ืҍ¦๟ЁࠀǰǟǍȜ«ǍȒǢǱOCARINA Communication 1

OCARINA Communication 1■ Special Feature
As Humans and as Scientists in Pursuit of Truth
Disseminating to the World from the City of Osaka
A year and a half since the official launching of the Advanced Research Institute for Natural
Science and Technology, we are now initiating the publication of a public newsletter, OCARINA
News which will report on our activities and research results over time. In this the first issue,
as a special edition we are bringing you a dialogue between the Institute’s Director, Professor
Isamu Kinoshita, and Project Leader Professor Hideki Hashimoto.

Beginning from jointly undertaken projects, the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology has
been established as a base.

construction and scheduled for completion in Heisei 24, another base for
the Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology canalso be created. We hope that there as well new research projects will beadvanced.

1Prof. Kinoshita: Out of the idea that research which cuts across theProf. Hashimoto: Yes, the new facility will provide us with 1,000 squareboundaries of existing disciplines and research fields is indispensable

meters of space. Since we will have that much more space, we hopefor solving our contemporary problems, we began some joint researchpeople who want to locate there will prepare research programs andprojects, and that was the starting point, wasn’t it? Since then, not only

raise the funding. We will welcome them!

in our research, but in building our organization and in raising funds, it

Prof. Kinoshita: For certain, self-reliant efforts are necessary. It has

feels as if we have been continuously running at full speed.

become that way for ourselves as well.

Prof. Hashimoto: Research in the natural sciences is advancing day by

Prof. Hashinoto: That’s right. We have received research funds

day, so if we don’t move forward decisively we will be left behind.

from CREST (Strategic Creative Research Promotion Project) as wellProf. Kinoshita: That’s right. We couldn’t wait for a couple of years foras various enterprises, and from the supplementar y budget of the

our new headquarters building to be finished, so we made our first base

Ministry of Education and Science. We have made all kinds of efforts

here in Building No. 2. This building was formerly used by the ‘Yokaren,’at self-reliance. In order to assert our rights, we also have to fulfill our

the Naval Aviation preparatory students, so the beams are thick and theobligations.

2structure itself is quite sturdy, giving us a sense of security. The structure

Without the arrangement of somehow providing a third of researchof this building is virtually the same as that of this school’s Building

funds on one’s own, getting a third form the university, and a third from7 gigatons of CO2 per year. We are exerting all of our effort just to

Japan we have to turn our eyes to the sea. And when we do, we see thatNo. 1, which has been designated as a tangible cultural property by thethe national budget, it is pretty difficult. It’s natural, in doing one’s own

somehow cope with 20% of that or about 2 gigatons.

a very strange life form is there. Normally, from seeds there are sprouts,

Cultural Affairs Agency. I’m proud of the fact that a building with such a

research, that you should have to provide something extra, and that canlong history can also be used as the base for our research.

Well then, what is the mechanism by which 203 gigatons of CO2 areflowers bloom, and thus plants multiply. But in this case that doesn’t

be fairly daunting.

absorbed? I think it is appropriate for even an organization of modest

happen, and we find that the organism multiplies while still in the form ofProf. Hashimoto: We just altered the interior, and that has made it into

Prof. Kinoshita: If I can add one more thing, in drawing a third ofscale such as our Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science andseeds.

a modern space. On top of that, isn’t it interesting that in this university

research funds from the university, I think that the content of theTechnology to do research focused on this problem.

Prof. Hashimoto: You’re talking about Okinawan mozuku seaweed,with a 130 year histor y, in the oldest building the most advanced

research and whether or not it is persuasive are also being questioned.

Prof. Hashimoto: That’s because those 203 gigatons are not in aright? The seeds of this mozuku seaweed swim through the ocean riding

research is being carried out? I hope we can disseminate to the world

Prof. Hashimoto: It has been quite a struggle just getting to this point.

concentrated form. The concentration of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphereon sea currents, and when they become attached to a place where it

the results of the research on disaster prevention and the renewal of theIt started with a virtual organization from the time of former university

averages about 400 ppm (1 ppm = 0.0001%). From that small ais easy to grow then they sprout. However, because it wouldn’t do forurban environment that have been based here.

president Kaneko, and it was able to progress into a real organizational

concentration of CO2, it has the ability to dispose of 203 gigatons. Howthem to die off while they are swimming, during that time the seeds

structure due to the foresight of President Nishizawa. If everything turns

such a thing can be done is really a great mystery.

themselves split apart and multiply. Thus, they have two different ways

Forerunners who thought about the future of Osaka City
University.
Making a research institute that turns their ideas into reality…

How can 130 million people live in Japan, an island country surrounded

deceased Professor Shohachi Kakuno (former professor of Osaka City
University and Special Vice President of the university). At that time,
Professor Kakuno and Professor Hata, who served as director of the first
generation institute, envisioned an institute somewhat larger than thepresent one.
In the new natural sciences building complex as well, now under

These seeds have a simple structure, and they are easy to cultivate
artificially, so they are adaptable to experiments. The ironclad rule ofAbsorbing 203 gigatons of CO2 annually:
The wonder of photosynthesisby the sea?
Prof. Kinoshita: However you cultivate the land of Japan, it can only

one alters two factors at the same time, people cannot judge which of theProf. Kinoshita: Just mentioning the words photosynthesis andsupport 30 million people. This number comes form the population

factors caused a change.

carbon dioxide reduction may not convey the fascination and interest

during the Edo period. Society at that time was the most beautifullyProf. Kinoshita: In Okinawa they are raising 20,000 tons of mozuku

of photosynthesis research, but when you hear that “nature absorbs

developed self-subsistence cyclic system. However, when you consider

annually.

annually 203 gigatons (1 gigaton = 1 billion tons) of CO2,” aren’t you

the Japan’s climate and cultivatable land area, with a population of 130

Prof. Hashimoto: Even so, with those 20,000 tons, they can’t absorb

surprised? That is the power of photosynthesis. However hard we may

million people, self-subsistence is out of the question.

203 gigatons of CO2, can they? We have to think about this on a global

try, human beings cannot manage 203 gigatons of CO2.

Prof Hashimoto: In other words, there are too many people. But, we

scale. Something that is done in a test tube, what happens when we think

can’t just say let’s reduce the number of people, can we?

about it on a global scale? In place of the test tube, we have only theProf. Kinoshita: If we want to do something about this, in the case ofocean, right?

Prof. Kinoshita: This Advanced Research Institute for Natural
Science and Technology was born from the incisive thought of now

to multiply.

out well, I feel that the energy of the researchers will be explosive.

In contrast, through their own activities, humans are generating

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

experimentation is altering only one factor at a time. That is because if

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

OCARINA Communication 1

OCARINA Communication 1■ Special Feature

profileHideki HASHIMOTO

Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural
Science and Technology
Professor, Graduate School of Science

profileM.S. and Ph.D., Kwansei Gakuin University Graduate School of
Science. After serving as assistant professor at Osaka City University’s
Faculty of Engineering and associate professor at Shizuoka University’s
School of Engineering, became professor at Osaka City University’s
Graduate School of Science in 2002. Has served as Project Leader at
the Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
since its founding in 2008. Full-time professor in the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology since 2010 (witha joint appointment in the Graduate School of Science).

Director, Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science andTechnology
Professor, Graduate School of Science

The results of what we do now will affect our grandchildren’s
generation That is precisely why basic research isindispensable.

3

Isamu KINOSHITA

B.S. in Chemistry, Tohoku University Faculty of Science. M.S.
and Ph.D., Nagoya University Graduate School of Science. After
serving as assistant professor, lecturer, and associate professor in
Osaka City University’s Faculty of Science, was appointed to hiscurrent positions in 2003.

CO2, and raise crops that grow ten times faster than normally. Beyond

Prof. Hashimoto: Yes, it’s our mission. This kind of research is hard

that, if we were able to produce the hydrogen used in fuel cells using

to do unless we do it on such a scale that the things we think about in

It’s a quote from somebody, but it’s said that “Science does not tell us

photosynthesis, that would be extremely efficient. In order to foster the

one lab at the university bounce directly back to the government. In theabout the future. What it tells us about is humans.” That is surely true.

think about that.

people and the researchers who can understand and manage that kind ofcase of Osaka, it is just the right size… the city of Osaka itself has great

However, many people have the misunderstanding that equates science

Prof. Kinoshita: A wide variety of policy measures and research are

multifaceted working, organizations like the Advanced Research Instituteinterest in the problems of the environment, and it is an environment thatwith the future.

being carried out on CO2 reduction and on biofuels. “Aren’t thosefor Natural Science and Technology are necessary. Just doing researchis easy to study.

measures overlooking something? Are they really correct?” In order toon photosynthesis alone will not result in ideas like the ‘noson.’make such judgments, I think it is really necessary to thoroughly carry

Doing the research that can be done here because this is Osaka…

out basic research of the kind that we are involved in.

That is our mission.

From the instinctive urge of thinking, “I want to know…,”
research to fulfill humankind’s intellectual curiosity.

So that humans don’t commit mistakes…
The base we should stand on is USR (University Social
Responsibility)

are the target. Human beings basically only think about the period

Prof. Kinoshita: There is also the question of how can we transformProf. Kinoshita: Here at Osaka City University, we want to be involved

Prof. Kinoshita: I belong to the pollution generation, so I haveof time in which they themselves live, don’t you think? But the ones

and transmit efficiently the electricity generated by the sun, wind, andin research that leads to innovation from a unique perspective that exists

repeatedly asked myself the question, “Is it really alright to do chemical

who will have to bear the consequences are in their grandchildren’sother natural energy sources.

nowhere else. However, although this is just my personal opinion, at

research?” For example, the spilling of mercury that was the cause ofgeneration. We ourselves now are in just this situation. All kinds ofProf. Hashimoto: The electricity that comes from solar generation,

present we seem to be sorely lacking in a philosophical outlook. Isn’t it

Minamata disease is a terrible problem. However, because of that, how

things that people did during the period of high economic growth haveetc. is direct current, but we have to go to the trouble of converting it toimpossible to attempt innovations without a philosophy?

would it be if we banned all use of mercury? Even though when mercury

become problems for their grandchildren’s generation, and we are reallyalternating current and transmitting it, don’t we?

Prof. Hashimoto: Why do you want to do that kind of research? The

is properly disposed of, its use makes the cost cheaper and it is easier tosuffering from them. I think that essentially research is something where

Prof. Kinoshita: Direct current had the problem that along the

problem is, people have no skill in correctly asserting themselves, they

produce, that would have shut off all those possibilities.

one has to think that far ahead.

way resistance developed and the power diminished. But recently

haven’t even thought about it.

Prof. Hashimoto: From a safety perspective, it has been overregulated.

high temperature superconductors have come into use and it has

Prof. Kinoshita: I think that humans are instinctively consumed by

Prof. Kinoshita: What I’m saying is, there is no problem if it safely

become possible to transmit direct current as it is. In the case of athe desire to know things. Even when someone is in love, they want tomanaged in the real sense.

superconductive line in actual use, everything within a 500 meter radiusknow whether the other person loves them or not. Wanting to know what

Prof. Hashimoto: In other words, it’s a problem with people. Because

can be connected. What I want you to notice in this instance is urban

happens after we die is where religion comes from.

people committed mistakes, it’s a manmade disaster. If you want toProf. Kinoshita: For example, in plant factories, red LEDs are usedtransportation such as the subway. Except for the Shinkansen bullet

Prof. Hashimoto: Ultimately, we run into that proposition, don’t we?

prevent manmade disasters, then you need philosophy and ethics.

because they are more efficient. And even more recently, strobes

trains, electric trains all run using direct current, so the rails can be used

Even Faraday said that to a natural scientist, the question “what meaning

Prof. Kinoshita: Now, a public entity’s existence absolutely requires theare used for illumination that is only on in coordinated timing withas they are as infrastructure for distributing direct current. The idea that

does this research have?” is a silly question. Humans are animals withcreation of ethical guidelines. Osaka City University has its own ethicalphotosynthesis.

we should pursue photosynthesis research arose premised on this.

intellectual curiosity, and since natural science is what clarifies what we

guidelines, and in them it is written that we are exerting our efforts forProf. Hashimoto: What is impor tant in photosynthesis is theProf. Hashimoto: That’s because the solar generated and hydrogen

don’t understand, is there anything more than that which we can do?

the welfare of humanity and for society.

alternation between light and dark. It has been demonstrated that whengenerated electric power that uses photosynthesis is direct current

the light reaching plants is turned on and off, they produce about ten

Prof. Hashimoto: Ultimately it is our grandchildren’s generation who

Imagining not only one’s own specialized discipline, but thethings it is connected to…

However, we have now entered a time when the world at large will not

Prof. Hashimoto: The Advanced Research Institute for Natural Scienceelectricity.

permit us that. When we try to connect things to something that can

and Technology has its own rules, and in them it is written that our goaltimes as much oxygen as when they are continuously illuminated.

Prof. Kinoshita: So, why are we doing photosynthesis researchbe useful or lead to an innovation, that’s where philosophy and ethics

is to give back to the society and to the region.

Prof. Kinoshita: The current efficient system used in plant factories

at Osaka City University? One of the reasons is because it can be

emerge.

Prof. Kinoshita: Such things are called USR (University Social

originated from that kind of photosynthesis research.

connected to subway lines, etc. as they are for direct current electricity

Prof. Kinoshita: Honestly speaking, it’s not a question of making life

Responsibility). In the case of a company, they are called CSR, and this isProf. Hashimoto: And also, recently I have seen in the news that

infrastructure.

even more convenient than it already is. Even though there’s no directa word we hear a lot these days. The university’s version of this, the USR,

demonstration experiments have begun in which the lithium ion

Prof. Hashimoto: If we use the train lines as infrastructure, we canconnection to our daily lives, when a supernova star appears it is front

is I think the foundation that we should all join together in standing on,

batteries that GS Yuasa and others have used in electric cars are being

cover the entire city, can’t we?

page news, and when the mini-satellite explorer Hayabusa returns,

isn’t it? Of course this should be a place where we disseminate researchused a second time to store the electricity of solar batteries that are

Prof. Kinoshita: If we are trying to cut CO2 emissions by 20~25%, weeveryone is moved.

results to Osaka City, to the citizens, and to the world, but I also want it

installed on the rooftops of Lawson convenience stores. Seeing thishave to use all our technology comprehensively. One example of that isProf. Hashimoto: Everyone is moved, but they ask, “How much tax

to be a place where we disseminate an ethical and philosophical image as

news, I though it would be interesting if in the future instead of ‘Lawson’

thinking up innovations that will improve urban energy infrastructuremoney does it consume?”well.

we could have ‘noson’ or agricultural villages. Using the electricity fromand power generation that matches that. In the city of Osaka, isn’t that

Prof. Kinoshita: Nevertheless, we want to understand. If we accept

solar batteries we could put out LED illumination in a regular cycle, fix

the mission that we have?

that idea as being important, then the scientific researcher should really

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

4

OCARINA Communication 1

OCARINA Communication 1■ Research Introduction

profileAkihiko OSHIMA

Professor, Specialist in Urban Engineering, Graduate School ofEngineering, Osaka City University
B.S. Osaka City University in Engineering. M.S. and Ph.D. in
Civil Engineering, Osaka City University Graduate School ofEngineering. Beginning in 1988, served as assistant professor,
lecturer, and then associate professor in Civil Engineering Dept.
of Osaka City University’s Faculty of Engineering. Appointed topresent position in 2011. Field of specialization: Geoengineering* in addition to Prof. Oshima: Prof. Harue MASUDA (Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science); Prof. Muneki MITAMURA (Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science);
Prof. Yoshinori KANJO (Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering); Prof. Yoshikazu NISHIKAWA (General Science of Aging Societies, Graduate School of Human Life Sciences).

Characteristics of the 3 layers of groundwater: the shallow
layer, the middle layer, and the deep layer

5

In looking at groundwater, we divide it generally into three layers
depending on the depth. These are the shallow layer of groundwater
down to 40 meters below the surface, the middle layer from about 100
to 500 meters down, and the deep layer, deeper than 500 meters below
the surface. The problems involved with each layer and its means ofutilization are each different.
The shallowest layer was in former times pumped up excessively,
which was the cause leading to ground subsidence, and because of thisin 1963 the Industrial Water Use Law and the Building Water Use Law
were enforces which restricted the pumping up of groundwater. As aresult, as shown in Figure 1, ground subsidence was brought to an end,
but because this shallow groundwater layer is constantly replenishedby rain from the mountain areas, the groundwater level rose rapidly.
Along with this many kinds of problems also arose. My specialty field isresearch on this layer, and I will explain more in detail below.
What has created problems in the middle groundwater layer is thefact that digging of wells that fall outside the purview of the law andthe construction of exclusive private pipelines to utilize groundwater
have rapidly increased. The actual conditions and extent of thatwater usage are not really understood, but if these private pipelines
continue to increase they could potentially lead to the demise of water
works projects. Also, if they continue to spread, they could dry up
the groundwater and have the potential to once again create groundsubsidence. The groundwater in this layer does not have as manysources of replenishment as the shallow layer, once the volume of water
has been reduced, it is virtually impossible to restore it to its original
condition. In the deep groundwater layer as well, there is a risingdemand for water for the development of hot springs, and there is thepossibility that it will dry up in the near future. In order to prevent these
problems, we are conducting a survey of the actual status of groundwater
utilization.

Raising the groundwater level of the shallow layer causes 4
problems.
My own research is focused on the themes of the shallow groundwaterlayer and disaster prevention and the environment of the ground. By
the raising of the water level in this layer, four problems have arisen.
The first of these is that because the groundwater level has risen higher
than it was when underground structures were planned and built,
buoyancy has come into play and existing structures have become
unstable. The second problem is that excavations such as those forsubway construction, etc. have become difficult. The third problem
is the soil liquefaction that became a problem in the Great HanshinAwaji Earthquake. In the near future it is said that Tonankai and Nankai
earthquakes will occur, and with the groundwater at the high level that
it is now, one can predict that a great deal of damage will occur. And

the fourth problem is contamination of the soil and groundwater. As
groundwater penetrates soil that is contaminated with heavy metals andvolatile organic compounds (VOC), the contaminant matter will spreadalong with the groundwater.
Additionally, we believe the fact that “the abundant shallow layer ofgroundwater is not being effectively utilized” is also one of the problems,
and we are exploring ways to effectively utilize groundwater and solvethese four problems.

How much groundwater can be pumped up?
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional diagram of Osaka from east to west. The
shallow groundwater layer is divided between the ‘loose alluvial sandformation’ and the ‘No. 1 Diluvial gravel formation’ below it, sandwichingthe ‘alluvial clay formation’ which is almost impervious to water. Looking
at the two layers containing this groundwater, we calculated how muchgroundwater could be pumped up.
First of all, based on a ground database and boring survey of Osaka,
we looked at the characteristics of soil and the ground in each 250 meter
cell in a grid. From those characteristics, we tried to find how far the
alluvial clay formation layer would sink when the groundwater level was
lowered. Then, if we the amount it is possible to lower the groundwaterlevel and have the subsidence stop below the minimum permissibleamount of sinking, we can calculate the amount of groundwater thatcan be effectively utilized. In this research, based on architectural
foundation structural planning guidelines, etc. we posited the permissible
subsidence amount at 5 cm.
Figure 3 shows the case of water pumped from the alluvial sandformation layer, and Figure 4 that from the diluvial gravel formation
layer. Except for some localities where the ground is loose, we foundthat it would be possible to pump up 2~3 meters from the alluvial sandformation and 2~4 meters of groundwater from the diluvial gravel
formation.
Is lowering the groundwater level of the shallow layer effective
against soil liquefaction?
Additionally, we tried to prove whether or not lowering the groundwaterlevel would be an effective measure against liquefaction. First, weinvestigated the thickness and the grain sizes of sand in the alluvial
sand layer, and based on that data tried to find the degree of danger ofliquefaction in the case of an ocean trench type earthquake, such as the
Tonankai or Nankai earthquakes, occurring. That is shown in Figure 5.
The higher the PL value, the higher the degree of danger. At the present
groundwater level, the alluvial sand layer in eastern Osaka is thin and it
would be relatively safe, but in western Osaka the degree of danger ofliquefaction has become extremely high.
Well then, what happens when the water level of the alluvial sandlayer is lowered? Figure 6 shows the degree of danger of liquefaction
if the water level is lowered 3 meters from its present level. The red

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

color which shows an extreme danger condition has almost completely
disappeared. In other words, by lowering the groundwater level about
3 meters, liquefaction can be prevented without causing groundsubsidence.

governments, and we are lobbying the local governments towards thatend.

Thinking about effective groundwater utilization from ageo-engineering perspective
Based on these research results up till now, we are at present pursuingresearch on the effective use of the groundwater that is pumped up. For
example, there are ways of using ‘grey water’ that is in between tap waterand sewage water. Specifically, it can probably be used for cooling waterin the water-cooled air conditioning of buildings or factories, for flushing
the toilets in buildings and in parks, for green vegetation in parks andenvironmental water in biotopes. Additionally, one can think of manydifferent uses such as emergency water supply in disasters, or as waterused to dissipate the heat of urban heat islands.
What is indispensable for putting into effect this kind of effective
utilization of groundwater is the public takeover of groundwater. Seen ina larger perspective, groundwater is something that cycles through theglobal environment. Rain falls, it flows into streams and rivers, it passes
through the ground, it returns to the sea, it evaporates and then becomesrain again… While the rain, the rivers, and the ocean do not belong to
private individuals, the fact that only groundwater is subject to private
ownership is something that is very strange indeed. Concerning that,
we are thinking that groundwater should be taken over by the public
and appropriately administered and utilized by the national and local

In this team are assembled a variety of specialists who each have theirown area of expertise, not just specialists in civil engineering and geoengineering like myself, but specialists in environmental engineering andgeophysics or geology, and even a bacteriologist. Through the mutual
exchanging of information there arises a breadth and a depth to theresearch, and research of great significance can be done.
In July of this year, headed up by Professor Masuda of this same
B Group, a book that brings together our research results entitled
Urban Water Resources and the Future of
Groundwater will be published. It approaches
the subject of groundwater utilizationfrom a variety of approaches and will be acompilation of our sur veys and research,so I hope that you will get your hands on a
copy. The effective use of groundwater andproblems of the ground are ones that arevery close to our lives. We want to continue
thinking about and dealing with these issues,
not only with the government but together
Urban Water Resources and the Future with all of the ordinary citizens.

The significance of doing research as the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

of Groundwater will be published

Figure-3

Figure-5

Figure-4

Figure-6

Figure-1

Figure-2

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

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OCARINA Communication 1

OCARINA Communication 1■ Reports on Activities
Kick Off Symposium

Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
Symposium Program to Commemorate the Opening of the Institute▶ March 10, 2008
▶ Invited Speakers:◦ Richard J. Cogdell, Fellow of Royal Society (University of Glasgow, UK)◦ Alfred Holzwarth (Max-Planck Institute, Germany)◦ Cong-Qiang Liu (State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of
Sciences, China)◦ Shawn K. Y. Lum (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)◦ Shigenobu YANO (Nara Women’s University)◦ Makoto NISHIGAKI (Okayama University)◦ Nobukazu TANAKA (Electric Power Research Institute)The 3rd Activitiy Report

Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology
Conference Commemorating the Opening of Hall Number 2▶ November 18, 2010
▶ Invited Speakers:◦ Special Lecture by Shigenobu YANO
◦ Visiting Professor, Nara Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology◦ Researcher, Kyoto University Center for Liaison with Industry, Government, and Academia◦ Special Researcher, Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology◦ External Evaluator, Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology◦ Visiting Professor, Osaka City University▶ Keynote Speeches: Ritsuko FUJII (Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology)
Keisuke KAWAKAMI (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)▶ Outline of the Symposium
In November, 2010, in the fourth year since the establishment of the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, it was formallyestablished as a truly active research facility base. On the occasion of its projects
beginning in actuality as well as in name, a commemorative conference washeld, and in addition to a special lecture by Visiting Professor Yano, there were
two keynote lectures and 34 poster sessions. All the participants renewed theirdetermination to make this into a world-leading research organization.

▶ Outline of the Symposium

7

Our first symposium, held to commemorate the opening of the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology. In order tostrategically help develop research for dealing with the urgent urban
problems of energy shor tages, water resource shor tages, and global
warming, domestic and foreign researchers active in the appropriate fields
were invited, and an energetic exchange of views was carried out while
sharing awareness aimed at removing the barriers between disciplines and solving problems.

8

The 2nd Activitiy Report

The 4th Activitiy Report2010 OCU International Symposium on the Foundation of Environmental Research

The Third Osaka City University Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science andTechnology International Conference: Kakuno Memorial▶ March 8~9, 2010
▶ Invited Speakers:▶ March 7~9, 2011
▶ Invited Speakers:◦ Richard J. Cogdell (University of Glasgow, UK)◦ Thomas A. Moore (Arizona State University, USA)◦ Ana L. Moore (Arizona State University, USA)
◦ Bruno Robert (CEA, FR)◦ Leroy Cronin (University of Glasgow, UK)◦ Timothy J. Storr (Simon Fraser University, CA)◦ Lawrence R. Sita (University of Maryland, USA)◦ L. James Wright (University of Auckland, NZ)◦ Osamu ISHITANI (Tokyo Institute of Technology)◦ Chikara MIYASAKA (Toin Yokohama University)▶ Outline of the Symposium
The venue for the Second International Symposium was the Awaji Dream
Stage International Conference Hall. In an environment of blue sea andgreen forests where one could feel close to abundant nature, there wereeleven presentations by invited speakers and 27 poster sessions. Under theslogan of “Saving the World from Osaka,” energetic discussions were held
over two days and a first step was taken towards the dissemination of information.

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology◦ Richard J. Cogdell (University of Glasgow, UK)		
◦ Thomas A. Moore (Arizona State University, USA)		
◦ Ana L. Moore (Arizona State University, USA)		
di Milano, Italy)			
◦ Dalio Polli (Politecni◦ Kazi Matin Ahmed (University of Dhaka, Bangladesh)		
◦ Guoji Ding (Shanghai University, China) 			
◦ Yuriko MATSUMURA (Seikei University)◦ Masako KATO (Hokkaido University)◦ Toshio ASADA (Osaka Prefectural University)◦ Mitsuo TODA (Shizuoka University)◦ Satoshi MATSUDA (Shizuoka University)◦ Sarah Henry (University of Glasgow, UK)◦ Misaki NAKAI (Kansai University)▶ Outline of the Symposium
Our third international symposium was held titled the ‘Kakuno Memorial’ inrecognition of the great achievements of the late Professor Shohachi Kakuno
who exer ted great ef for ts in the establishment of the Advanced ResearchInstitute for Natural Science and Technology. In addition to announcing theachievements up till now of the institute and presenting the results of the latest
research, lectures were presented by researchers from Japan and abroad. Also,at the same time, aiming at even more substantial research activities, ideas for
new projects were solicited and then announced.

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

OCARINA Communication 1

OCARINA Communication 1■ Topics
profileNobuo KAMIYA

Professor, Osaka City University Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science andTechnology
After serving as a visiting researcher at the HighEnergy Physics Research Institute’s Synchrotron
Radiation Experimental Facility, Chief Associate
Researcher at the RIKEN Institute, and Directorof the Office of Research Technology at RIKEN
Harima Institute’s Large Synchrotron Radiation
Facility (SPring-8), was appointed professor
in Osaka City University’s Graduate Schoolof Science. Ph.D. in Physics Chemistry. Since2010 he has been a full-time professor at theAdvanced Research Institute for Natural Scienceand Technology.

Solving the mystery of oxygen release inphotosynthesis–
A stepping stone towards artificial photosynthesis

9

The research group led by Professor Nobuo Kamiya (specialistin structural chemical biology molecular physics) of the Advanced
Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology and Professor
Shen Jian-Ren (specialist in biosciences) of Okayama University’s
Graduate School of Natural Sciences has solved the mystery of thereaction in photosynthesis where light energy is used to break downwater and release oxygen. Analyzing the mechanism whereby radiantlight energy from the sun is transformed into chemical energy that canbe utilized by living things is a dramatic result that contributes to thesolving of global environmental problems, energy problems, and foodsupply problems. The results of this research are published as a research
article in the British journal Nature (Nature 473 (7345), 55-60, 2011).
The familiar and important reaction of photosynthesis
Photosynthesis, the phenomenon in which the leaves of plants receive
sunlight and produce carbohydrates from water sucked up from theirroots and carbon dioxide from the air, and at the same time releaseoxygen back into the air, is well known. I think there are probably people
who can remember performing an experiment about the time they werein middle school of putting a piece of black paper cut in the appropriate
shape over a leaf and exposing it to sunlight for a while. In the part ofthe leaf blocked from the sun the green pigment which is chlorophyll
has been removed and it has turned white. If one applies iodine to theleaf, the part where there was no black paper is stained purple, and thepart covered by the paper stays white and the original shape can be seen
floating up. This was precisely the process of starch (carbohydrates)
being made in the leaves of plants through photosynthesis, made visibleby the reaction of iodine and starch turning a purple color. In this way
photosynthesis is something that is familiar to us, and among the many
phenomena of life it is something that can be said to be especially
important. The carbohydrates produced through photosynthesis,
together with proteins and lipids, are called collectively the three major
nutrients. These carbohydrates break down into sugars inside ourbodies, and the oxygen we obtain from breathing reacts chemically withthem and becomes the energy for our activity. If we look for the sourceof the oxygen in the air, during the long period said to be 3 billion years
since the origin of the earth, all of it has been created by photosynthesis.
Additionally, the proteins and lipids as well that are indispensable for ourlife, if we look into the basis of the whole organic world, the source of theenergy for producing them comes entirely from photosynthesis.
The base of the green pigment is chlorophyll
Since photosynthesis is thus an extremely important life phenomenon
for all of us, research on it has a long history going back more than

200 years. It started first of all with the discovery, during the industrial
revolution that began with the invention of the steam engine, that plants
could purify the air that had been polluted by humans burning unlimited
amounts of coal. From observations with optical microscopes it became
understood that not all the cells of plants were entirely green, but thatchlorophyll was concentrated in the green body of leaves and that iswhere photosynthesis occurred. And then, after the electron microscope
was invented, it was discovered that inside the chloroplasts there was astructure of sac-like double membranes of lipids (thylacoid membranes)
stacked on top of each other, and that the chlorophyll was only in thispart. Chlorophyll works by absorbing sunlight and harvesting its energy,
and by the mid 20th century its chemical structure was understood.
Chlorophyll is made up of a ring-shaped part at its tip (a chlorine ringwith magnesium at the center) combined with an elongated chain
part (phytol chain). Both the chlorine ring and the phytol chain arehydrophobic, not breaking down easily in water but rather easily solublein oil, and the chlorophyll is surrounded by a hydrophobic compound of
lipids and membrane protein buried in the thylacoid membranes.
Crystallization of a natural catalyst that produces oxygen from water
Photosystem II (PSII) is one of these lipoproteins membrane proteins
and it works as an enzyme, in other words as a biological catalyst, tobreak down water in photosynthesis and make oxygen molecules. Alongwith oxygen molecules, PSII also produces hydrogen ions and electrons,
and they are used in the synthesis of biological material necessary
for changing carbon dioxide into carbohydrates (carbon dioxide
assimilation). Because PSII acts in this crucial way as an enzyme that is
crucial in photosynthesis, there is a long history of research attempting
to reveal its molecular structure and understand the reaction mechanism
by which it produces oxygen. X-ray crystallography is a method ofgathering molecules into crystals and revealing the molecular structurefrom the X-ray diffraction image, and it has been possible to use it tolook at proteins with a large molecular weight for about forty years now.
However, in the beginning, all of the proteins whose crystal structure
was successfully analyzed were water soluble ones that easily dissolvedin water, and it wasn’t until only about 20 years ago that hydrophobic
membrane proteins such as PSII could be structurally analyzed.
Whether in compounds with a small molecular weight or compoundswith a large molecular weight, what is important when tr ying tocrystallize the molecules is to obtain pure specimens that do not contain
impurities. In the case of PSII which is not water soluble and is buried in
the thylacoid membrane, first it must be made water soluble by treating
it with a surface activating agents, and then all the impurities must be
removed. However, the surface activating agents are essentially like thedetergents that are used to make grease spots on clothes dissolve, and
if ones that are too strong are used they will break down the structureof the PSII itself (protein degeneration). Also, while the PSII is originallystable within the hydrophobic thylacoid membrane, in its soluble state
due to the surfactants, it is unstable, and with time degenerated material
becomes mixed in with the pure material. This degenerated material
resembles PSII, and so it cannot be easily removed, and this is the mosttroublesome part of trying to crystallize membrane proteins.
X-ray crystallography crystallographic analysis of PSII
This is only one of the reasons why the crystallization of membraneproteins is so difficult, and our research team has consumed a very
long time in trying to obtain good crystals. It has already been 20 years
since we first started our research trying to crystallize PSII and reveal
its structure. Actually, in the first few years we obtained a green colored
precipitate and so we took it to the Synchrotron Radiation Experimental
Facility (the Photon Factory) in Ibaraki Prefecture and tried X-ray
diffraction experiments. However, the results were abysmal and we

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

could not verify any specks spots (diffraction points spots) that would
show indicate that it was a crystal. In other words, although it was green
and it contained chlorophyll, it was not a crystal of pure PSII. Fromthen on a long and bitter struggle ensued, but recently we have finallysucceeded in obtaining crystals of very high quality and we took them tothe Large Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SPring-8) in Hyogo Prefectureand had them complete a crystal structure analysis. Figure 1 shows amodel rendition of the entire structure of PSII, in which two monomers
with a molecular weight of 350,000 are gathered into a dual-monomer
dimer. The monomer of PSII is a compound in which 19 varieties ofproteins (called subunits) are gathered together. In each subunit aminoacids are arranged in straight lines (called polypeptide chains) and they
are sterically folded up, but the molecular structure of the atoms ofwhich they are composed becomes too complex when shown and it is
impossible to illustrate well its entire appearance. In Figure 1, the partsof the polypeptide chains that that has a structure of spiral twists (called
helixes) are shown as sticks like a baton, and the other parts are foldedand connected by strings. From the figure, one can see that there is anarea in the PSII where long helixes stand in rows, and below that there isan area where comparatively short helixes are clustered. The area where
the batons are standing up in rows are a group of hydrophobic helixes,
and in PSII this part is buried in the thylacoid membrane. The second
part is the water soluble part outside of the thylacoid membrane, and in
the spots circled in red in the figure are the Mn4CaO5 clusters whichplay the most important part in PSII’s production of oxygen. (Pleaserefer to Figure 2).

Figure-1

Photosystem II (PSII)

The electron transfer reaction of PSIIIn Figure 1, between the multiple helixes standing up that pierce
through the thylacoid membrane, here and there are narrow openings.
Actually, in these crevices a lot of hydrophobic chlorophyll is buried
which absorbs sunlight and works as an antenna to transmit thatenergy to the reaction center (called P680). P680 is where two units ofspecial chlorophyll are gathered,and from the energy theyreceive from the surrounding
chlorophyll there is momentarily
an opposition created between
electrons wrapped in a negative
charge and ‘holes’ (this is called acharge-separated state as charge
separation). These electrons
move from the P680 to outside
the PSII and are ultimately usedin the synthesis of biologicalmaterial necessar y for carbon
dioxide assimilation. On theother hand, the holes that are left
Figure-2 Chemical structure of thebehind exert an extremely strong
Mn4CaO5 cluster
pull on electrons, and this force

pulls out electrons from the nearby Mn4CaO5 cluster and additionallyfrom the water molecules that are compounded with coordinated to thecluster. Altogether this process leads to one electron being pulled awayfrom a water molecule, but to produce one molecule of oxygen from two
molecules of water a total of 4 electrons must be pulled away. Which is to
say that in PSII the process outlined above continues to occur through 4
repetitions.
Chemical structure of the Mn4CaO5 cluster
Figure 2 shows the detailed chemical structure of the Mn4CaO5cluster that operates in this complicated reaction. It has a shape like awarped distorted chair, and this has been revealed to the world for the
first time through this crystal structure analysis. The resolution is 1.9
A (angstroms). Resolution as used here means the shortest distancethat can clearly separate two points, and 1 angstrom equals 1/10,000thof a micron, so in the present structural analysis the two atoms that are
combined in the center of the molecule can clearly be distinguished.
In the illustration, the 4 atoms of manganese (Mn) are shown coloredpurple, calcium (Ca) is yellow, the 5 atoms of oxygen that connect them
are red, and the 4 atoms of oxygen from the water that is combinedwith the cluster are shown as orange. What we particular notice is thatthe special oxygen is the cause of the chair’s warped distorted shape,
which is in the middle right side of the calcium in long distances fromthe surrounding metals, and the two units of water that are near it–2 ofthese 3 atoms of oxygen (which combination it will be is unclear) we can
expect to combine into an oxygen molecule. If we accept this expectationas our working hypothesis, we can envision the reaction mechanism of
PSII that releases oxygen. If When we assume that refer the molecular
structure has been undeniably clarified by the current structural analysis
and we have a vision of the reaction mechanism, we can design anartificial catalyst to break down water and produce oxygen, and we canpredict expect that in the future synthesis research will develop on a
global scale.
Towards artificial photosynthesis
In the Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science andTechnology’s A Research Group, development of artificial antennas
for the efficient collection of solar radiation is being pursued, andresearch on the synthesis of metallo-organic complexes that will absorb
sunlight and produce a stable charge-separated state, and research on
artificial catalysts that can produce oxygen from water are all being
carried out, so one may believe that it will not take much time before
an artificial oxygen-producing catalyst is synthesized modeled on
the structure of the Mn4CaO5 cluster which has now been revealed.
Looking ahead towards the realization of artificial photosynthesis, theremaining issues are artificial catalysts that can cause hydrogen to be
produced at the same time that oxygen is; the development of artificial
catalysts for synthesizing methanol from carbon dioxide; and to createa system that combines these together with the antennas, the chargeseparation complex, and the oxygen-producing catalyst generation
mentioned above. In ultimately creating a system and making it highly
efficient, one can expect that there will be major hurdles to overcome
like the development of artificial catalysts for synthesizing hydrogenand methanol, the know-how for integrating each of these modules intoa system is already being accumulated in the world of industry, and if
we can collaborate fruitfully with industry, I believe there is abundantpotential for realizing the artificial photosynthesis that is our goal.

The OCU Advance Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology

10Osaka City University’s Advanced Research Institute for
Natural Science and Technology
At present, among the problems that we human beings must urgently solve are the lackof energy, the lack of water resources, and global warming. At the same time that theseare problems created by modern cities, they exert tremendous influence over the cities
themselves and can precisely be said to be symbolic of contemporary urban problems. For
those of us who live in Osaka, these are of course pressing problems, and as one of thegovernment’s designated major cities, to lead the world in proposing and advocating policies
and guidelines that appropriately deal with these problems is an extremely essential andimportant task.
Towards that end, at Osaka City University we have strategically fused together thewisdom of the separate research disciplines of this university and established OCARINA,
the OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology as the researchorganization to pursue the organic development of the core themes. In the project we are
currently pursuing, “Strategic New Development for Rebirth of the Urban Environment,” weare dealing with the following three research topics:
Strategic Topic A: Pioneering and industrial application of the next generation of energy;
Strategic Topic B: Constructing sound utilization methods for groundwater resources topreserve the metropolitan environment and prevent ground subsidence;
Strategic Topic C: Spatio-temporal changes of the environment and ecology of themetropolitan area.
These topics are inclusive, including a range of scales from microscopic spaces tomacroscopic forecasts. In order to appropriately respond to the various problems toenvironmental problems in the urban region and at the global scale, it is indispensable tohave mutual communication that transcends the boundaries of disciplines. We also believe
we have a responsibility to convey the results we obtain to all the citizens of Osaka and to
the wider world.
It has been just one year since the Advanced Research Institute for Natural Scienceand Technology began operating formally as an organ. At the end of last year we wereable to able to establish a base in Hall Number 2. Moreover, construction work has
now substantially begun on the new Natural Sciences Building Complex, scheduled forcompletion in the summer of 2012, which will become our second base. From our desire tourgently solve global scale issues, we first brought together the people and the knowledge,
but physical improvements to our facilities are also advancing, and we intend to make this
into a world-leading research institution.

2011.8