MEXT World Premier International Research Center (WPI) InitiativeJanuary 2012

Institute for Integrated
Cell-Material Sciences
Established at Kyoto University as a WPI center

DirectorNorio Nakatsuji

A truly international organization

staff of 274: 174 researchers (31% overseas, 27% female),in 2007 by the Japanese Ministry of Education,
A totalL aunchedresearch support staff of 70, administrative staff of 30 (as of May
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in orderto establish globally visible research centers, the WPI program
seeks to 1) advance leading edge research, 2) create newinterdisciplinary domains, 3) establish truly international
research environments, and 4) reform existing researchorganizations. The MEXT grants average ¥1.4 billion(approximately US$14 million) annually per center over 10–15years, and interim evaluations are conducted at 5-year
intervals. Each center is required to have: 1) 10–20
world-class principal investigators (PIs), 2) over 30% overseas
researchers, and 3) a staff of over 200 total.

Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material
Sciences (iCeMS) is one of six centers established under
the WPI program. Its founding director is Prof. Norio Nakatsuji,Japan's pioneer in the establishment and distribution of human
ES cell lines, and a leader in ES/iPS cell-based drug discovery.

Research areas and objectives

I

nvestigating the control mechanisms of
The iCeMS aims to create newmultimolecular structures within cells andcross-disciplinary fields throughartificial materials, the iCeMS pioneers theintegration of the cell anddevelopment of stem cell science andmaterial sciences.
Innovations in medicine, pharmaceuticals,
the environment, and industry

Stem CellS&T

Mesoscopic
S&T

Integrated Cell andMaterial Sciences
Chemistry

Cell Biology

Physicstechnology, and mesoscopic science andtechnology. These are anticipated to lead toinnovations in medicine, pharmaceuticals, theenvironment, and industry.
Stem cell science and technology include:
1) reprogramming with chemical compounds
for iPS cell derivation, 2) chemical probes forstem cell research, 3) control of ES/iPS cell
growth and differentiation with chemicals andmaterials, and 4) creation and applications ofstem cell-derived model cells in medicine anddrug discovery.
Mesoscopic science and technology include:
1) imaging and probing mesoscopic complexes in living cells, 2) production of functional
mesoscopic materials (e.g., porous
coordination polymers: PCPs), 3) integrationof mesoscopic materials and living cells, and 4)
modeling, simulation, and physics theories ofmesoscopic events in materials and living cells.

2011) • PIs: Konstantin Agladze, Yong Chen, Yoshie Harada,
Mitsuru Hashida, John Heuser, Takashi Hiiragi, Hiroshi Imahori,
Mineko Kengaku, Makoto Kiso, Susumu Kitagawa, Akihiro Kusumi,
Norio Nakatsuji, Hiroshi Sugiyama, Mikio Takano, Koichiro Tanaka,Kazumitsu Ueda, Motonari Uesugi, Shinya Yamanaka • iCeMS
Kyoto Fellows: Peter Carlton, Ziya Kalay, Franklin Kim, Tatsuya
Murakami, Takuya Yamamoto • Other research groups: Kenichi
Suzuki (NCBS-inStem Satellite Lab), Shintaro Sengoku (innovationmanagement), Kazuto Kato (science communication)1) rapid, institute director-centered decision-making
M anagement:
process, 2) use of English as the official language, 3) open

offices and shared labs, 4) strong support for non-Japanese/femle
researchers, 5) iCeMS Kyoto Fellow (junior PI) positions, 6) young
researcher overseas visit program, and more. The iCeMS also seeks
to have its researchers acquire the abilities to effectively relay thelatest advances in science and technology to society at large, while
maintaining their own scientific integrity. These efforts to strengthenscience communication skills and social literacy illustrate the iCeMS’
dedication to future generations of scientists.

Bridging cell and material sciences
Cell membrane architecture/function
Intracellular delivery of
bio-functional materials▸ Ion channel/transporter/receptor with
bio-functional chemicals/materials▸ Control by external signals

Chromatin architecture/function▸ Gene expression control with biofunctional chemicals/materials

Cellular environment architecture/function▸ Nano/meso/micro-engineered materials with bio-functional molecules

Satellite and partner institutions for global collaboration

CiRA, CeMI: centers launched and evolving▸ Satellite at Gifu University▸ Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), India▸ Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)▸ Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI CBG)
▸ Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)▸ National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), India▸ NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine (NIH CRM)
▸ Pohang Univ. of Science & Technology Division of Advanced Materials Science (POSTECH AMS)
▸ Purdue University Center for Basic and Applied Membrane Sciences (PUBAMS)▸ Riken Center for Developmental Biology (CDB)▸ Seoul National University Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center▸ The University of Edinburgh MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine (MRC CRM)
▸ UCLA California Nanosystems Institute (CNSI)▸ University of Cambridge Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR)

iCeMS Prof. Shinya Yamanaka’ s successful generation
F ollowingof human iPS cells in 2007, the Center for iPS Cell Research andDeputy Director
Susumu Kitagawa

human ES cells

Application (CiRA) was established in 2008 under the auspices of theiCeMS. In April 2010 Kyoto University reestablished the CiRA as afully fledged institute. Prof. Yamanaka serves both as CiRA Director
while continuing in his iCeMS professorship. Basic research into iPS
cells continues to be conducted mainly at the iCeMS, with the twosister institutes closely tied. The Center for Meso-Bio Single-Molecule
Imaging (CeMI), established in March 2009 and led by Prof. Akihiro
Kusumi, aims to develop new single-molecule and terahertz
technologies for imaging biomolecular complexes in living cells, andmake these technologies available quickly to the scientific community
worldwide for the further advancement of cellular meso-science.

human iPS cells

Copyright © 2011 Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University

CiRA Director and iCeMS Professor
Shinya Yamanaka
www.icem s. k yot o-u . a c . j p