HSI Report: “Fundamentals ofMarine Pathology”
University News | September 09, 2020
Hokkaido Summer Institute (HSI) has always attracted students aroundthe world with a compelling array of courses instructed by experts fromacross the world. However, HSI 2020 has a different flavor compared tothe previous years, due to preventative measures taken against theCOVID-19 pandemic. Regrettably, while external applicants were not able
to take part in this year’s courses, Hokkaido University students were stillable to participate in classes in person or online.
The course “Fundamentals of Marine Pathology” was a five-day course
designed and instructed by Dr. Kevin Wakeman from the Institute for theAdvancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University. This course wasgeared towards students seeking to learn about diseases in marineorganisms using contemporary methods such as histology and molecularbiology.

Through video call, the online participant could observe how dissections are being conductedwhile receiving verbal explanations from both the instructor and a fellow student.

The course was originally intended to be held twice in two separate fiveday courses: lecture and lab. However, some scheduling adjustments had
to be made due to the pandemic and so Dr. Wakeman decided to push
everything into one condensed five-day (5-6 hours each day) course
consisting of lectures and lab activities from August 24th to 28th. Some
major changes included the cancellation of the arrival of two guest
instructors from New Zealand, and planned travel associated with thecourse was avoided (specimen observations took place within the campus
laboratory).
“The visiting researchers and I initially planned to do this course in June.
We planned to travel to parts of Hokkaido, as part of the course, to collectsamples in the field and also examine fish markets. However, earlier inthe year, travel restrictions and concerns over student and public healthdelayed the course and forced us to reconsider how to best introduce thecourse material to a group of students. Ultimately, the researchers fromNew Zealand were unable to make it to Japan. Fortunately, we were still
able to get the samples for the activity here in Hokkaido University’slaboratory. I was actually quite pleased that we were able to hold thiscourse in-person at all. The Faculty of Science was of great assistance inthis regard and lent us their large student-laboratory during this time,”
explained Dr. Wakeman.
For part of the course, 4 types of mollusks were observed includingmussels, oysters, surf clams, and marine snails. Students were also able todissect large tunicates. During these practical sessions, the students
proceeded with practical steps in which they were trained to not justidentify but also properly deal with varying organs for histology andmolecular work. Patience and delicate hands, blended with curiosity, arethe keys to master dissections.
For histological work, after the tissues were prepared and embedded in
wax overnight, the tissue-blocks were sectioned into thin slices using amicrotome. Wax-histology is something the students experience briefly as
part of their undergraduate coursework; hence this part of the course is agreat opportunity to test what they remember and hone their skills. This
year’s small number of classroom participants allowed each student anextended time grasping the technique—at times, histology is just as muchof an art as a science.

Students learn firsthand how to prepare and operate the microtome after learning the tricks(and hazards!).

For this particular course, there were four on-site participants and one
online participant (a Hokkaido University student who is currently inThailand); all were students from Hokkaido University’s Integrated
Science program (ISP). Each of the students have an interest in the studyof organismal biology.
“Here we can find specimens that we don’t usually work on in regularscience classes. They are rare to find,” claimed one of the students.
The biggest challenge might have been dealing with online learning since
the online course-taker generally requires more effort to gain the samelevel of insight compared to those who are learning in the class. The timedifference encourages both the online participants and people on-site,
especially the instructor, to be more flexible in the entire learning process.

“It is challenging, considering this is the first time we are doing thismarine pathology course, and to mix it with the online format, on top of
that, was an experience for me. But, it is the world in which we currently
live, and I find it to be great practice for similar classes this next semesterand in the future,” said Dr. Wakeman.

Dr. Kevin Wakeman (second from left) and the on-site participants of the course.

HSI 2020 might have not been available for external candidates, but it
will be opened next year with additional things to look forward to. With145 courses already planned ahead, HSI 2021 has been designed to adapt
to the upcoming situation. While the ideal learning format is to have onsite learning to let the students experience Hokkaido’s pleasant summer,
HSI 2021 will also provide better remote and hybrid learning for future
participants and guest researchers.
To receive information about HSI 2021, sign up for a reminder throughthe following link:
https://hokkaidosummerinstitute.oia.hokudai.ac.jp/E-Notices/

Written by Aprilia Agatha Gunawan