Institute for Integrated Cell-Material SciencesVol.

42017 March

Kyoto University

FeatureResearchers in iCeMS
CeMS Frontrunners
Observing cell function to research the truth
Jun Suzuki(Professor)
Opening up the future of materials science
Satoshi Horike(Associate Professor)

An image of a macrophage captured
by a Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM). A macrophage eats and digests
microbes and invaders in the humanbody. It also eats dying cells in the bodyas they exhibit an “eat me” signal tomacrophages. Turn to page 6 to readthe full story.

iCeMS Fund — Help us growiCeMS in brief

Feature

Researchers in iCeMS
Many researchers are working at iCeMS every day
to create new technologies that make our lives more
comfortable and solve life’s mysteries. We asked 15 ofthese researchers not only about their research, but also
about what they do to relax or have fun. Let's find out
what kind of scientists, and people, they are.
Questions

Why did you become a researcher?
What is your hobby?/
When do you feel relaxed?

Research Field
and Theme

What is your favorite experiment,
theory, device, lab equipment?

Visualizing what’s going on
inside cells and observing
their responses in real-time
Our bodies use various kinds of signals
to keep us healthy.
These signals are produced
to start or stop certain
cell++
responses. If these signals do
not work well, this might cause
disease. My research focuses
on developing tools
to visualize the signals
working inside the cells
and precisely understandtheir functions. In thisway, we can approachbona fide cell behavior, compared to theinformation obtainedby classical methI'm fromods that involved
Saitama
destroying manycells.

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I loved experiments eversince I was in kindergarten. Collecting iron pieces bymagnets and mixing coloredwater fascinated me. Scienceclass was my favorite in elementary and middle school, and I
ended up becoming a scientist.
Ura-senke style
I’ve studied Japanese
tea ceremony
for about 20
years.

Reiko Sakaguchi
Program-Specific
Assistant Professor

Creating any nanoscale network
structure ad arbitrium
Organic
molecules
and metal ions provide a wide variety of networks that contain nanospaces. By using these materials,
we can easily and safely
store useful gases and otherchemical resources at highdensities. They have great
potential in applications forour immediate environment,
as well as in a wide variety offields, such as the global environment, resource use, outerspace, life, and energy. Therefore, these porous materials
are extremely valuable bothscientifically and industrially.

Detective fiction
novels
I like reading them,because I can bea detective in thefictional world.

ホームズ

Kabuki and Super kabuki
I think the representation of humannature is fantastic.

ムズ

ホーSusumu Kitagawa

I'm from

Director

Can we make a“miniaturized human”?
I'man
engineer
working on developing a device to handle“tiny” things such as cells.
My research goal is to recreate a human body within a single device, named
the “Body on a Chip”. This
will enable rebuilding thephysiological and pathological conditions of thehuman body invitro, a powerfultool for studying
fundamental biological systems.

Ken-ichiro Kamei
Program-SpecificResearch Center
Associate Professor

Kyoto

Solenoid valve
I use it for controllinga microfluidic device. The
sound the valves makewhen opening and closing
reminds me that indeed I
am “engineering”.
Scuba diving
It opened me up toa new world.
It is also fun
to meet creatures that we cannot
see on land.

I'm from

Higashimuramaya,
Tokyo

Chemistry of Molecular Assemblies
is like the sociology of molecules
As a group of people
from different disciplines that often shows highcreativity, we try to form assemblages of heterogeneous
molecules
toimplement
new functions. We try tounderstand the principlesof the molecular assembly process and transformthat knowledge into new
fabrication protocols fornovel materials. In particular,
our research interest lies incoordination chemistry andfocuses on materials at themesoscale with applications
in cell biology and electronics.

Shuhei Furukawa
Associate Professor

Controlling the dynamic motionof molecules and ions in solids
We design and synthesize solid materials for energy and the environment. New glass ion
conductors are specificallyour target for next-generation batteries and human-interactive devices. Our synthesized materials are usually just a “powder”, but they
possess the dynamic motionof molecules and ions at thenanometer scale. We hope
to contribute towards improving human life by using
dynamic solid materials in
the future.

Satoshi Horike
Associate Professor

I love the process of
research - hypothesis, empirical trials, evaluation, revision of hypotheses and, finally, reporting
results. It requires logic
and creativity.
SquashThoughvery exhausting, it is really
fun to train both
physical strengthand the brain
simultaneously.

I'm from

NagasakiGlove box
I like the glove
box because it enables
the synthesis of newmaterials under an inert
atmosphere.
I like the liberal
atmosphere in California, and I collect items
related to the state, suchas furniture and cutlery.

I'm from

Osaka

Exploring and decoding
the cell’s secret codes
My research goal is
to create “Smart Genetic Switches” that precisely turn ON and OFF genetic
and epigenetic factor(s) oftherapeutic importance. Harnessing high-throughput technologies, we decipher theunexplored key informationof the desired cell-type-specificgenes and artificially control themto achieve targeted reprogrammingand differentiation. Advancing our
synthetic strategy to construct tailor-made DNA-based epigenetic
switches could open new vistas ofclinical opportunities to treat diseases like diabetes, autism and cancer.

I was amazed tosee how a genetic material could be orchestrated to re-generatedinosaurs in the movie“Jurassic Park” andfelt inspired topursue a career in
research.
Chess is an art.
Even with restricted moves, this game offers
infinite possibilities andlets my imagination soar.
Also, it promotes my decision-making skills.
JURASSIC PARK

Ganesh Pandian
Namasivayam
Assistant Professor

I'm from

じゅらしっくぱーく

Tamil Nadu,
India

Finding the truth by unbiased screening
approaches based on molecular biology,
biochemistry, and genetics
We focus on transmembrane proteins.
Plasma membranes of cells
function not only as a barrier between other cells, butalso as a scaffold for communication, such as recognitionof dead cells and cell fusion,and to perform chemical reactions, such as blood coagulation.
Mutations incell membrane-regulating
proteins cause a variety ofhuman diseases. As basic
research, we try to deeply
understand how biological phenomenon related
to plasma membranes isregulated and how humandiseases occur to considercures for diseases.

Screening
I like to perform ascreening because I feel I
can learn from nature.
I play abass guitar.
I especially like
Funk, Acid JAZZ,and R&B, whichhave a goodcombination ofa bass guitarand drums.

I'm from

Amagasaki,
Hyogo

Jun Suzuki
Professor

3

Combining physics, statistics, and biology
to elucidate the principles of design for living forms

Unraveling the workings of the brain, which is
the most beautiful organ created through evolution

How do cells push and pull each other to trigger precise
deformations of a tissue when shaping the body? The
answer is essential for understanding the development ofanimal forms. By combining mechanical and genetic
perturbations, along with live imaging and Bayesianforce-inference, we address the physical principles
underlying regulation of epithelial morphogenesis.

The brain has an elaborate network of ten billion neurons that
control all our conscious and unconscious behaviors. We seek tounderstand the mechanism of how the brain is constructed by studying
the dynamic movement of developing neurons. Our brain is the mostcomplex and the most beautiful organ created through evolution. It is
the forest that houses the soul of what makes a human. A journey
to unravel its workings is nothing but delightful by any measure.

Kaoru Sugimura

Mineko Kengaku Professor

Program-Specific Research Center Associate Professor
I wanted to find a new wayof describing the world. I
thought I had a better chanceof becoming a scientist than apoet or a film producer, plus
I really enjoyed doing science
experiments in middle school.
Sharpening forceps
They calm my mind.

Watching movies and reading novels
From the point of view of brain science,
Memento (movie) and The Housekeeper
and the Professor (book) are very interesting.
Both are stories based on main characters withanterograde amnesia. It makes me contemplate happiness (a reward for the brain).
I'm from

I'm from

Tokyo

Tokyo

How do neuronal networks
form in the developing brain?
Defects in the formationand maintenance of theneuronal network are often associated withneurologicaldiseases. Byutilizing various imaging
technologies,
I try to clarify
the molecular mechanisms of neuronal network development.
Althoughneuronal circuit has complicatedpatterns, it should be possible
to construct it with the accumulation of simple rules. I want tounderstand and find such rules.

Kazuto Fujishima
Program-Specific
Assistant Professor

4=Research Field and Theme

I have liked small
creatures, suchas insects and killifish, since I wasa boy. I watcheda TV program
and learned that
small molecules function
within the cell like delicate
machines. Since then, I
started being interested inmolecular biology.
Mystery novels
I think that solving
mysteries is a common aspect of detective stories
and research.

Testing new therapies of cancer
by making use of nanoparticles

Fuyuhiko Tamanoi
Program-Specific Professor

Cancer research encompasses basic scientific studies to translational
approaches. One of our aims is to develop various nanoparticles (their diameter is
40 to 200 nm diameter) for delivering anticancer drugs to tumor. Exciting new therapies are recently being developed that will
likely change the way cancer treatment iscarried out.

I'm from

Sendai,
Miyagig atarchin
e
s
e
r
re
of
We a
ersityniv
the U fornia,
Cali
s
ngele
Los A A)(UCLDan Ohtan Wang

Program-Specific Research Center
Associate Professor

I'm from

Shenyang,
China

Live-cell imaging.
The movement of a living
cell is surprisingly dynamic.

Researching the firststage of the bodyformation process
I’m researching theorigin of the bodyand how our bodies form.
I think the research will help
to understand our bodies
and cure disease.

Koichi Hasegawa

Program-SpecificResearch Center
Junior Associate Professor

I was attracted byvarious forms andthe ecology of life bywatching David Attenborough’s “Life on Earth”(BBC). I just wanted toknow how that diversity
was formed.
Motorcycle
touring andplaying a bass guitar
Both have rhythms andheavy bass sounds, whichmake me feel good without any particular reason.

Taking a complicated molecular
process and expressing itwith a simple mathematical modelWith technology
manufacturers
pushing for smaller andsmaller devices, there isa demand to control the
shapes of materials on thenanoscale. By developing
new mathematical models
and simulation techniques,
I identify strategies toassemble molecules intotiny wires and other usefulobjects.

Running,marathon
Running is important to me because myresearch involves sitting
down for long periodsof time. It’s importantto have a balanced life.
While running, I got toaccidentally know myfavorite spot, Kumogahata, which is a small
village about
30 km northof Kyoto
station.

Daniel Packwood

I'm from

I'm from

I'm from

Osaka

Tamana,Kumamoto

Christchurch,
New Zealand=What is your hobby?/When do you feel relaxed?

=What is your favorite experiment, theory, device, lab equipment?

BasketballThis is a thrilling game that is decided in the last few
seconds.

Seeing actions in the brain with color
When we learn, the neural network in the brain
undergoes structural changes. One such change
has been revealed to be the formation of new synapses,or junctions between neurons, during learning. We areworking to develop a system for observing the living brainof an organism and monitoring the movements of molecules thatare involved in synapse formation during learning in real time.
Imaging (Experiment), stochastic gene expression(theory), microscope (device), glass flask (equipment)
I like to paint memories with my favorite colors.

Junior Associate Professor=Why did you become a researcher?

Animal model systems are important
in investigating mechanisms of tumor
formation and in devising ways to inhibit tumor growth. Two types of animal models
are used. One is the chicken egg tumor
model that is established by transplanting
human cancer cells into the membrane surrounding a chicken embryo ina fertilized egg. The other is amouse xenograft model.

Investigating, with laser technology,
a state of materials that changes on
atomic scale and at ultrafast speed
With the progress of ultrashort pulse laser technology, it has become
possible to investigate
chemical reactions occurring in an extremely shortperiod of time (less than 1
trillion second!) and to control the properties of materials. In my research, I aim
to develop new laser andmeasurement technologies
and to discover novel statesand functions of materials
unknown to date.

Hideki Hirori

Program-Specific Research Center
Associate Professor

400
400

300

500ml

300

200

500ml

200

I became strongly attracted to researching ultrafast phenomena using a femtosecond
pulse laser when I was anundergraduate student.
In any experiment,
when my efforts
bear fruit and find unpredictable new experimental results, I get enoughpleasure
to raise myfists, evenYes!
when alone.

I'm from

Yamaguchi

5Interview

4

Human cells number around 37.2 trillion. Of these, around 10 billion expire every day. As they die, they signal “eatme”, a message sensed by white blood cells known as macrophages. If macrophages fail to eat the dying cells, deadcells will rupture, causing autoimmune diseases. Mysteries, including how signals are presented and sensed, stillsurround this important process. Professor Suzuki and his group are moving forward with their elucidation.

Observing cell function
to research the truth
Jun Suzuki Professor“My research investigates on biological phenomenon at the cellular level tofind mechanisms. I was so happy when
I found out how cell functions wereregulated...” Suzuki talked cheerfully,
looking like a child finding a new game.

Indecisive college days

Jun Suzuki
Born in 1977 in Amagasaki Hyogo. Went to Universityof Victoria in New Zealand for research in 1999. Received a PhD in 2007 from Osaka University’s Graduate School of Medicine. Held the position of Research
Fellow with Department of Medical Chemistry, Kyoto
University Graduate School of Medicine from 2007 to
2015. Remained in his present position since 2017,
after working for the Immunology Frontier ResearchCenter at Osaka University.

6“As a student, I wasn’t enthusiastic
about anything”.
Suzuki seemed
embarrassed when he thought back. “In
my high school days, I formed my own
band, and at the same time I prepared for
examinations, but I couldn’t concentrateon either.” At the university, Suzuki was
not a diligent student. But then, twoturning points occurred.
The first was studying with Professor
Sumiko Gamo, a genetic researcher.
Suzuki was lucky to receive one-on-one
lessons. “The class was excellent. She
covered a wide range of topics, such as

the history of science and the origins ofgenetics.” He gradually gained interestin life sciences. One day he told Gamothat he would like to study abroad,and she pointed him to an exchange
program. He immediately wrote a
proposal and was accepted to travel to
New Zealand.

Enthusiastically seeking“something interesting”
His research theme while in New
Zealand was the relationship between
alcoholism and genes. He learned
that people’s ability to drink relates tothe variation of alcohol-metabolizing
enzymes. From this, his desire to learn
not only the connection between a gene
and a disease, but also the biologicalphenomenon, grew.
Suzuki developed a “learning
attitude” from students around in New

An image of macrophages eating Apoptoticcells. Apoptotic cells are labelled with dyes
and manipulated to fluoresce only when eaten.

Zealand. “Many students took out loans,and if they failed a class, they had to pay
for the same class again. Laziness meansa matter of life.” Interacting with such
enthusiastic students, he found the funof research. This was the second turning
point for Suzuki.
As an aspiring researcher after his
experience in New Zealand, what hevalued was “whether I find it interestingor not. After returning to Japan, I
decided to follow researchers who useinteresting methods. Professor Shigekazu
Nagata of Osaka university, has alreadyproduced many achievements about cell
death. In his methods, he first observes aphenomenon and then examines a related
gene.” Suzuki found this research method
in line with his way of thinking. Following
Nagata’s method, he asked himself what
topic would be interesting. He decided
to investigate the “eat me” signal, foundmany years ago but with no mechanisms
elucidated.
Suzuki worked for ten years under
Nagata. He gradually began to consider
launching new projects in a new place.

“The boy raised by his parent wishes toleave home and stand on his own feet. My
feeling was something like this.” At justthe right moment, Suzuki formed a connection with iCeMS and came to Kyoto.

Rethinking the importanceof research
Suzuki always found himself in thelaboratory conducting experiments, except when he had to leave for businesstrips. “I don’t stick to my idea. If there isa truth under the experimental data, we
may encounter unexpected findings. We
can also uncover truth when we conduct
an experiment many times. While I’mvery happy when I can conduct researchas expected, I think correcting the gap
between my idea and experimental datais also interesting. If possible, I want toalways conduct experiments.” As moving into leadership, Suzuki felt a little
sad to move away from experiments.
On the other hand, he finds
it worthwhile to work as a leader.
“Students and postdocs conduct
experiments, and their enthusiasm isessential. Last-moment efforts can leadto the important findings. No matter
if the experiment is successfull or notresearchers can persist if they haveexperiences to bring them enthusiasm.
I also have some precious experiences
when I didn’t give up. My job is tocreate the environment where students
can make their final pushes.”

Ask the ancients for new truth
Suzuki expresses his research as“Onkochishin: we ask the ancients aboutmodern affairs.” The “eat me” signal ofdead cells to macrophages was foundabout 25 years ago, but people didn’t
have the experimental techniques toinvestigate further. “Cancer and iPS cells
tend to become topics of conversation insociety. However, if you shift your pointof view, you will notice a lot of interesting
biological phenomenon that remained
unsolved.” The same signal was also
found in the blood clotting process,and it is expected that understanding
these will help find causes of genetic
diseases, such as muscular dystrophy andspinocerebellar degeneration. “Withadvanced experimental techniques,
you can find unexpected connections
between biological phenomenon anddiseases that have not been investigatedenough. “It would be so interesting if ourown research is considered as cuttingedge science many years from now.”

While Suzuki (shown on the right) wasstudying abroad, he enjoyed playing bass
guitar at an open mic café in Wellington.

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H+

Interview

5

The products around us, such as clothes, memo paper, and liquid crystal displays are made from materials.
Generally, materials are divided into inorganic substances, such as metals and ceramics, and organic substances,such as plastic and fibers. Organic materials are generally light and easy to process, but don’t have durability andare deformed by heat. On the other hand, inorganic materials have durability and heat resistance; however, they
are heavy and fragile. Associate Professor Satoshi Horike develops new materials, which mix the positive qualities
of both organic and inorganic materials, an effort that will revolutionize energy and the devices around us.

Opening up the futureof materials science
Satoshi Horike Associate Professor

Satoshi Horike
Born in 1978 in Osaka. Received a PhD from Kyoto
University Graduate School of Engineering, with a major
in Synthetic Chemistry and a Biological Chemistry Doctor of Engineering. Held a position as Postdoctoral Fellow with the Department of Chemistry at the Universityof California, Berkeley and as an Assistant Professor of
the Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological
Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University. Has held his present position since 2017.

8“This coaster is made from ceramics.”
Horike picked up a coaster bought in
California. “Ceramics are made byburning inorganic materials, creatinga hard material that can withstandheat greater than 1,000 degrees. If we
add organic materials to ceramics, we
can combine the high-performanceof ceramics with lower temperaturethresholds for deformation. If thematerial is softer, it may also be easierto form. I synthesize various materials
together to produce new, innovative
materials.”

A hungry spirit in America
In childhood, Horike moved about
ten times because of his father’s job,changing places to Chicago, Bahrain,

and other places. He spent high schoolin Tokyo and went to the Faculty ofEngineering at Kyoto University. “Every few years, I moved to another place,so Kyoto was the first place I could settle down. I lived here for 6 years until
I graduated.”
After Horike completed his
master’s degree program and worked
in the electronics industry for a year,
he went back to Kyoto University andobtained Ph.D. Then Horike decided to
go to California. “Generally, industry
research results are not individual.
I wanted to publish my research paper
under my name, so I decided to work in
the university.”At the University of California, thehungry spirit of researchers from distantcountries inspired him. “No matter how
excellent, it was difficult for a researcher
to continue leading-edge efforts intheir home country because highquality research environments do not
yet exist in some of the Middle Easternand African counties. While always
thinking about their home country,
they had the strong will to achieve
results in America. I was so inspired bythis, while valuing the high-standard ofresearch in Japan.” Their nationalities,
languages and early environments weredifferent, but Horike shared the same
research goals as his fellow workers,
and he treasured his relationships
with people from all over the world.
“When we conduct chemistry andmaterials science research, we must be
persistent, understand the importanceof teamwork, and enjoy the unexpected.
Experiences with my international

Horike in front of the Department of Chemistryduring his time at the University of California.

colleagues pushed me to consider mystrength and weakness objectively,
allowing me to develop my own
personal research style.”

The future of materials
science depends on
students’ inspiration
After Horike returned to Japan,
he became Assistant Professor at theGraduate School of Engineering,
Kyoto University, conducting research
into new battery and glass materials.
“Until you try, you don’t know what will
happen when you synthesize materials.
Our motto is ‘enjoy the unexpected’. I
let students experiment freely as long as
possible and value their inspiration.”
This style was influenced by Professor
Susumu Kitagawa (current iCeMS
Director). When Horike enrolled in
his master’s program, Kitagawa stood infront of a solid-state NMR that cost tensof millions of yen and told him, “Youcan use this equipment however you
like. Think of something interesting you
can do with it.” This was all Kitagawa
said. “At that time, I felt happy to be freeand enjoyed conducting experiments.
Now I know it is not an easy thing tosay.” Students’ unconventional thinking
in the field of science sometimes leads toa chance discovery. “I should not deny
their inspiration as seemingly useless,but instead, make use of it. Operating ateam of students and young researchers

H+

H+

An image of a solid material that cantransport proton ions without water. This
material can contribute to making smallersized and lower-cost fuel cell vehicles.

in the field of materials science, I wantto raise them up to excellent leaders.”

Conducting research withoutcomplacency at iCeMS
In January 2017, Horike opened
his own lab at iCeMS and started
leading new research efforts at iCeMS.
The average age of iCeMS leaders,at 44 years old, is young. “There aremany researchers similar in age, alldoing admirable research. I would
like to continue in the lively iCeMS
environment, influenced by my peers
and questioning myself.”
Materials science can make life
more comfortable. In any field, thebalance between fundamental andapplied research is important. “I pursue
research to produce new materials andideas. It’s no problem if I don’t know
how to use a material when I produce
it. I hope we produce a result usefulfor industry researchers, and in thisprocess, I feel satisfied that my research
connects with real society”.
9

iCeMS Fund - Help us growiCeMS in brief

At iCeMS, we develop new insights into the principles of life that distinguish living things from
non-living things, and harness these ideas to create bio-inspired super materials and devices that will
revolutionize health-care, medicine, industry and the Environment to create a sustainable world for us all.
Whilst much of the work we do here is Pure Science, we are absolutely certain that our researchcombining high-level chemistry, cell biology and physics, at the border between materials and life, will
meaningfully impact the world in which we live.
The research we carry out at iCeMS will help doctors to fight such perennial problems as heartdisease, cancer, and degenerative brain conditions, as well as develop invaluable new medicines andtherapies. Our revolutionary work also addresses key issues such as global warming, pollution, overdependency on fossil fuels, and the availability of clean drinking water.
Generous gifts from donors like you provide the financial and moral support needed to continue
and develop this research at the cutting edge of modern science. We are not merely content to improveexisting technologies, but seek to affect paradigm shifts in the way science may benefit humanity.
Help us to help the world. Together we can make a difference because we care.

DonorsiCeMS would like tosincerely thank all those whohave given their support.
Hiroshi Tanaka
Hiroyasu Tabe
Junko Kobayashi
Kenichiro Murai
Kenji Takano
Koichi Shirose
Kyoto Gakuen High School
Takako Yano
Takashi Tokunaga
Tomoko Kato
Yoshinori Takeuchi
Yoshiyuki Tsuda

Solve social
issuesCorporations /Organizations

DonationsContribution
tohealthcare

Activities forcontribution tosocietyiCeMS Fund

SupportResearches
iCeMS

Kyoto University Fund webpage

http://www.kikin.kyoto-u.ac.jp/contribution/icems/
10What’s new?

Vitamin D discovery could
prove key to new treatments
iCeMS Deputy Director Motonari
Uesugi and his team have identified
a new way vitamin D helps control thebalance of lipids in the body. This key
finding could advance developmentof new treatments for metabolic
disorders and certain cancers.

©Tatjana Baibakova / 123rf

A matrix made of gelatin nanofibers on
a synthetic polymer microfiber meshmay provide a better way to culture
large quantities of healthy humanstem cells. Developed by a team ofresearchers led by Drs. Ken-ichiro
Kamei, Li Liu and Yong Chen of
iCeMS, the ‘fiber-on-fiber’ (FF) matrix
improves on currently available stem
cell culturing techniques.

Human stem cells that grew on
the 'fiber-on-fiber' culturing system

iCeMS hosts Kyoto University
International Symposia in Thailand

Learning how to fine-tune
nanofabrication
Dr. Daniel Packwood is improving methods for constructing tiny “nanomaterials” using a “bottom-up” approachcalled “molecular self-assembly”. In
the future, this method may be used
to produce tiny wires with diameters1/100,000th that of a piece of hair, or tinyelectrical circuits that can fit on the tipof a needle.

iCeMS led Japan Delegation
at World Stem Cell Summit in Florida
For the fifth year running, iCeMS co-organized the2016 World Stem Cell Summit, held in West Palm
Beach, Florida on December 6-9. The event attracted
policy makers, academics, industry leaders and patientadvocates from over 40 countries. At the iCeMS' led
symposium, the Japanese panel highlighted recent
key scientific findings as well as new products andtechnologies.

A nanofiber matrix for healing
Individuals

Producing promisingscientists of the next
generation

Research Highlights

Formation of chain-shaped structures on a copper surface via molecular self-assembly

On February 2nd and 4th, iCeMS hosted the Kyoto
University International Symposia in Thailand.
The symposium on the 2nd was held at the
Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology.
Researchers from both countries gave presentations
under the theme of “Materials for a Sustainable
Future”. On the 4th, they changed the venue to
Bangkok and held another symposium co-organizedwith the Kyoto Union Club. After plenary talks andpresentations, the reception party for the day took
place, enlivening the event.

11

Explore the secrets of life and innovate for the good of society

iCeMS’ Mission- Explore the secrets of life by creating compounds to control cells- Create life-inspired new materials for the future
Global warming. Pollution. Disease. Aging. These major concerns
can no longer be countered by traditional single disciplinebased research. At iCeMS, cell biologists, biophysicists, chemists,
material scientists, physicists, and bioengineers share ideas andwork together to devise new ways to integrate cells and materials,
all for the greater good. We find inspiration through collaboration.
We leverage our critical mass of scientific and technologicalknowledge into purposeful, transformative innovations for thepractical benefit of society.
Size of meso-scale materials

Chemical
Biology
TissueEngineering

Comparison withfamiliar things…

Molecule

Sesame(2 mm)

Biophysics

Mesoscopic Domain

〜１nm

Cells

Vol.4
2017 March

Cell Biology

ScienceCommunication

Watermelon(20 cm)〜１µm

Water ball
(2 m)

Medicine

iCeMS
Our World, Your Future

Materials
Science

Environment andEnergyProduction 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

Innovation