchi (Asst. Prof.)
Kazuto Fujishima (Asst. Prof.)
Interviewer (Science Communication Group)

Ayami Joh (Research Associate)
Students meet for first time in a few months after the end of the course

Ayami Joh ● What was most important
to you in preparing the course?
Kaoru Sugimura ● Shuhei and I
proposed the idea of incorporating
both the chemistry
and biology pointsof view. Through theperspectives of various
disciplines, we wanted
students to understand6

Dr. Kaoru
Sugimurathat at a university, there are no easyanswers. They must start by asking thequestions themselves.
Shuhei Furukawa ● We wanted
to incorporate the“iCeMS style”, where
people from different
disciplines work together, and we decided
to examine one theme
Dr. Masakazu
Higuchifrom two perspectives, chemistry andbiology. I initially suggested a debate
style, where groups would argue which
one is “better”, chemistry or biology, sothey could justify eachfield with their own
words. But Masakazu
and Kazuto suggested
that we raise a scientificquestion instead.
Dr. Kazuto
Fujishima

Masakazu Higuchi ● It’s easy to createa dichotomy, but I was more curious to see
what existed beyond that. So the theme
was “looking beyond perspectives.”
KS ● We got creative with the course
format too. Following the general format
of a scientific paper, we had the students
set up a query themselves, discuss therelevant background, come up with theexperimental methodology, and present
it in class. When writing a scientificpaper, you normally start by identifying
where you currently stand in the pool ofknowledge built by your predecessors, andthen you throw in your two cents. We
explained that a paper is structured in theexact same way.
AJ ● If there had been a similar course
taught when I was a freshman, I would
have taken it. Even now, I still struggle tospeak up in discussions and presentations.
MH ● The course goes against learning
styles that students are accustomed to inprimary education. To not search for thecorrect answer is baffling to them. But inreality, having an open mind is the key tocreative thinking.
KS ● Based on this approach, we did ourbest to make the course description as
attractive as possible.
AJ ● You were looking for students
who wanted to “experience cutting-edge
research with no queries, answers, ordisciplinary borders”?
Kazuto Fujishima ●We added anothercriterion: those who“hated to be taught.”
MH ● We wanted
Dr. Shuhei
Furukawa

people who could relate with these words.
KF ● We worried
that there wouldn't beenough applicants because the bar was
set too high. But it actually became agood filter!
SF ● Sixteen students enrolled. By luck,
there were an even numbers of students
from multiple majors. We included manyphrases related to different themes taught
during the course; hence, it caught the eyeof students across fields.
KS ● The first lesson for the pocket
seminar was that “we want this seminar
to become a reference for [you] to decide
what you want to study, not a seminar forthe sake of learning.”
SF ● The students kept up with theprofessors, so we kept raising the bar.
Some students said preparing for class
was hard work, but when the course wasover, we realized that not a single student
missed a day of class!

A flexible mind isa creative mind
AJ ● Students rarely get the opportunity
to discuss science with undergrads in
different majors. It’s not quite the same
as belonging to the same tennis club.
KF ● Quoting a student: “interdisciplinary
fusion will become important in the
future.” I was utterly impressed.
SF ● But first, to fuse disciplines, youmust be a specialist of some kind. You
can’t ‘specialize’ in interdisciplinary fusionfrom the get-go.
KS ● It’s important to steer away from

At-a-glance• TitleWhen Chemistry Meets Biology• Course Schedule[Course Schedule]①Introduction (Self introduction/
What is biology?/What is chemistry?)②DNA ③Energy production ④Light⑤General format for writing a scientific paper/Presentation contest
prep. ⑥iCeMS lab tour/Presentation
contest prep. ⑦Presentation contest⑧⑨The five senses ⑩⑪Evolution⑫Presentation contest prep ⑬presentation contest• Class Structure[Lecture] Professors explain the basic
facts and latest research findings on agiven theme from both the viewpointsof both chemistry and biology[Discussion] Students and professors
discuss a topic to find new perspectives beyond the fields[Presentation] Students make a question, and present a new scientific idea
related to that theme• AimsTo cultivate a student’s a) creative
thinking unconstrained by fields ofresearch, b) ability to construct alogical scientific argument c) ability to
express oneself, and d) ability to complete a team assignment in a team.
• Professors(field of research / favorite pastime)
Shuhei Furukawa (inorganic chemistry/squash, beer), Kaoru Sugimura(biological physics/soccer, architecture), Masakazu Higuchi (coordination
chemistry/fishing, wedding speeches), and Kazuto Fujishima (Neuroscience/reading).

7

Feature article 2: Creating new ways of learningthese beliefs: “I’m a biologist, so mathis unnecessary”; or “I am a physicist, so
biology is not relevant to me.”
AJ ● I thought students understood thatpoint very well. I spoke to four of them
before this round-table talk. They seemed
to have enjoyed communicating withthose from different faculties during thecourse. One said that “chemistry alone wasenough before, but taking the course madethem also want to be in a biology lab.”

Studentv

oices

MH ● When I first came to iCeMS, I feltthat chemistry and biology were totallydifferent. For example, I am a chemist,
so a “molecule” brings to mind a smallbenzene ring with a substituent attached.
But biologists imagine protein.
KS ● Too true!
MH ● I asked, “...so then, how would
you describe an amino acid?” And the
response I got was, “well, an amino acid is
an amino acid...”Erika Sugimoto (Fac Agr) / Kohtaro Takahashi (Fac Sci)
Kazumasa Nakanishi (Fac Med) / Ryo Mizunuma (Fac Pharm Sci)

•Why did you choose this course?
T: Other courses have one professor for
every five or six students, but this course
had one professor for four students. I
have liked debates since high school,
so I looked forward to speaking with theprofessors. But the syllabus could be a bitover the top and intimidating to some.
S: I’ve always liked chemistry, but notbiology. I thought that if I took a chemical
approach to biology, I might like it. I
also wanted to practice debates andpresentations.
M: To be honest, this seminar was my 4th
choice. I applied for another seminarabout fungi and Buddha statues, butthere were too many applicants. This
course was what was left in the additional
registration. I immediately applied after
seeing the course title. I only found out
later that it was a discussion-based class.
N: It wasn’t my first choice, but I was
inspired by the course description andsyllabus. I also wanted to hone mypresentation skills early on.

8

SF ● Even though an amino acid is amolecule too…
MH ● You use the same word withdifferent meanings, so the conversation
doesn’t flow. This becomes one of thereasons why disciplinary boundaries
exist. But we didn’t hide this conflict of
opinions amongst ourselves. We agreed
to disagree.
SF ● I enjoyed the 90 minute-long faculty
meetings that took place after the classes.

•What did you think of
the teaching style?

•Do you feel different after
spending time at iCeMS?

N: I felt comfortable from the first dayof class because the professors
were so frank with us. In a normal
lecture, it’s easy to become passive,
but the discussion-style learning was
enjoyable to me. It was refreshing tohear the science and engineeringmajors’ way of looking at things.
T: While many courses only teachfacts and not how they can beapplied, this course did not allow
for passiveness. I enjoyed using
a different train of thought, but I
always felt tired after class.
M: I felt that greater importance wasplaced on intelligence rather thansimple accumulation of knowledge,
i.e., how to output acquired
knowledge. I am very satisfied tohave participated in an active course.
S: Each person had a large roleand responsibility because thepresentations were done in small
groups. I couldn't sleep in class oreven get sick.

N: Pioneering a new field and gaining
results requires multidisciplinary
collaboration. Gaining insight fromexperts can lead to unexpected andunique ideas.
S: All of the themes are complex anddifficult, but seeing researchers
devoted to their interests was
an inspiration. I became moreinterested in biology and may takemore courses on it in the future.
T: When we look for potential researchmaterial on the internet, oftentimes
our ideas have been alreadypublished by someone else. I was
surprised by the speed of science.
I want to pursue biology, but
knowledge of physics and chemistry
is important.
M: The pharmaceutical science fuses
biology and chemistry, but I thinksocial demand is an equally defining
factor for success in drug discovery.

A snippet from the last presentation class, titled "Evolution"

The four of us would argue and revise theteaching plan. In that sense, I felt like thecourse was alive.
AJ ● This was possible because you didn’t
have a rigid teaching plan.
SF ● That’s what was great about it. Mostof us are spontaneous, but I guess Kazuto
is the most detail-oriented out of us.
KF ● I’m a worrywart.
KS ● Kazuto starts preparing three weeks
in advance, so we said we have to decideon the themes before he starts preparing.
KS ● If it were me and Shuhei, we would
get too excited and overlook details.
SF ● If Masakazu joined in, things would
get out of control…
KS ● So Kazuto gives a good balance.
MH ● I am a ‘bad influence’? Anyway, we
are a well-balanced group.
SF ● I should mention that the four of
us know each other very well. At iCeMS,
people from different disciplines interact
on a daily basis.
AJ ● As a communications researcher,I am absolutely delighted to hear that
this course gave communication andrespect for individuality the same degreeof importance.

Say what you think,
but listen to others
AJ ● So for every class, 16 students split
up into four groups and had discussions?
KS ● Yes. We mixed up the members
each time, and it seemed the studentschanged their role depending on the typeof people in the group.
SF ● Japanese are good at reading between
the lines. In this course, I suggested thatit’s important not to do that. Instead,listen to people intently, and say what you
have to say.
KS ● Masakazu and Shuhei said that
innovation is brought about by those who
do not read between the lines.
AJ ● This message must have come as ashock for some students.
SF ● Instead of trying to please people,
state your honest opinion, and respect
other opinions.
MH ● There’s an anecdote that innovationis brought about by inspiration, but that
isn’t always the case. Innovation is derived
from communities and group societies,
not isolated individuals.
AJ ● A difficult theory to prove, but I
guess you’re right.

MH ● In this age, information spreads
quickly and globally, so there is a chancethat amazing things emerge from theworld looking in the same direction.
AJ ● I guess reality is bound to exceed
expectations.
KS ● In the 1950’s and 60’s, the Biology
Society of Japan argued about whether
new concepts should be imported
from overseas.
Japanese academic
societies and overseas societies existed as
independent entities. But now, they are
all interconnected.
MH ● Plus, ways of retrieving literaturechanged over time. When I was astudent, I used to go to the library to finda particular paper I was looking for, but
now I don’t go to the library because I canclick on the screen from my office.
KS ● Students in this course were alsousing their computers and smartphones
to download documents and read papers
that they searched for on their own.
MH ● There are both pros and cons
to taking charge of your own learning.
When turning the pages in a library, youinevitably see things that aren’t related toyour field. Now, we search by keyword, so
9Feature article 2: Creating new ways of learning

iCeMS in brief

we only see information acquired from asmall domain.
SF ● Ideas don’t formulate if you don’t
look for information broadly.

Interdisciplinary science for
future generations
MH ● Because information now spreads
quickly and globally, amazing idea may
emerge coincidentally.
SF ● When doing something new, you
first need to take in as many facts as
possible. Then you apply them. Students
intake a ton of information in high school,
so the question is, “how will I apply thisknowledge at university?”
KS ● Students who took our course
exceeded our expectations. They were likea breath of fresh air.
SF ● Once a week, I would spend timewith the students and feel less jaded again.
KS ● I felt empty when it was all over.
“No pocket seminar from next week…”
AJ ● Pocket-loss syndrome… The
students would be happy to hear that.
SF ● The versatile format of thecourse allowed for interpretation andreconfiguration according to different
age groups.
KS ● A myriad of expert advice helped
to prepare the lesson course structure.
In the future, we want to properly assess
doctoral dissertations that are based oninterdisciplinary research.
SF ● That is our exact aim.
KS ● We don’t want to let interdisciplinary
fusion be a passing fad. To develop it asa sustainable academic field, we need todevelop the educational methodology to
10

Research Highlights

What’s new?
At the iCeMS
Exhibition Lounge
on November
16th, 2015

pass on this interdisciplinary scientificthinking to the next generation. This
course was a touchstone of that effort,
feasible because of iCeMS.
MH ● This course is perhaps not as
easily taught at the School of Scienceand Engineering.
SF ● It is still possible. You just need toovercome disciplinary borders, and you
need a collaborating partner.
MH ● “Interdisciplinary thinking” needs
to be at the base. This fundamental
component already existed in iCeMS, soeverything else followed naturally.

Meet prospective colleagues
AJ ● Some took the Pocket Seminars
because of the closeness between students
and professors.
SF ● The fundamental approach forcourses offered at ILAS＊ from FY2016
is that they are participation centered andhave a small class size. Relay lectures are
not acceptable for these courses, whichemphasize student-professor communication. “Keeping classroom learning to aminimum” is the general rule.
KS ● We went ahead and incorporated
these ILAS principles.

SF ● There were two professors at
most in other courses. We had four for
every class. With so many professors
with different personalities, it became
an opportunity for students to broaden
their perspectives.
KF ● Students may be confused about
their direction in life, but there are nocorrect answers. The only thing thatmakes a difference is doing what you
think is interesting.
MH ● In three or four years, these
freshmen become fellow colleagues, doing
experiments and having discussions in thesame labs.
KS ● There were many things thatstudents taught us throughout the course.
On the last day, we asked them what theywanted to do. Some said they wanted to
become a researcher, and others said theywanted to become a doctor. I am excited
to see what kind of people they will
become. One day, I can brag to people,"he/she was a student of mine."
KF ● They are bound for success.
SF ● I'm excited for their future.
＊ ILAS will offer courses from FY2016 by

expanding courses offered as small-classeducation courses (pocket seminars).

Assoc. Prof. Tatsuya Murakami

Intractable pain may find relief
in tiny gold rods
Three iCeMS research teams participate
in a public event at Kyoto University
On Kyoto University Academic Day, held at the Kyoto University Clock Tower
Centennial Hall on October 4th, 2015, three groups from iCeMS participatedin the “talking with researchers” program designed to promote dialogue withthe general public. Members of the Susumu Kitagawa and Hiroshi Sugiyamagroups and the Science Communication Group (SCG) engaged in discussions
with visitors regarding “The World of Nanospace and Chemistry”, “Creating
Artificial DNA Switches”, and “What is ‘Good’ Communication?”

Assoc. Prof. Tatsuya Murakami and his teamhave developed a novel technique using nanometer size gold rods to target pain receptors.
This technique could lead to therapies forpain relief in people with intractable pain,
potentially including cancer-related pain.

From left: Dr. Yuki Suzuki, Assoc. Prof. Masayuki
Endo, Prof. Hiroshi Sugiyama

Using DNA origami to build
nanodevices of the future
Yong Chen receives Nanoimprint Pioneer Award
Nanoimprint technology allows scientists to create very small architectures at the
100s nano-meter scale (0.0001 mm), which can be applied in the developmentof semiconductors, optical components, and bio-devices. Prof. Yong Chenof iCeMS received the Nanoimprint Pioneer Award at the 14th International
Conference on Nanoimprint and Nanoprint Technology (NNT) for his great
contribution to the development of this technology.

Prof. Hiroshi Sugiyama and his team havedeveloped a method using a double layer oflipids, which facilitates the assembly of DNA
origami units to bring us one-step closer toorganized DNA nanomachines. This approach
further expands the potential applications of
DNA origami structures and their assemblies
into the fields of nanotechnology, biophysics
and synthetic biology.

11

Groundbreaking research at the border between Materials and LifeAt iCeMS, we develop new insights into theprinciples of life that distinguish living things from
non-living things. We harness these ideas to create
bio-inspired super materials and devices that will
revolutionize health-care, medicine, industry and theenvironment to create a sustainable world for us all.
Whilst much of the work we do here at the Instituteis pure science, we are absolutely certain that our
research, combining high-level chemistry, cell biology
and physics at the border between materials and life,
will meaningfully impact the world in which we live.

Porous materials controllingbioactive gases
Extracellularenvironment
Synthesized celladhesion substrates

NucleusControllingcell membrane
function byphotoinduced
materials
Cell membrane

Cell biology

Chromatin

Medicine

Compounds for
specific gene
expression

Chemistry

Environment and Energy

Help us grow
Generous gifts from donors like you provides

Individuals

the financial and moral support needed tocontinue to develop this research at the cuttingedge of modern science. We are not merely
content to improve existing technologies, but● Managing a world-class research center

Donations
Corporations/Organizations

seek to affect a paradigm shifts in the way

http://www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/fund/Vol.2
2016 February● Producing promising scientists of

the next generation

science may benefit humanity.

iCeMS
Our World, Your Future● Creating a unique new research field

Production Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences at Kyoto University, Yoshida
Ushinomiya-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Phone: +81-(0)75-753-9755 | Fax: +81-(0)75-753-9759
E-mail: info@icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Homepage: http: //www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Production/cooperation: Kyoto Tsushinsha Press, Design: Takayoshi Nakasone