April 2017

Summary of Proposal (Compile in English within 3 pages.)
Host institution: Nagoya University
Head of host institution: Seiichi Matsuo (President)
Research center: Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)
Center director: Kenichiro Itami
Chief center-project officer (in December 2012): Kenichiro Itami (Director)
Administrative director: Tsuyoshi Matsumoto

1) Project summary
ITbM was launched at Nagoya University (NU) as a unique research center to develop “transformative
bio-molecules” that make a marked change in the form and nature of biological science and technology.
Many interdisciplinary research projects have emerged rapidly in the “Mix Lab”, where new unique ideas inresearch are being generated from daily communications among the researchers from different fields
who wor k side-by-side. As a result, a number of new bio-functional molecules and molecular technologies
has been developed. Many of the research outcomes have been filed for patents and published as joint
publications between different research groups. According to the Center’s research progress, ITbM has
defined its flagship projects as “Plant Chemical Biology”, “Chemical Chronobiology”, and“Chemistry-enabled Live Imaging”. ITbM will focus on these flagship research areas and will wor k toactively pr omote chemical biology research to “understand”, “see”, and “regulate” living or ganisms by
establishing new inter disciplinar y research fields between chemistr y and biology. This is expected tolead to the creation of transformative bio-molecules.
2) Mission statement and/or center’s identity
The mission of ITbM is to develop diverse functional molecules that bring about innovative impact on theprinciple of biological systems. To accomplish this, we will harness our synthetic abilities based onmolecule-activation chemistr y. We seek to effect a paradigm shift in science by creating a new field of
research that aims to implement programmed chemical transformations for precisely controlling the
production of bio-functional molecules of requisite structures and their functional expressions. The identityof ITbM resides in the development of novel bio-molecules that will achieve this goal. To accomplish this,we will enlist the best synthetic chemists and plant and animal biologists worldwide.
3) Research fields
ITbM’s research to develop “transformative bio-molecules” is closely related to the fields of synthetic
chemistry, molecular catalysis, functional molecular science, systems biology, plant science, plant genetics,
plant developmental biology, animal physiology, protein science, and bio-imaging. These are areas inwhich NU has significant international competitive advantages. We plan to bring this to a new level by
exploiting cutting-edge synthetic chemistry partnered with fundamental biological systems of plants andanimals. This research endeavor will have significant impacts in closely related fields of chemical biology
and medicinal chemistr y, but most importantly, on areas that are of urgent global importance including
world food production, medical care, and bioenergy.
4) Research objectives
Since ITbM’s establishment in 2013, novel synthetic small bio-molecules have been developed.
Molecule-initiated biology (chemical biology) to create transformative bio-molecules is currently shifting
to the next phase, i.e., understanding and controlling biological pr ocesses by utilizing the molecules
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developed at ITbM.
At such a turning point, ITbM has defined the following flagship research areas based on ITbM’s
research achievements so far: plant chemical biology, chemical chronobiology, andchemistry-enabled live imaging. ITbM will focus on these flagship research areas and will wor k toactively pr omote chemical biology research to “understand”, “see”, and “regulate” living or ganisms by
establishing new interdisciplinary research fields between chemistry and biology, which will lead to thecreation of transformative bio-molecules.
5) Outline of management
ITbM will take number of measures to remove the barriers that hinder interdisciplinary research andinternationalization thereby triggering a fundamental transformation of existing academic systems.
・
・
・
・
・

The Center Director will have the authority to make the final decisions over the appointments ofpersonnel, the Center budget, and research priorities etc.
Steering Committee meeting and PI meeting are held to provide advice to the Center Director.
A rigorous evaluation of researchers will be made, and the results will be reflected in the salaries ofresearchers.
We will establish an effective and efficient Administrative Department with English-speaking staff foraccelerating the internationalization of ITbM as well as promotion of the fusion of different research
fields.
The Administration Department is led by Administrative Director with a strong background of scientificresearch and is composed of Management Division, Research Promotion Division (RPD), andStrategic Planning Division (SPD).

6) Researchers and other center staffs, satellites, partner institutions
As of the end of FY2016, ITbM consists of 72 researchers including 13 PIs (8 NU PIs, 5 overseas PIs), 47
research support staffs, and 13 administrative staffs. In addition, students conducting research at each
PI group are involved in the research projects at ITbM.
The overseas PIs are talented researchers in their field and will have double affiliations with their hostinstitute and NU. We introduced a system of Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) to: (1) ensure close
contact with ITbM’s researchers and continuity in research; and (2) mentor leading young researchers.
Young faculties are appointed to overseas PI groups. The Co-PIs will be based at Nagoya, where they are
selected and guided by the overseas PIs for actively managing their research groups in ITbM. This will
facilitate research in Japan and also help train young researchers (Co-PIs) to become leaders of the next
generation.
Cooperating Institutes: Queen’s University (Canada), University of Washington (USA), ETH Zürich
(Switzerland), University of Southern California (USA), University of Düsseldorf (Germany), National
Science Foundation Center for Selective C-H Functionalization (NSF-CCHF, USA), Institute for Basic
Science (IBS, KAIST, Korea), University of Freiburg (Germany), Academia Sinica (Taiwan), and RIKEN
Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS, Japan).
7) Outline of research environment(1) We established a Mix-Lab system, where international young researchers from different fields wor k
together in order to accelerate multidisciplinary advances through informal discussions on a daily
basis.
(2) To make the overseas PIs’ research at ITbM possible, IT bM decided to employ young researchers as
Co-PIs who stay full time at ITbM and cooperate with the overseas PIs.
(3) In order to enable NU PIs to focus on their research, NU provided permission to employ 7 Associate
Professors and Lecturers as Co-PIs of ITbM to conduct educational tasks in the place of NU’s PIs.
(4) All postdoctoral researchers will be supervised by two PIs from different fields in order to acceleratecollaboration and nurture the next generation of cutting-edge research, unrestricted by the bounds of
traditional disciplines.
(5) In order to ensure to welcome talented overseas researchers to ITbM, we will provide the following:
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(a) a team for assisting overseas researchers in their applications for competitive domestic (Japanese)
research grants; (b) opportunities for partners/spouses to hold positions in the University based on
their skill sets; and (c) adequate information on education opportunities for the children of overseas
researchers. Through these endeavors, we have set a platform for overseas PIs to allocate a significant
portion of their activities at Nagoya, and we aim to attract a certain percentage of overseas
researchers permanently to Nagoya.
(6) Each PI group will be provided with sufficient research space and start-up funds.
(7) We will be equipped with leading edge equipment and facilities at NU, staffed with expert technicalmanagers, so that it is fully accessible for promoting research, international collaborations, anddiscoveries.
(8) We will engage in high-profile recruitment campaigns to attract highly qualified postdoctoral
researchers using web sites with high global status, outlining the current efforts of the Institute,
University, and Nagoya as a city.
8) Outline of indicators for evaluating a center’s global standing
Three aspects are important for the global standing of ITbM:
1) research quality and impact, 2) breakthroughs resulting from interdisciplinary research activities, and 3)
human resources development as an international institute.
The following quantitative metrics will be used for evaluation: number of peer-reviewed publications(impact factor, citations), application to patent files, technology transfer and commercialization, awards
and honors, research grants, and career promotion of ITbM’s researchers.
9) Securing research funding
ITbM’s researchers have been constantly obtaining competitive funding from ITbM’s establishment. The
total amount acquired nearly matches the project grant at the beginning, and became more than double
in FY2013. T he amount has further increased in the following years. We will continue our effort to securecompetitive research funds. Major competitive funding obtained in FY2016 are as follows: JST-ERATO (2projects), JST-CREST (2 pr ojects), JST-PRESTO (2 projects), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on
Innovative Areas (2 project as Area Representative), JST-ALCA (1 project), Grant-in-Aid for Specially
Promoted Research (1 project) etc. Overseas PIs have also been successful in obtaining KAKENHI(Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research) from FY2014.
10) Appropriations plan
Appropriations plan

FY

Cost
(Exchange Rate:($millions)
JPY/USD=100)(Exchange Rate: JPY/USD=100)

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

7.0

7.0

7.0

7.0

7.0

35.0

11) Summary of host institution’s commitment
NU has placed ITbM as a significant research institute conducting world-leading frontier basic research at
NU in the University’s mid-term plans and in “Nagoya University Matsuo Initiatives for Reform, Autonomy,
and Innovation 2020 (NU MIRAI 2020)”. The presence of ITbM is essential for NU to become a research
university that can compete with leading universities in the world. NU is committed to supporting ITbM
through all means. Under the umbrella of the “Institute for Advanced Research”, ITbM will receive
additional support needed to manage ITbM even after termination of funding from the WPI program.
Representative concrete measures are 1) provision of space, 2) financial support towards construction of
ITbM’s new building, 3) support towards the operation of the new building, 4) covering salaries of faculties,
5) ITbM’s priority to the use of hall of residence.
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April 2017

Research Center Project (in English)
Host institution: Nagoya University
Head of host institution: Seiichi Matsuo (President)
Research center: Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)
Center director: Kenichiro Itami
Chief center-project officer (in December2012): Kenichiro Itami (Director)

Project summary

 Briefly describe the general plan of the project.

ITbM was launched at Nagoya University (NU) as a unique research institute to develop innovative
functional molecules that make a marked change in the form and nature of biological science andtechnology. By taking full advantage of our cutting-edge molecular synthesis expertise and intenseinteractions with leading plant/animal biology research, “transformative bio-molecules” will be developed.
These are expected to enhance biotic productivity and quality, and to realize innovative bio-imaging. To
ensure the advancement of these projects, we will develop catalysts that enable efficient synthesis and on
demand molecule activation. The ultimate goal is to develop molecules that have a positive impact on
major global issues such as food production. In late 2015, the following research areas were defined as
ITbM’s flagships: “plant chemical biology”, “chemical chronobiology”, and “chemistry-enabled
live imaging”. ITbM will focus on these flagship research areas and will work to actively promote
chemical biology research to “understand”, “see”, and “regulate” living or ganisms by establishing newinterdisciplinary research fields between chemistr y and biology, to lead to the creation oftransformative bio-molecules.
The synergy of the high research profile of ITbM researchers and the new research style at ITbM’s
facilitates interdisciplinary research.
“Mix” is our key concept to mix different disciplines. Mix Labs and Mix Offices established in ITbM havesignificantly contributed to promote bottom-up interdisciplinary projects among young researchers.
These are places where new unique ideas in research are being generated fr om daily communications
among the researchers from different fields who wor k side-by-side. New bio-functional molecules andmolecular technologies have been emerged from these spaces. The ITbM Research Award, establishedto promote interdisciplinary research proposed by young researchers, further accelerates collaborations
in a bottom-up manner. The ITbM Workshop, Mix Hour, and Tea Break Meetings were also started toshare each other’s research progress and to find seeds of collaboration and possible collaborators.
Upon development of molecules that modulate biological system in plants/animals, it is essential for
ITbM to communicate to the general public widely that ITbM always addresses the environmental andsafety issues carefully, and to gain the understanding from the international/domestic societies andlocal community. ITbM has set up an Environment and Safety Committee so that researchers at ITbM are
constantly aware of these issues when conducting their research and can inform the general public
accordingly.
<Major changes from initial project plan:>
In late 2015, we have defined the three research areas as ITbM’s flagships, “plant chemical biology”,“chemical chronobiology”, and “chemistr y-enabled live imaging”. We focus on these three research areasand conduct respective interdisciplinary research projects categorized to these areas. To promotebottom-up interdisciplinar y research of ITbM, the ITbM Research Award, ITbM Workshop, Mix Hour, andTea Break Meetings are being held.
Strategic international/national collaboration network have been extended. In addition to the overseas
PIs’ host institutions, ITbM has started collaboration with the National Science Foundation Center for
Selective C-H Functionalization (NSF-CCHF, USA) in 2013. Around 4 to 5 researchers per year are being
exchanged between the institutes to conduct collaborating researches, which is envisaged to foster
young scientists. Collaborations with the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS, Japan),
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University of Freiburg (Germany), and Academia Sinica (Taiwan) are also ongoing.
It is essential for ITbM to communicate to the general public widely that IT bM always addresses theenvironmental and safety issues carefully, and to gain the understanding fr om theinternational/domestic societies and local community. Accordingly, ITbM has set up an Environment
and Safety Committee to seek the counsel of experts for ITbM’s research to be conducted competently
while complying with the laws and regulations.
<Mission statement and/or center’s identity>

 Briefly and clearly describe the mission statement and/or the project’s identity as WPI center.

The mission of ITbM is to develop diverse functional molecules that afford innovative impact on theoperation of biological systems. To accomplish this, we will harness our synthetic abilities based on
catalytic chemistr y. We seek to cause a paradigm shift in science by creating a new field of research thataims at implementing programmed chemical transformations for precisely controlling the production of
biofunctional molecules of requisite structures and their functional expressions. The identity of ITbM
resides in the development of novel bio-molecules, “transformative bio-molecules”, in order to achieve
this goal. To accomplish this, we will enlist the best synthetic chemists and plant and animal biologists
worldwide.

1.

Research fields

 Specify ing the inter-disciplinary field(s) to which the project may be closely related.

ITbM's research to develop “transformative bio-molecules” is closely related to the fields of synthetic
chemistry, molecular catalysis, functional molecular science, systems biology, plant science, plant genetics,
plant developmental biology, animal physiology, protein science, and bio-imaging. These are areas inwhich NU has significant international competitive advantages.
 Describe the importance of the proposed research, including domestic and international R&D trends in the field and Japan’s adv antages.

The interface of chemistr y and molecular biology has already resulted in important new research fields ofsignificant scientific impact, such as chemical biology and medicinal chemistry. We plan to bring this to a
new level by exploiting cutting-edge synthetic chemistry partnered with fundamental biological systems ofplants and animals. This research endeavor will have significant impacts in closely related fields ofchemical biology and medicinal chemistry, but most importantly, on areas that are of urgent global
importance including world food production, medical care, and bioenergy.
 If centers in similar fields already exist in Japan or ov erseas, please list them.

Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) at RIKEN, Japan
CSRS, focusing on plant biology and synthetic chemistr y was established at almost the same time as
ITbM. Both institutes concluded the “Agreement on the Association and Cooperation” and held the 1st
CSRS-ITbM Joint Wor kshop in January 2014. The workshop takes place annually in either Nagoya or
Wako. In Januar y 2016, both directors made a joint statement on the joint use of the research support
platform, and confirmed further promotion of collaboration between CSRS and ITbM. Several
collaborating research projects are ongoing.
Other institutions
Apart from CSRS at RIKEN, no national/international center exists for leading-edge chemistry targeting
fundamental biological systems of plants and animals. Thus many Japanese and overseas researchers whowant to produce and/or use new bio-molecules are expected to benefit from our campaign.

2.

Research objectives

 Describe in a clear and easy -to-understand manner the research objectiv es that the project seek s to achiev e by the end of the grant period.
In describing the objectiv es, the following should be articulated in an easily understandable manner: What k ind of research do you plan to

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implement by fusing v arious fields within the env ironmental domain? In the process, what world-lev el scientific issues are sought to beresolv ed? What is the expected impact of the scientific adv ances to be achiev ed on society in the future?
 Describe concretely the research plan to achiev e these objectiv es.

Since ITbM’s establishment in 2013, the novel synthetic small molecules designed and synthesized by
the synthetic chemistry groups, the Chemical Library Center, and the Peptide/Protein Center of ITbM
have been screened and distributed to the biologists of ITbM. Thus, within three years, all the biologistsat IT bM now have their desired molecules for fur ther studies. Molecule-initiated biology (chemical
biology) to create transformative bio-molecules is currently shifting to the next phase, i.e.,understanding and controlling biological processes by utilizing the molecules developed at ITbM.
At such a turning point, ITbM has defined the following flagship research areas based on ITbM’s
research achievements so far.
1. Plant chemical biology
2. Chemical chronobiology
3. Chemistry-enabled live imaging
We will focus on these flagship research areas and will w ork to actively promote chemical biology
research to “understand”, “see”, and “regulate” living organisms by establishing new interdisciplinary
research fields between chemistry and biology. T his is expected to lead to the creation of transformative
bio-molecules.

Research objectives;(1) Plant chemical biology• Development of molecules that combat Striga and related parasitic plants.
• Development of molecules that control plant stomata.
• Development of molecules that overcome genome barriers to produce new hybrid plant species.
• Discovery of unidentified protein receptors of plant hormones.
(2) Chemical chronobiology• Development of molecules that control mammalian circadian rhythm.
• Development of molecules that control plant circadian rhythm.
(3) Chemistry-enabled live imaging• Development of high photo-resistant fluorescent dyes towar ds 3D/4D super-resolution andsingle-molecule fluorescence imaging.
• Development of fluorescent probes enabling unprecedented visualization of cellular
microstructures and biological events.
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To accomplish these objectives, we also improve and develop our platforms of small-molecule synthesis,
peptide and pr otein synthesis, chemical librar y, laser microscopy, omics and molecular analysis,
phenotypic assay, theoretical design, and bio-simulation.
ITbM’s next challenge is how to utilize ITbM’s outcomes and to contribute to the society. Upon thedevelopment of novel products based on ITbM’s molecules and molecular technologies, this will largely
improve ITbM’s international/national visibility and recognition by the general public.
ITbM currently has several industrial partners in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and agrochemicalindustries. In or der to achieve the best matches with industries, ITbM will launch a consortium byenrolling firms of related fields and will aim to expand its networ k. The consortium will also function tounderstand the needs of industries and societies in related fields.
Since the launch of the center, ITbM’s general principle has been to conduct curiosity-driven
cutting-edge basic research. As a consequence, the center does not necessarily customize or prioritize
its research projects according to industrial needs. Following the center’s general principle, IT bM does
not plan to extensively use its resources for technological applications. Instead, the center will focus onestablishing relationships with industries, where the industries take initiative in implementing ITbM’s
research outcomes.
ITbM will act to make sure that this principle is followed by providing additional roles to the Environment
and Safety Committee. As described in the Project Summary, ITbM had set up this committee and has
been holding annual meetings to ensure that the center’s research projects comply with the laws andregulations. The committee member includes the Senior Councilor of the NPO “Life & Bio plaza 21”, andethical aspects of the center’s research are under discussion. ITbM will expand the committee’s role todiscuss and provide advice regarding the prioritization of the center’s research pr ojects according to theneeds of societies.

3.

Managementi)Center director

 Prov ide the name of the center director, his/her age (as of 1 A pril 2017), specialties, and brief career profile (within 5 lines).
 If there is a plan to change the center director, how does the new center director intend to construct the center and what is his/her v isionof objectiv es to be achiev ed? Prov ide a sy nopsis written by the new center director (free format).

Kenichiro Itami (age: 45)
Specialties: Organic Synthesis, Catalysis, Pharmaceutical Science, Nanocarbon Chemistry
Ph.D. fr om Kyoto University (1998, Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry), Assistant Professorof Kyoto University (1998-2005), Associate Professor of Nagoya University (2005-2007), Professor of
Nagoya University (2008-present), Director & PI of ITbM (2013-present), Director of JST-ERATO Itami
Molecular Nanocarbon Project (2013-present).
ii)

Administrative director

 Prov ide the name of the administrativ e director, his/her age (as of 1 A pril 2017), and his/her brief career profile (within 5 lines).

Tsuyoshi Matsumoto (age: 50)
Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo (1995, Main Group Chemistr y), Resear cher of TORAY Industries
Inc., (1995-1998), Assistant Pr ofessor of Nagoya University (1998-2012), Visiting researcher ofUniversity of Rochester (2012), Designated Associate Professor of Nagoya University (2013-2016),
Deputy Administrative Director of IT bM (2013-2014), Administrative Director of ITbM (2015-present),
Designated Professor of Nagoya University (2016-present).
iii)

Composition of administrative staff

 Concretely describe how the administrativ e staff is organized.

Led by the Administrative Director, the Administrative Department consists of Management Division,
Research Promotion Division, and Strategic Planning Division.

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Management Division
With the Head of Management, the Management Division consists of the General Affairs Unit (5 staff)
and the Accounting Unit (5 staff). The 10 staff in the Management Division consists of 4 full-timeadministrative staff from the university (including 2 competent English speakers), 6 contract employees(including 3 competent English speakers).
Research Promotion Division (RPD)
With the Head of Research Promotion (Associate Professor, PhD in synthetic chemistry and chemical
biology), the Research Promotion Division consists of an Assistant Professor (PhD in organometallic
chemistr y) and a science designer (Masters degree in molecular biology) to conduct inter national
promotion of research, research administration, public relations, outreach activities, along with event
management, and a University Research Administrator (PhD in bioinorganic chemistr y holding aconcurrent post), and a contract employee (Bachelors degree in plant biology) to support the daily livingof foreign researchers at ITbM. Many of the members at the RPD are proficient in English.
Strategic Planning Division (SPD)In strong cooperation with the Research Promotion Division, the Strategic Planning Division plays a keyrole in realization of the practical use of the research outcomes at ITbM by w orking out strategies for theacquisition of intellectual proper ty rights and business matching with companies. This enables IT bM toenhance the value of research outcomes and share the benefit to the society. At the Strategic Planning
Division, an Associate Professor (Masters degree in organic chemistry, pharmaceutical science) withprior experience as the head of the chemistr y department at a pharmaceutical venture company and agood fluency in English was employed as of April 2016. A Lecturer (Patent attorney/ degree in catalytic
chemistry) in charge of intellectual property management was transferred from RPD to the SPD.
iv)

Decision-making system Concretely describe the center’s decision-mak ing sy stem.

The Center Director has the authority to make final decisions over all matters concerning the operationand management of ITbM. To support the work of the Center Director, two Vice-Directors are assigned
from chemistry and biology for further promotion of interdisciplinary research and risk management at
ITbM. The Center Director has good communications with the Vice-Directors, Administrative Director,
and PIs. Steering Committee meetings and PI meetings are held to provide advice to the Center Director.
Steering Committee meetings
The Steering Committee was organized to discuss and consider important matters of ITbM, including
research plans, operation and management, personnel affairs and the budget.
The Committee meeting is held once a month to serve as a place for discussion and provides advice for
the Center Director to make the final decisions. The Center Director operates and manages ITbM in
consultation with the Steering Committee.
Having Trustee (in charge of WPI affairs) as a member and the Directors of the Research Cooperation
Department and the Manager of the Research Support Division as observers, ITbM is operated under thestrong support of the NU headquarters and seek advice when needed.
The Committee Members:Center Director, Vice-Center Directors, Administrative Director, Head of Research Promotion Division,
Head of Strategic Planning Division, Nagoya University PIs, Trustee (in charge of WPI affairs)
Observers:
Overseas PIs, Co-PIs of overseas PIs, Sub-Center Chief Coordinators, Director of the Research
Cooperation Department, Director of the Manager of the Research Support Division
PI Meetings
Regular PI meetings to discuss research and major matters among all PIs are held on a regular basis.
Overseas PIs also participate in all PI meetings through the TV conference system. The PI meeting
involves discussions on matters related to the management of ITbM, along with the progress ofinterdisciplinary research with the Co-PIs. PI meetings play an indispensable role to discuss anddetermine the direction of the interdisciplinary research for ITbM.

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Allocation of authority between the center director and the host institution’s sidev)

 Concretely describe how authority is allocated between the center director and the host institution’s side.

The NU Rules restrict the role of the President of NU only to the appointment of the Center Director. All
matters concerning the operation and management of ITbM fall under the purview of the Center Director.
According to the “Implementation Guidelines for the Special Bonus System for Persons in the Service of
Nagoya University Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules”, which provides special bonuses to theCenter Director, the Vice-Center Directors, PIs, and the Administrative Director based on theirperformance and evaluations, the selection of eligible persons and the bonus amount is left to thediscretion of the Center Director. On the other hand, the Executive Board of NU determines the bonus
amount of the Center Director.

4.
i)Researchers and other center staffs, satellites, partner institutions

The “core” to be established within the host institutiona) Principal Investigators (full professors, associate professors or other researchers of comparable
standing)
numbers
Researchers from within
the host institution
Foreign researchers invitedfrom abroad
Researchers invited from otherJapanese institutions
Total principal investigators

Final goal

At beginning

At end of FY 2016

7

8

8

3

5

5

0

0

0

10

13

13

(Date: month, y ear) Describe the concrete plan to achiev e final staffing goal, including steps and timetables.
 Attach a list of principal inv estigators using the Appendix. Place an asterisk (*) by names of the inv estigators considered to be rank ed
among the world’s top researchers. Describe the policy and strategy for inv iting the PIs who are to be included after 1 A pril 2017.

b) Total members
Numbers
At beginning

At end of FY 201620

72

Final goal

(Date: month, y ear)

80

Researchers< 5, 25%>[4, 20%]< 24, 33%>
[19, 26%]< 27, 34%>
[21, 26%]

Principal investigators< 3, 30%>[2, 20%]< 6, 46%>[3, 23%]< 6, 46%>[3, 23%]

Other researchers<2, 20%>[2, 20%]< 18, 31%>
[16, 27%]< 21, 31%>
[18, 27%]

Research support staffs

10

47

50

Administrative staffs

10

13

13

Total number of people who form
the “core” of the research center

40

132

143

10
10

13
59

13
67

 Enter the total number of people in the columns abov e. In the “Researchers” column, put the number and percentage of ov erseas
researchers in the < > brack ets and the number and percentage of female researchers in the [ ] brack ets.

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 Enter matters warranting special mention, such as concrete plans for achiev ing the Center’s goals, established schedules for employ ing themain researchers, particularly principal inv estigators.

ii)

Collaboration with other institutions

 If the “core” forms link ages with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, by establishing satellite functions, Prov ide the name of thepartner institution(s), and describe the role of the satellite functions, personnel composition and structure, and collaborativ e framework
between the host institution and the said partner institutions (e.g., contracts to be concluded, scheme for resource transfer).
 If some of the principal inv estigators will be stationed at satellites, attach a list of these principal inv estigators and the name of theirsatellite organizations using the Appendix.
 If the “core” forms organic link ages with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, without establishing satellite functions, prov ide thenames of the partner institutions and describe their roles and link ages within the center project.

Whereas satellite institutes are not established to ITbM, we have cooperating institutions. In addition tothe overseas PIs’ host institutions designated at start, we are strategically expanding collaborating
network with national/international institutions to augment the research activity of ITbM.
Queen’s University (Canada), University of Washington (USA), ETH Zür ich (Switzerland),
University of Southern California (USA), and University of Düsseldorf (Ger many) are partners
as host institutions of the overseas PIs, and have been collaborating in various aspects.
National Science Foundation Center for Selective C- H Functionalization ( NSF- CCHF, USA) is
an international partner collaborating in the field of C-H activation chemistry constituting an importantarea of ITbM’s research. CCHF is a virtual institute with top leading 23 PIs and their research groups
working in the field of C-H activation chemistry in 14 universities/institutes across the USA. Around 4 to 5
researchers per year (duration: 3-6 months) are being exchanged between the institutes. The network
expanded to include other related institutes such as the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, KA IST,
Korea).
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS, Japan) is an important national partner.
CSRS, focusing on plant biology and synthetic chemistr y, was established at almost the same time as
ITbM. Directors of ITbM and CSRS made a joint statement on the joint use of the research support
platform, and confirmed further promotion of collaboration between CSRS and IT bM. The CSRS-ITbM
Joint Workshop is annually held.
University of Freiburg (Ger many) and Academia Sinica (Taiwan) are also international partnersof ITbM. We conduct collaborating research projects with these institutions through exchange of theresearchers.

5.

Research Environment

 Concretely describe measures to be tak en to satisfy each of the requirements outlined below, including steps and timetables.

i)

Provide an environment in which researchers can devote themselves exclusively to theirresearch, by exempting them from other duties and providing them with adequate staff
support to handle paperwork and other administrative functions.

Mix-Labs: Key to interdisciplinary research
At IT bM’s Mix Labs, researchers and students from different fields share the same space and areable to discuss and communicate about science, education and other administrative matters on adaily basis. The Mix Lab concept has also been reflected in ITbM’s new building that wasconstr ucted in April 2015, where over 60 new interdisciplinary research projects are being
generated across 11 research groups and 4 centers, some of which have already led to patentapplications, journal publications and technology transfers. The continuous merging andreassembling of research projects that have arisen from the Mix Lab effect, have led to theestablishment of new inter disciplinar y research fields at IT bM, such as plant chemical biology,
chemical chronobiology, and chemistry-enabled live imaging.
Co-PI system
ITbM introduced the Co-PI system to enable world-class researchers in related research fields
participate in ITbM’s research activities. To make the overseas PIs’ research at ITbM possible, ITbM
decided to employ young researchers as Co-PIs who stay full time at ITbM and cooperate with theoverseas PIs. T his system has led to increased attention of ITbM’s research results and activities
from the international science community, and has contributed to impr oving the global visibility of
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ITbM.
Co-PIs are also allocated to NU PIs. In order to enable NU PIs to focus on their research, NU
provided permission to employ 7 Associate Professors and Lecturers as Co-PIs of ITbM to conduct
educational tasks in the place of the NU PIs.
Administrative Department and Secretaries
As described in section 3-iii), the Administrative Department is staffed by talented individuals with agood command of English, as well as a global outlook and vision. The Department has been
established to effectively manage international symposia/seminars and prepare official documents inboth English and Japanese for ITbM. Secretaries allocated to PIs and sub-centers work along with the
Administrative Department staff to support the administrative tasks.
Research Promotion Division (RPD) works closely with researchers and suppor ts research throughinternational public relations, outreach activities, education and organization of events. IT bM’s
researchers and research have been covered over 1,800 times in inter national and domestic media.
To allow the researchers from abr oad to settle dow n in Japan and focus on their research, ITbM has
assigned a staff in RPD to suppor t the daily lives of foreign researchers and their families. T he staff
provides a wide range of suppor t such as assistance in registrations at city council and banks,
linguistic suppor t (interpretation and translation) and giving advice on daily lives, education andhealth care.
Realization of the research outcomes of ITbM improves international/national visibility andrecognition by the general public. To achieve this, the Strategic Planning Division (SPD) wasestablished and works with RPD and researchers to make strategies and prepare a roadmap tocontribute to the scientific community and society.
Secretaries are also playing important roles to support researchers. A total of 15 bilingual secretaries
were assigned to the Principal Investigators in 2013 to help the Investigators cope with their paper
work and any matters regarding foreign researchers and students in the groups.
ii) Provide startup research funding as necessary to ensure that top-caliber researchers
invited to the center do not upon arrival lose momentum in vigorously pursuing theirwork out of concern over the need to apply immediately for competitive grants.

Provide each of PI groups with research space and start-up funds with an average value of
30,000,000 JPY. Inaddition to the start-up funds, all of the following costs for each PI group arecovered by ITbM: utility costs including electricity and water fees, employment costs of two
postdoctoral researches, one secretary, and one technical staff. All the researchers are furnished withfull access to instruments of ITbM and those available in NU.
iii)

As a rule, fill postdoctoral positions through open international solicitations.

We engage in high-profile recruitment campaigns to attract highly qualified postdoctoral researchers
using web sites of ITbM and international top jour nals. We also keep channels open to world premierchemists and biologists, and solicit their recommendations for suitable candidates as post-doctoral
researchers.
iv) Establish English as the primary language for work-related communication, andappoint administrative personnel who can facilitate the use of English in the work
process.

Personnel who are fluent in English and with thorough experience in handling administrative affairs
were employed in the General Affairs and Accounting Unit of the Management Division. In addition totheir usual work related to administration, the Management Division is actively involved in preparing
ITbM’s international symposia, such as reception, performing the MC, and handling the registration.
ITbM regularly sends notices from the university to ITbM researchers in both English and Japanese.
Adopt a rigorous system for evaluating research and a system of merit-based
compensation. (For example, institute a merit-based annual salary system primarily forv)

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researchers from outside the host institution. As a basic rule, the salaries of researchers
who were already employed at the host institution prior to the centers’ establishment
are to be paid by the host institution.)
Based on the performance and evaluations, special bonuses are provided to the Center Director, theVice-Director, NU PIs and the Administrative Director. They receive full bonuses during the starting
period of the project and the amount will vary according to their evaluation.
All ITbM researchers are required to submit an activity report regarding their research activity in
March. For the PIs, the Center Director will reflect the results of the Site Visit report to the special
bonuses. As for other faculty and postdoctoral researchers, each PI will conduct the first evaluation,
followed by a secondary evaluation by the Center Director, and the results will be reflected in theirsalary upon renewal of their contract.
Provide equipment and facilities, including laboratory space, appropriate to a top
world-level research center.
vi)

At start of ITbM, NU has provided 5,400 m2 of research space for ITbM, which contains 2,400 m2 of
new space on top of the existing 3,000 m2 of space designated to NU PIs.
The new building for ITbM was completed at the end of FY2014. The total area of the new six-floor
building is 7,934 m2 and has a unique structure where a pre-existing building (floor area 463 m2) isincorporated within the new building. In addition, the university provided the area from thepre-existing building. The new building is designed to reflect the “Mix-Lab” concept. The second andfourth floors consist of large biology and chemistry labs and the third and fifth floors consist of theoffice space for the researchers. The first floor contains the administrative office and the lecture room.
On the top (sixth) floor are the Live Imaging Center, Chemical Library Center, and greenhouses. Bothlabs on the second and four th floors consist of a large Bio Mix Lab and a Chem Mix Lab, which arelocated next to each other and are accessible through a single door. There are no barriers within the
Bio Mix Labs and the Chem Mix Labs, along with the Mix Office spaces located directly above. This
removes the conventional barriers between research groups, thus creating huge Mix Labs and Mix
Offices to promote interdisciplinary research. The new building is also equipped with a childcare room
for researchers and visiting researchers accompanied by small children.
Upon increase of two PI groups in FY2016, additional 200 m2 space was provided in the building next
to ITbM, in which biology groups of Graduate School of Science have their spaces. A bridgeconnecting the building and ITbM was constructed, enabling easy access to the provided spaces andproviding the opportunities of ITbM’s collaboration on campus.
NU is very well equipped with top-level major instruments necessary for ITbM’s research. The quality
and number of these instruments rivals the best institutions in the world. The researchers can access
all these facilities.
vii) Hold international research conferences or symposiums regularly (at least once ayear) to bring the world’s leading researchers together at the center.

ITbM organizes 4 symposia and awards annually; International S ymposium on Transformative
Bio-Molecules (ISTbM), Hirata Award, Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Awar d, and Nagoya Medal of
Organic Chemistry.
International Symposium on Transformative Bio-Molecules (ISTbM)
ITbM or ganizes its annual international symposium (ISTbM), by inviting 5-8 prestigious researchers
from around the world, who are closely related to ITbM’s research fields of systems biology,
biochemistr y, synthetic chemistry, and theoretical science. ITbM or ganized its first symposium(ISTbM-1) in April 2013 to commemorate the launch of the institute, and are held annually.
Hirata Memorial Lecture and Hirata Award
In memory of NU’s late honorar y professor Yoshimasa Hirata, the Hirata Memorial Lecture had been
held each year. ITbM became the organizer of the Hirata Memorial Lecture on its 10th anniversar yyear and held the symposium in Februar y 2014. From 2015 onwards, the Hirata Memorial Lecture
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was renamed as the Hirata Award and the 11th award lecture was carried out at the same time as
ISTbM-3. ITbM holds the award annually.
Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award
The Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award was established to recognize rising stars in the field of
molecular biology. ITbM organized the 1st award along with ISTbM-3, and are held annually.
Nagoya Medal of Organic Chemistry
From 2014, Itami was selected to become the chair of the Nagoya Medal of Organic Chemistry,
which is an inter national award in organic chemistry that has been granted to many prestigious
researchers across the world. The Nagoya Medal was established in 1995 by Professors Hisashi
Yamamoto (University of Chicago/Chubu University) and Nobel Laureate Ryoji Noyori and is heldeach year with the financial support by the Banyu Life Science Foundation Inter national. In October
2014, IT bM organized the 20th Nagoya Medal of Organic Chemistry at NU, and has been held
annually.
viii) Other measures to ensure that top-caliber researchers from around the world can
comfortably devote themselves to their research in a competitive international
environment, if any.

In order to provide a better environment for foreign researchers to focus on their research,arrangements have been made with the university’s accommodation facilities, and university rules
have been revised so that ITbM postdoctoral researchers can stay in the accommodation facilities
for up to 2 years (initially 1 year before changing the regulations). Also, ITbM helps foreign
researchers who are looking for an apar tment outside the campus by providing linguistic suppor twhen signing an apartment lease contract and other procedures required for living, and helps themsettle in the neighborhood.
ITbM has also been cooperating with the Nagoya City Board of Education and other universities in
the region by providing assistance to enter local public schools in Nagoya, suppor tingcommunications between school and families and introducing private Japanese teachers andeducational materials to learn Japanese. ITbM has also negotiated with the inter national schools
near NU to accept preschool children of the researchers arriving from overseas.
ITbM’s staff has collected information of hospitals with English services in Nagoya to cover major 9
medical departments. ITbM supports the health care of foreign researchers and their families byaccompanying them to hospitals, supporting pregnant mothers for childbir th, along with pr oviding
advice in selecting hospitals, and providing information on vaccination for children.

6.

Indicators for evaluating a center’s global standing Describe concretely the following points.

i)

Criteria and methods to be used for evaluating the center’s global standing in the subject
field

The global standing of ITbM depends firstly on the performance of the individual researchers, and wewill use a set of quantitative metrics combined with more qualitative methods to assess theperformance of individual researchers and their contributions to ITbM.
We consider there are three aspects important to the global standing of ITbM as a WPI center:1) research quality and impact, 2) breakthrough from the interdisciplinary research activities, and 3)
human resources development.
ii)

Results of current assessment made using said criteria and methods
1) Research quality and impact
Since ITbM’s launch, we have been publishing our wor k in top journals. The number of papers
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published in top journals indicates our high performance. Highly cited work is clearly an indication ofhigh quality research and a significant impact.
ITbM’s researchers are being widely recognized by the international science community as well as
by the society. T his is evident by the significant number of prestigious international awards andhonors, competitive research funds, as well as invitations to major inter national symposia that havebeen granted to ITbM’s PIs.
2) Breakthroughs from the interdisciplinary research activities
ITbM’s interdisciplinary research has been promoted by the “Mix” concept. As a result, the activities
related to IP and technological transfers have made significant pr ogress. This is evident in a goodnumber of joint papers, patent files, joint R&Ds, technology transfers, and commercialization.
3) The development of human resources
Mentoring of young researchers is a key to the future development and global standing of ITbM. To
evaluate our progress, we will use indicators such as the career paths and academic success of former
researchers of ITbM. Since ITbM’s launch, a notable number of ITbM researchers and students havegot positions in academia in Japan and overseas. Many awards of young scientists and students
garnered clearly indicate nurturing of the next-generation.
iii)

Goals to be achieved through the project (at time of final evaluation)
Our goal is to develop innovative functional molecules that make a marked change in the form andnature of biological science and technology by taking full advantage of the cutting-edge molecularsynthesis expertise of our chemistry PIs and intense interactions with our leading plant/animal biology
PIs. Our dream is to have a positive impact on global issues such as food production.

7.

Securing research funding

Future prospects

 Describe the concrete prospects for securing resources that match or exceed the project grant.

ITbM researchers have been constantly obtaining competitive funding fr om the time of the center’sestablishment. T he total amount was approximately matched the project grant at the beginning, andbecame more than double in FY2013. The amount has been further increased in the following years.
We will continue our effort to secure competitive research funds.
 Calculate the total amount of research funding (e.g., competitiv e funding) based on the percentage of time the researchers dev ote toresearch activ ities at the center v is-à-v is the total time they spend conducting research activ ities. Be sure the prospects are realistically
based on the past record.

The total amount of competitive funding obtained in FY2012 was 528 million yen. In FY2013, it is 1,141
million yen, which is more than double the amount obtained in FY2012. The amount of funding further
increased or comparable in the following years (FY2014: 1,290 million yen, FY2015: 1,185 million yen,
FY2016, 1,036 million yen). Major competitive funding obtained in FY2016 are JST-ERATO (2 pr ojects),
JST-CREST (2 projects), JST-PRESTO (2 projects), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative
Areas (2 project as Area Representative), JST-ALCA (1 project), Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted
Research (1 pr oject) etc. Overseas PIs have also been successful in obtaining KAKENHI (Grant-in-Aid
for Scientific Research) fr om FY2014. In addition, IT bM applied for the JSPS Bilateral Program (Joint
Research Projects) to strengthen the research collaboration with NSF-CCHF (cf. 2-3) and the project
was selected for FY2015-2016. The total competitive fund we have secured for 2012-2016 amounts to5 billion yen.
Others Describe activ ities and initiativ es to be tak en after project funding ends.

NU has committed to sustain ITbM’s pioneering research activities after the WPI-grant period ends. In
order to accomplish this, NU will include ITbM as part of the Institute of Advanced Research, which has
been established as an institute independent from the other departments and research centers at NU.
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The activities, which should be continued even after project funding ends, include the strong ties that weplan to create between the overseas PIs as well as the international cooperating institutes. During thisWPI project, NU will accelerate system reform of the university to ensure that ITbM is maintained.
 Describe expected ripple effects （ e.g., how the research center project will hav e trailblazing components that can be referred to by otherdepartments in the host institution and/or other research institutions when attempting to build their own top world-lev el research
centers）.

The ripple effects of our WPI program and the molecules we will develop will be multidirectional andunlimited. The potential impact of our program could reach almost every conceivable area of science andtechnology, but we envisage it will also influence the organization of many different research institutes:
set new standards not only for the achievements of research but also in the way in which it is conducted.
The issues we highlighted for establishing the framework of this WPI Center (multidisciplinary interaction,
excellence in research with a high international profile, an outstanding research environment, nurturingof young scientists, and laying firm foundations for future growth) are all essential for building
world-class research institutes.
 Describe other important measures to be tak en in creating a world premier international research center, if any .

・ITbM’s wealth and safety training for interdisciplinary research
While the interdisciplinary research is rapidly in progress at the Mix Labs, ITbM has to provide
special safety training suitable for interdisciplinary environments. The training also pr ovides anoppor tunity to explain to the foreign researchers about the difference among the safety rules ofJapan and their countries. ITbM started the original safety training in FY2014. T he course consistsof 3 sections; general safety lecture, specific lab safety lecture, and practical training. All the
researchers of ITbM lear n about safety of both chemistr y and biology labs/experiments, such as
safe use/disposal of chemicals in the Chem Mix-Lab and contamination of exogenous germs andseeds in the Bio Mix-Lab. Differences in domestic and foreign regulations of chemicals and biologicalmaterials, such as a color and contents of a gas cylinder are covered. T he ITbM safety course has
been authorized as the official training of NU from FY2015.
・Concern for the environment and safety
Upon development of molecules that modulate biological system in plants/animals, it is essential for
ITbM to communicate to the general public widely that ITbM always addresses the environmental
and safety issues carefully, and to gain the understanding from the international/domestic societies
and local community. Accordingly, ITbM has set up an Environment and Safety Committee to seek
the counsel of experts for ITbM’s research to be conducted competently whilst complying with thelaws and regulations. The Committee evaluates whether new compounds and species generated
through ITbM’s research along with their methods address environmental and safety issues
appropriately, comply with laws and regulations, and thus provide relevant advice to the Director.
Thus, the researchers at ITbM are constantly aware of these issues w hen conducting their research.
The committee also contributes to prepare and improve the IT bM’s safety training course statedabove.

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Vision Statement by the Director
Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM)

Kenichiro Itami
Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University
Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University
November 14, 2012
Changing the world with molecules
Molecules are small but essential parts of all life on the planet. Molecules are groups of
atoms chemically bound together that behave as a single unit. They are central to theoperation of all industries, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, electronic materials,
solar cells, displays, petrochemicals, automotive manufacturing, plastics, polymers andmany more sectors. It is my strong belief that molecules have the power to change the way
we do science and the way we live. A few examples of molecules that have changed theworld include penicillin (the first miracle drug, and the beginning of the field of antibiotics),
the Haber-Bosch catalyst (necessary for the production of ammonia from nitrogen gas andhydrogen gas, the critical step in the synthesis of fertilizer, without which many people
would starve), and green fluorescent protein (GFP, the essential imaging tool for bio-relatedscience, that is used to help doctors differentiate cancerous tissue from non-cancerous
tissue during surgery). This is a small sampling of cases where a single molecule changed
the world. Such innovative molecules are defined as “transformative molecules”. The focal
point of our proposal is to develop transformative bio-molecules that will be key to solving
urgent problems at the interface of Chemistry and Biology.

Chemists and biologists have the common goal of understanding and manipulating therelationship between molecular structure and function. The placement of atoms relative to
one another in a molecule can have a huge impact on the properties and function of amolecule, and understanding and controlling this relationship is one of the key goals of thesynthetic chemist. For example, there are two stable forms of C2H6O. In the first, the two
carbons are bound directly to each other, which makes ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH), a liquidboiling at 78 °C, that has intoxicating properties. However, if the oxygen is inserted
between the two carbons (CH3-O-CH3), the product is methyl ether, which is a gas at room
temperature and is a refrigerant or a fuel substitute for propane! Even more remarkably,molecules can have dramatically different properties simply by changing the arrangementof atoms in space, without any other differences in bonding. Such changes are so dramaticin terms of biological interactions, that they can turn medicines into poisons. Thankfully
chemists are able to control and manipulate the arrangements of atoms in space, and thus
can synthesize molecules such as ethanol or methyl ether at will. This type of control of1

structure, and thus properties, is the basis of a considerable amount of chemistry, and is
widely exploited by biologists. Even biological systems, which seem highly complex, aretypically comprised of macromolecules (large molecules, such as hemoglobin) interactingwith simple “small” molecules, (such as oxygen and carbon dioxide), that function inaccordance with well defined laws of science and nature.

Other examples of macromolecules that play a significant role in biology include DNA,
which is a well-defined orientation of bases and sugars that twists into a double helix.
Proteins are carefully arranged sequences of amino acids, whose detailed molecular
structure controls the three dimensional shape of the protein and that shape controls
function. For example “mis-folding” of protiens, as observed in prions, can cause
dramatically different properties of otherwise identical molecules. Thus it is clear that theorganization of these biologically relevant macromolecules, which is derived from atomic
level structure, is critical for biological function.

Our dream is to take advantage of the dramatic relationship between structure andfunction and, by marrying state-of-the-art synthetic chemistry with systems biology,
develop new ways of creating designer bio-active molecules with targeted properties. These
new synthetic paradigms will permit the design and synthesis of bioactive molecules bothin a beaker and actually inside living organisms (ex vivo and in vivo). Most importantly, ourultimate goal is to solve urgent problems in science and technology that have an impact onsociety.
The Institute of Transformative Bio-molecules (ITbM)
The core members (partners) of the Institute have been selected as a logicalconsequence of the main goals of the Institute. In order to address the next level ofcollaboration between chemists and biologists that will have a global impact, we havechosen to put plant- and animal-based molecular biologists side-by-side with synthetic
chemists. The fundamental problems that will be addressed by this type of collaboration link
directly to global issues such as food production and land-use management, which will be ofincreasing concern as our planet warms and arable land becomes more and more scarce.
Most importantly, chemists and molecular plant biologists all speak in a molecular language,
with biologists having an understanding of the types of molecules needed to affect a given
biological event, and chemists knowing how to make these molecules. With these broad
goals in mind, researchers were then chosen for their significant achievements in the field,
as described later in this document.

Thus, synthetic chemistry, catalysis chemistry, systems biology, and plant/animal
science will be the key components of the Institute. These research foci build on existing
strengths at Nagoya University, which will be key to the establishment of the newinterdisciplinary molecular institute: The Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM),
whose aim is to create cutting-edge science with potentially significant societal impact. The
raison d’être of ITbM is to establish a world-leading molecular research institute for designingand synthesizing molecules directed towards the discovery, visualization, and manipulation of
biological systems. The unique approach of ITbM is to apply recent discoveries in molecular
activation-transforming catalysis, with the support of molecular design and theoretical2chemistry, to solve fundamental and urgent biological problems and to explore advanced
systems biology. This is an unprecedented endeavor and the first such research institute in
the world.

In ITbM, we primarily focus on developing key molecules for two major problems inbiology; (1) molecules that precisely control biotic function and production, and (2)molecules that realize innovative bio-imaging. To accomplish these projects, we will (3)develop catalysts that enable incredibly efficient synthesis and molecule activation on
demand and under a variety of biologically relevant conditions.
The followings are our three core projects, representative subprojects, and target
molecules:(1) Control of Biological Systems: Development of molecules that precisely control
biotic productivity and quality(a) Molecules that dramatically enhance plant growth [A solution to potential
global food/biomass crises](b) Molecules that improve animal reproduction innovatively [Directed towards
potential global food crises](c) Molecules that overcome the genome barriers to produce novel crops[Generation of new bio-energy](2) Visualization of Biological Systems: Development of molecules that permit
innovative bio-imaging(a) Target biological models [Real-time all-molecule live bio-imaging](b) Highly efficient, full-color fluorescent molecules [Real-time all-molecule live
bio-imaging](c) Specific conjugation technologies [Visualization of small molecules](3) Synthesis of New Bio-Functional Molecules: Development of catalysts that enable
incredibly efficient synthesis and molecule-activation on demand(a) Catalysts activating C-H bonds [Direct transformations of bio-molecules](b) Catalysts acting without heavy metals [Environmentally benign moleculartransformations](c) Catalysts for protein ligation [De novo synthesis of bio-macromolecules](d) Catalysts for in vivo chemical transformations [New frontiers in chemistry
and biology]

The interface of chemistry and molecular biology has already resulted in important new
research fields of significant scientific impact, such as chemical biology and medicinal
3

chemistry, which have in turn led to incredible advances in modern medicine. We plan tobring this to a new level by exploiting newly developed molecule-activation chemistry
partnered with fundamental biological systems of plants and animals. This researchendeavor will have significant impacts in the closely related fields of chemical biology andmedicinal chemistry, but most importantly, on areas that are of urgent global importanceincluding world food production.

The identity of ITbM is its capability to develop completely new bioactive molecules withcarefully designed functions. With biologists knowing what functions they need inmolecules and chemists knowing how to install these functions, huge advances are
predicted from our Institute. This unique approach will attract the top researchers
worldwide and also nurture the next generation of cutting-edge research, unrestricted by
the bounds of traditional disciplines.
Interdisciplinary research is the key

The importance of interdisciplinary research cannot be overemphasized. It is obvious
from the history of science and technology that many significant discoveries emerged at
the interface of disciplines. Marshaling the accumulated wisdom of all modern science iscritically important to solve urgent global issues such as food production, thereby
establishing a sustainable society. In addition to working to understand the best ways tomitigate effects of global environmental change, it is absolutely critical that scientists also
develop a plan that permits us to adapt to these changes and, moreover, to provide the newmaterials, techniques and processes that are needed to develop a sustainable society.

The value of sharing knowledge freely, or learning from others with complementary
expertise is inestimable. Catalyst-enabling synthetic chemistry with broad directions has
been the focus of the Itami lab since it was first established at Nagoya University. By
coordinating a broad multidisciplinary effort to generate new functional molecules useful inthe development and understanding of bio-related science and materials science, we havebeen able to make significant advances in a variety of chemistry-related fields. Many ofthese advances came from interactions with researchers outside our traditional area ofsynthetic organic chemistry. For example, our lab has been able to synthesize structurally
uniform carbon nanotubes, nanographenes, and small-molecule modulators of enzymes,
which were inspired by and initiated by discussions with top researchers outside of organic
chemistry.
Thus the direction of the proposed institute, in which synthetic chemistry and systems
biology will be married, is a dramatic, but logical leap considering the strength in both ofthese areas at Nagoya University. Setting up an environment where the best researchers inthese disciplines are able to interact frequently and informally is the goal of the current
proposal.

Molecule-activation chemistry for advanced systems biology – Perfect match andperfect timing
4

Recent years have seen a remarkable reintegration of chemistry and biology,
particularly in the field of medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. However, the synthetic
tools that have been applied in the molecule synthesis part of these collaborative efforts are
typically still based on “classical” organic reactions manifesting limited efficiency withlengthy sequences and operations. Remarkably, in many cases the reactions employed aremany decades old. Given that the molecule-making step is often the bottleneck in suchresearch, overall synthetic efficiency is critical for almost all areas of chemistry and biology.

Methods that can directly activate and transform simple organic molecules under avariety of conditions are clearly the key for streamlining the synthesis of biologically
relevant target molecules. Indeed, the quest for such methods has been the driving force
behind enormous recent efforts in the synthetic community including in the Itami lab,culminating in a wealth of useful catalytic systems for reactions directly converting simple
building blocks into useful molecular entities. For example, the groups of Itami and Crudden
have developed efficient and unique catalysts for activating aromatic and heteroaromaticcompounds, which are privileged structures in bio-active molecules. The groups of Ooi and
Bode have developed catalysts that can activate bio-related molecules such as amino acidderivatives and peptides. By using these sophisticated catalysts, designed in the labs of ourPIs, the rapid synthesis of a number of biologically active compounds and pharmaceutically
relevant molecules is now possible. In particular, some of the most recent results from the
Itami lab on the discovery of novel potent inhibitors of important enzymes using
molecule-activation chemistry make it clear that a truly efficient catalyst can have a huge
impact in biology. With the advent of this exciting field of catalyst-enabling
molecule-activation chemistry, the way that chemists plan and execute chemical synthesis ischanging. Indeed, a number of pharmaceutical and agricultural companies as well as
chemical industries have already started to use catalysts developed in the Itami labs on adaily basis.
In parallel to the progress of catalyst-enabling synthetic chemistry in Nagoya University,
our biology groups have made a number of breathtaking discoveries at a rapid pace while
exploring extremely important and fundamental biological issues. For example, Higashiyama
discovered key molecules in plant reproduction including pollen tube guidance and double
fertilization, which are directly involved in crop production and plant breeding. Kinoshita
recently uncovered the long-thought mode of action of the plant hormone auxin for plant
growth. Torii discovered several peptide molecules that promote plant growth. Yoshimura
identified key hormone TSH regulating seasonal reproduction in animals.

Thus recent discoveries by biologists at Nagoya University have clearly demonstrated
the impact of individual molecules on biological systems. The next, critical phase of thisresearch is designing properties in specific molecules, synthesizing them in a truly practical
way and studying or imaging their actual interactions in the biological system. In order toengineer such breakthroughs, we plan to partner the discoveries of our biologists withtechnologies developed by our chemistry groups. In particular, the application of theemerging field of catalyst-enabling synthetic chemistry to systems biology research to solve
compelling biological issues such as food production problem and bio-imaging is a timely
and important goal.
5

Our cutting-edge catalysts will be able to activate and transform “seed” or “lead”
biofunctional molecules, discovered by our biology groups, into more selective and more
active molecules in a single operation. In addition, this new molecule-making and-manipulating technology will allow us to synthesize rationally designed candidate
molecules, provided by our theoretical groups, in a straightforward and rapid manner.
Moreover, our molecule-activation catalysts will be applied for the in vivo manipulation of
biofunctional molecules such that we can employ the existing biochemical machinery forthe synthesis of the core structure, and then employ an artificial small-molecule catalyst to
decorate and manipulate these products to enhance their activity and control theirproperties. Finally, in order to understand the action of our molecules in biological systems
beyond macroscopic effects, we will use state-of-the-art imaging techniques also developed
as part of this program.
Experiment-theory synergy for rational design
In addition to the chemistry-biology collaboration, experiment-theory synergy is alsoessential to fulfill our goal of developing transformative bio-molecules. Although it is clearthat our highly efficient catalysts will dramatically accelerate the development anddiscovery of key bio-functional molecules, the synthesis-testing experiments alone cannot
provide a detailed understanding as to how the molecules, empirically shown to be effective,
exert bioactivity at an atomic level. Theoretical support is critically needed to rationallydesign truly effective molecules with high potency and selectivity. As a pioneer in thequantum chemical study of complex systems, Irle will spearhead this task. He recently
established quantum chemical molecular dynamics techniques to study transformative
processes in materials sciences on realistic timescales. Parameter development is an
integral part of his research, and the method itself is now being incorporated infragmentation and genetic algorithms that will allow the simulation of small bio-moleculeswith entire proteins under realistic timescales on the basis of accurate quantum chemical
potentials.

In addition to the above-mentioned computer-assisted studies, it is also essential todesign the next generation of imaging molecules, by taking advantage of the understanding
chemists have of structure-function relationships. In this regard, Yamaguchi is indispensable
to this Institute. With a strong command of physical organic chemistry, organo-element
chemistry, and synthetic chemistry, Yamaguchi has designed and synthesized a large
number of structurally unique molecules possessing unusual photophysical and electronic
properties. Yamaguchi is an international expert in this field, knowing exactly how to designand synthesize new molecular structures that will display a desired optical property (i.e.
fluorescence, luminescence, phosphorescence). Thus, Yamaguchi’s molecular design and
Irle’s theoretical methods will play critical roles in the development of highly efficient
full-color fluorescent small peptides for new bio-imaging tools. Very recently, theYamaguchi–Irle–Itami team established an extremely reliable methodological platform forunderstanding and designing fluorescent molecules. These newly developed methodologies
will be an essential element of ITbM.
Our dream team6

A team of Principal Investigators (PIs) has been assembled to permit us to addressthese critical issues in Chemistry and Biology. This is the ideal moment to initiate thisurgent research, based on predicted global need, and current advances in both synthetic
chemistry and systems biology. There is no doubt that with the team we have assembled,
great things will happen within the new WPI-funded research environment. The scientificstrengths of our PIs and their roles in ITbM are described briefly below.
Kenichiro Itami (41) Director of ITbM, Nagoya University

Organic synthesis, catalysis, molecule activation, pharmaceuticals, organic materials

In addition to holding the role of director, I will also be one of the PIs in the Institute andthus will actively collaborate with all PIs, playing a key role in synthesizing molecules using
our catalysts. My research group has developed a number of unique and highly efficientmolecular catalysts for C-H coupling, an ideal approach to rapidly increase molecularcomplexity in organic synthesis. Our synthesis-oriented catalyst development campaign has
provided opportunities for markedly different connection/disconnection strategies in theconstruction of useful organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals, natural products, andnew enzyme inhibitors.
As the Director, I have taken into consideration several important issues that need to be
implemented while assembling the team described below: potential for interdisciplinaryinteractions, excellence in research with a high international profile, ability to nurture
young scientists and lay a firm foundation for the continued growth of ITbM. The Institutemust be ambitious but maintain realistic goals, we must routinely assess our progress
based on real deliverables, and adapt in order to maximize the success of the institute. I will
make every effort to fulfill our mission and to ensure that ITbM is ranked the best in theworld.
Tetsuya Higashiyama (41) Vice-Director of ITbM, Nagoya University

Plant reproduction, peptides, micro-genomics, cell manipulation, live cell imaging

Higashiyama is one of the most recognized plant biologists focusing on the identification of
key molecules of plant reproduction. In particular, his discovery of the long-sought (~140years) pollen tube attractant molecule “LURE”, which is essential for plant reproduction, has
secured his position as a world-renowned biologist. The identification of LURE peptides
provide us with a major breakthrough to study and control pollen tube guidance offlowering plants and to break reproductive barriers. Moreover, he has also made significant
technical development of micro-genomics and live cell imaging. Currently, he serves as oneof the youngest directors of prestigious ERATO funding program supported by the Japan
Science and Technology Agency. He will be involved mainly in the development of moleculesthat can overcome species barriers as well as innovative bio-imaging tools, collaboratingwith the groups of Yamaguchi, Irle, Torii, Itami, Ooi, Crudden, and Bode.
Jeffrey W. Bode (38) Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland
7

Organic synthesis, carbene-catalysis, protein synthesis, bioconjugation, oligomerization
Bode is a gifted young rising star in synthetic chemistry. The work of Bode is directed
towards the chemical synthesis of molecules and conjugates that are currently outside thereach of conventional synthetic methods. He is developing new chemical reactions andcatalysts for making molecules of biological importance such as proteins, glycopeptides,sequence and length-controlled polymers, and covalent conjugates of these large structures.
Recently, he developed a novel method for the ligation of unprotected protein segments,
producing synthetic proteins very efficiently. He is also known as one of the pioneers of an
entirely new branch of catalytic asymmetric synthesis, commonly known as “chiralN-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis”. His catalysts will be applied in the development ofmolecules that selectively induce plant growth and molecules that can overcome species
barrier. In addition, collaborating with the group of Ooi, he will also be involved in thedevelopment of small-molecule catalysts that can activate and transform bio-molecules invivo.
Cathleen M. Crudden (46) Queen’s University, Canada

Organometallic catalysis, organo-element catalysis, nanoporous materials

Crudden centers on the use of catalysis for organic synthesis and materials chemistry. A key
focus is the use of boron chemistry to achieve these goals in an efficient and green manner.
She will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that selectively induce plant
growth as well as in our bio-imaging projects. In addition to her expertise in synthesis andcatalysis, Crudden is one of the most visible and capable leaders of the chemistry community
in the world. Most notably, she was one of the Canadian organizers for Pacifichem 2010, thelargest chemistry conference worldwide, and will continue on as one of two Canadian
representatives for 2015. Even more importantly, she is now serving as the President of theCanadian Society for Chemistry. Her visions combined with her enthusiasm and energy are
unmatched and essential to ITbM.
Stephan Irle (45) Nagoya University

Quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, approximate density functional theory

The central theme of Irle’s work is the quantum chemical study of complex systems. On thebasis of approximate density functional theory (DFT) techniques, his group can conduct theroutine, fully quantum chemical simulation of large molecular systems containing 1000’s of
atoms on timescales into the 10’s of nanoseconds, and thus provide a theoretical means tounderstand and design efficient chemical synthesis in complex molecular environments andto characterize and create novel molecules for bio-related applications. In this Institute, hewill mainly apply his density-functional tight-binding (DFTB) method for the understandingof ligand-protein interactions as well as the rational design of fluorescent molecules forbio-imaging, collaborating with virtually all members.
Toshinori Kinoshita (44) Nagoya University
8Plant molecular biology, plant chemical biology, stomata, auxin, plant growth
Kinoshita has been studying signaling pathways of stomatal opening and closing, andmolecular mechanisms of plant cell growth in response to the phytohormone auxin. By
using genetic, biochemical, and physiological approaches, he has identified the key
components regulating stomatal opening and closing reported by Darwin in 1898. Morerecently, he reported evidence for the existence of an unidentified auxin receptor
responsible for plant growth, which became the basis of one of the core projects in thisInstitute. He will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that selectively induce
plant growth, collaborating with the groups of Itami, Crudden, Ooi, and Torii.
Takashi Ooi (47) Nagoya University

Organic ion pair catalysis, molecular recognition, molecule activation, pharmaceuticals

Ooi has been creating a bold stream of research on the molecular design of various chiralorganic ion pairs and their rational structural modifications for eliciting unique functions
as molecular catalysts, providing a solid basis for safe and sustainable supply of usefulorganic compounds. His accomplishments have had a significant impact on the frontiers ofchemistry in terms of developing a fundamental understanding of the relationship between
the three-dimensional structure of a chiral organic ion pair and its catalytic andstereocontrolling abilities. He will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that
selectively induce plant growth, molecules that improve animal reproduction, and moleculesthat can overcome species barrier, collaborating with the groups of Kinoshita, Yoshimura,
Higashiyama, Bode, and Itami.
Keiko Torii (46) University of Washington, USA

Plant development, cell-cell communication, peptides, receptor kinase, stomata

Through being selected as an HHMI-GBMF investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Torii has been recognized as one of “the 15 most innovative plant scientists in the US". Torii
has elucidated the molecular and genetic basis of cell-cell communication and dynamics ofcellular behaviors that coordinate plant organ morphogenesis and tissue patterning. She
has also identified two peptides, EPFL4 and EPFL6, that act as ligands for receptor kinases
to promote plant growth. She will be involved mainly in the development of molecules that
selectively induce plant growth as well as the bio-imaging project, collaborating with thegroups of Higashiyama, Kinoshita, Itami, Yamaguchi, and Irle.
Shigehiro Yamaguchi (43) Nagoya University

Fluorescent molecules, molecular design, physical organic chemistry

Yamaguchi works on a variety of topics in the general fields of main group chemistry andphysical organic chemistry. In particular, emphasis is placed on the development of new
functional π-electron materials possessing unusual photophysical and electronic properties.
On the basis of the new design concepts emanating from his lab, he is able to exploit the9

features of various main group elements as well as the newly developed synthetic
methodologies, various types of functional materials have been developed; including the key
molecule in commercial organic electroluminescent devises. He will be involved mainly inthe development of innovative bio-imaging tools, collaborating with the groups ofHigashiyama, Irle, Itami, and Crudden.
Takashi Yoshimura (42) Nagoya University

Biological clock, systems biology, animal production, pharmaceuticals

Yoshimura’s research focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of biological clock and signaltransduction pathway regulating seasonal reproduction in vertebrates. The uniqueness of
his research lies in the use of non-model animals and the systems biology approach. Most
importantly, he has identified a “springtime hormone” that triggers seasonal reproduction
and clarified the signal transduction cascade for animal seasonal reproduction. Yoshimuraalso identified a key gene regulating seasonal reproduction in birds, and later demonstrated
that the discovered reproduction mechanism is conserved in seasonal mammalian species.
These breakthrough findings became the basis of one of the core projects in ITbM. He will
be involved mainly in the development of molecules that improve animal reproduction,
collaborating with the groups of Ooi, Bode, Irle, and Itami.
Nagoya University – Suitability and support

Nagoya University is the ideal place to establish this new interdisciplinary research
institute. This proposal builds not only on the strong tradition of research in chemistry andbiology at Nagoya University but also on the free and vibrant academic culture that has
traditionally nurtured the creativity of young scientists. This is clearly evidenced in thefreedom given to academic stars emanating from Nagoya University, including Osamu
Shimomura (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2008) and Ryoji Noyori (Nobel Prize in Chemistry,2001). As evidence of this continuing strategy, Nagoya University is fully supportive of oneof its youngest full professors in the University as the leader of this largest research
program in Japan.
The enthusiastic support for this initiative offered by Nagoya University is remarkable.
For example, Nagoya University has agreed to revise the University rules to give executive
authority to the Director such that he may make top-down decisions on the importantmatters of the Institute; they have agreed to enable the Institute to be independent in theexecution of its budget; and will allow the Institute to develop its own personnel policies andmanagement. For a Japanese institution, this is remarkable latitude. In addition toestablishing an efficient and effective administrate office to ensure both research andadministrative business can be carried out in English, Nagoya University has also agreed toprovide financial/personnel assistance and building space to the Institute.

Last but not least, Nagoya University has agreed to permit Yoshihito Watanabe, aTrustee and a Vice-President of Nagoya University and a Vice-President of the Chemical
10

Society of Japan, to take up the position of Administrative Director of this Institute. He has
already demonstrated his talents in making the Global COE program in Chemistry a great
success as the Project Leader, and also has been responsible for the Internationalization
Initiatives of Nagoya University including the Global 30 program. Among his achievementsin this mission, he launched international undergraduate and graduate courses, in which allclasses are delivered in English. Thus by committing University Trustee Watanabe to thisInstitute, Nagoya University is clearly illustrating its strongest support for the Institute, andits willingness to accelerate reforms in the entire system of Nagoya University.
Final remarks
I am simply thrilled to head this ambitious, full-scale collaboration of synthetic chemists
and systems biologists that is the crux of this application. What became obvious throughextensive discussions between the chemists and biologists that are part of our team was thecommon recognition that “molecules” are the key not only for chemistry and biology, butalso for exploring a new interdisciplinary research fields. With the recent exciting progressin molecule-activation chemistry and systems biology, the time has come to put in place thenecessary means to develop a collaboration that will have impacts on science and society
for decades to come.

In addition to these impacts, the present WPI project is also critical to further enhance
the prestige and international visibility of Nagoya University, and also to lead a remarkablereformation of research culture. The importance of department-based conventional
research and education is obvious. However, we believe that ITbM will be the lead example
in drastically reforming the University in the long term. We will establish the “stage” onwhich researchers, sharing responsibility and problem awareness, can talk about their
dreams freely and can put their innovative ideas into practice immediately. What our future
success brings will not be limited to innovations in bio-molecular research. I strongly
believe that the Institute, with researchers of various backgrounds, will accelerate themixing/merging of people, ideas, and research, and also help nurture a new generation ofscientists unrestricted by the bounds of traditional disciplines. This will surely have apositive influence on the way Japanese universities carry out research and education. In
this regard, we must succeed by all means.
The Institute will connect molecules, create value, and change the world, one molecule ata time.
Kenichiro Itami

November 14, 2012111) NU has provided 5,400 m2 of research space to accommodate the Center. This commitment will be
continued. Additional space will be allocated when needed.
2) NU will rearrange and relocate the facilities of existing departments and centers, and will establish
the Center’s core facility, making it possible to collaborate intensively with the researchers of otherdepartments and research centers.
3) NU will reauthorize the University’s Facility Management Plan and will make the Center’s core facility
a top priority.
(6) How it will support to sustain the center as a world premier international research center
after the WPI-grant period ends.
1) NU places the Center as a significant research institute in the University’s mid-term plans, andcommits to sustain the Center’s pioneering research activities after the termination of the WPI grantsupport. In order to do so, NU allocated the Center as part of the Institute of Advanced Research,which has been established as an institute independent from the other departments and research
centers at NU, and will ensure financial support and permanent positions for the researchers
employed at the Center.
2) Depending on the achievement and influence of the Center, NU will advance the scheme toreorganize other departments and institutes within the university.
(7) Other types of assistance it will provide to give maximum support to the center inachieving its concepts and objectives and becoming a world premier international
research center in both name and deed.
1) Looking at the existing WPI centers, there seemed to be situations where they faced struggles with
their host institution’s headquarters. To overcome these issues, NU had assigned a member ofBoard of Trustee/Vice-President as the Administrative Director to bridge the gap between theCenter and the University’s headquarters. Through these endeavors, the Center’s management
system and guidelines were built. As of January 2014, the Trustee stepped down as the
Administrative Director and a new Administrative Director was appointed. The Center Director has
been holding a regular meeting with the President of NU once a month to discuss any issues related
to the management of the Center.
2) The newly assigned Administrative Director has a research background and leads the administrative
department. NU will continue the Center so that it’s research activities at a maximum performance.
3) NU recognizes one of the important aspects of the WPI is to accelerate system reform of Japanese
universities such as flexible operation and, internationalization.
4) Intensive commitment of NU’s leadership to the Center is critically important to accelerate thesystem reform in not only the Center but also for the entire university.

（Host institution：Nagoya University

3

Title of Center Project：Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules）

（Appendix）(in English)

List of Principal Investigators
・If the number of principal investigators exceeds 10, add columns as appropriate.
・Place an asterisk(*) by the name of the investigators who are considered to be ranked among the world’s top researchers.
・Give age as of 1 April 2017.
・For investigators who cannot participate in the center project from 1 April 2017, indicate the time that their participation will start in the“Notes” column.

Current affiliation
Name

Age

Academic
degree(organization,
department andspecialties)

Dr.EngSpecialties : Organic
Synthesis, Catalysis,
Pharmaceutical Science,
Nanocarbon Chemistry

Notes

1

Kenichiro ITAMI*

45

Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science,
Nagoya University

2

Tetsuya HIGASHIYAMA*

45

Division of Biological Science,
Graduate School of Science,
Nagoya University

Dr.Sci
Specialties : Live Cell Biology,
Plant Reproduction, Bio-active
molecules, Peptides
Doctoral of Natural Science
Specialties : Organic
Synthesis, Peptide andProtein Chemistry, Catalysis,
Ligation and bioconjugation
reactionsDouble Affiliation

Double Affiliation3

Jeffrey W. BODE*

43

Department of Chemistry andApplied
Biosciences, ETH Zürich,
Switzerland

4

Cathleen M. CRUDDEN*

50

Department of Chemistry,
Queen's University, Canada

Ph.D
Specialities : Catalysis,
Organic Synthesis, Materials
Chemistry, Chirality
Ph.D.
Specialties : Electronic
Structure Theory,
Computational Materials
Science, Quantum Chemistryof Complex Systems

5

Stephan IRLE*

49

Department of Chemistry,
Graduate School of Science,
Nagoya University

6

Toshinori KINOSHITA*

48

Division of Biological Science,
Graduate School of Science,
Nagoya University

Dr.Sci
Specialities : Plant Molecular
Physiology

51

Department of Applied
Chemistry, Graduate SchoolofEngineering, Nagoya
University

Dr. Engineering
Specialties : Organic
Synthesis, Catalysis,
Molecular Recognition
Ph.D.
Specialties : Plant
Development, Signal
Transduction, Stem Cell
Maintenance/Differentiation in
Plants7

Takashi OOI*

8

Keiko TORII*

51

Department of Biology,
University of Washington,
USA

9

Shigehiro YAMAGUCHI*

48

Research Center for Materials Specialties : Main Group
Chemistry, Physical Organic
Science, Nagoya University

Double Affiliation

Dr. Engineering

Chemistry

10

Takashi YOSHIMURA*

47

11

Steve KAY*

57

12

Florence M. TAMA*

42

Department of Applied
Molecular Biosciences,
Graduate School of
Bioagricultural Sciences,
Nagoya University
Dornsife College of Letters,
Arts
and Sciences, University ofSouthern California, USA

Dr. Agriculture
Specialties: Animal
Physiology, Systems Biology,
Neuroendocrinology
Ph.D.
Specialties:
Chronobiolo-gy, Genetics,
Biochemistry, Systems
Biology

Double Affiliation

Ph.D.

Research Center for Materials Specialties:
Computational Biophysics, In
Science, Nagoya University
Silico Drug Design

13

Wolf B. FROMMER*

59

Institute for Molecular
Physiology, Heinrich Heine
Universität Düsseldorf,
Germany

Dr. rer. nat.
Specialties : Plant Biology（Host institution：Nagoya University
1

Double Affiliation

Abbreviation of the Center：Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules )