Joining in re-inventing Japan project
Kobe university graduation school health sciences
Norifumi Matake
My research project is “Study on the antiviral activity of natural compounds
against dengue virus (DENV).” I have been involved in the research since 4thbachelor’s degree. DENV infects 50-100million people annually. Infection of
the virus causes symptoms such as headache, fever and erythema and deathin a severe case. Recently, the incidence of DENV infection has grown
dramatically and over 40% of the world’s populations are now considered tobe at risk for DENV infection. In Japan, the incidence of DENV infection ismostly imported cases and the number has grown. In addition, more than150 cases of local infection of dengue virus have been confirmed on August toOctober in 2014. Epidemic areas of DENV are tropical and subtropicalregions, including Indonesia. In Indonesia, it is estimated that DENV infects
about 150 thousand people annually. However, no approved vaccine andspecific drug against DENV are available. There are abundant medicalplants in Indonesia and they have a potential to be novel drugs against
DENV. An opportunity to study on DENV at the epidemic area may bebeneficial for my future research carrier. Indonesia has a lot of islands andthe population is over 230 million. They have many kinds of culture andlanguage and their religions are different depending on the place where theylive. I want to come in touch with Indonesian lives and cultures andcommunicate with people having different backgrounds. I think thisexperience must be useful in my school life and my future. This is a reason I
joined this program.

L) Inside of ITDR) Dormitory and cafeteria

Institute of Tropical Disease was established as a tropical research stationof Airlangga University in Surabaya, the capital city of East Java province in1991. It is one of the best research stations in Indonesia, and there are many
researchers who have various research backgrounds work together. The
Indonesia-Kobe university base of Collaborative Research Center forEmerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CRC-ERID) is established inthis faculty. Researchers of Airlangga and Kobe Universities have conductedcollaborative research projects on avian influenza virus and hepatitis C virus
since 2007, and on infectious diarrheal diseases and DENV since 2008. I hada laboratory training in the DENV group for three months. The members are
consisted by one Japanese and four Indonesian researchers, and they haveseven research projects. 1) DENV isolation in Surabaya; they are collecting
the serum of patients from a hospital in Surabaya and analyzing serotype
and genotype of virus. They isolate virus from the serum, extract RNA andamplify viral DNA by RT-PCR. After that, they perform sequencing analysis
to determine viral serotype and genotype. All these experiments can be
carrried out at ITD. I observed these experiment and thought it is difficult toisolate a small amount of virus from the patients. 2) DENV isolation in otherlocations in Indonesia; they are collecting the serum of patients from other
cities in Indonesia including Jakarta, Bali, Pontianak, Papua and so on. It is
important to collect the epidemiologic data about DENV in Indonesia anduse it to estimate DENV prevalence. In this time, I accompanied them toPontianak and Kalimantan to collect the samples. We introduced ourresearch projects and shared the information about DENV. 3) Full genomic
sequence of DENV; they collaborate with National Institute of Infectious

Diseases (NIID) to collect the epidemiologic data about DENV because there
is a few full sequence data of DENV in Indonesia. In Japan, I usually orderthese experiment to outsourcing but I could observe these experiment. 4)
Generationof

human

monoclonalantibody;theygenerate

humanmonoclonal antibody which has neutralizing activity from the serum of
dengue patients in Indonesia. We can apply these antibodies to thediagnostic or therapeutic purpose. 5) Antibody-dependent enhancement(ADE) activity of serum; they survey ADE activity of DENV by using theserum of the patients. It remains unknown the mechanism of this activity
and these experiments may be useful to know it. I could learn about the roleof antibody through these experiments. 6) Analyzing anti-DENV activity of
medical plants in Indonesia; they analyze anti-DENV activity of crude
extracts from medical plants. I could share our knowledge about thisexperiment with ITD researchers. It is useful to research my research
projects in Japan. 7) Vector control study; they study the mosquito, which isa vector of DENV, to prevent DENV infection. There is a water tank inIndonesian house and the mosquito larvae live there. They try to prevent
them growing up as putting some stuffs in a water tank. They did theexperiment in the laboratory and fields. In the laboratory, we could confirm
the affect of the stuff against the mosquito larvae. On the other hand, infields, we couldn’t confirm because of facing many difficulties. I felt thedifficulties in the difference between laboratory and field experiments.

L) Laboratory trainingR) Mosquito larvae

I participated in some lectures held in ITD. In Biosafety Level Laboratory 3(BSL-3) lecture, I learned how to use the virus, the equipment of laboratoryand the faculty in order to manage the safety of researchers and theenvironment outside faculty. ITD invited some researchers from UK andPortugal and they gave lectures on their researches and universities. In
addition, I could participate in the meeting of CRC-ERID and know activitiesof other research groups. In the last week of my stay, I gave a presentation
on my research outcomes to ITD members. Through these experiences, I
learned what kind of slides for presentation should indicate to other people
and how to explain my opinion in English.

L) BSL-3 lectureR) Jungle in east of Jawa

I also joined another activity in Indonesia. I visited a factory of Yakult inSurabaya. I could know how they make and sell their products in Indonesia.
I watched the Japanese play performed by the students of Japanesehumanism faculty in Airlangga University. It was interesting and I was
surprised at the high quality of their Japanese speaking. I have stayed withstudents of veterinary medicine at a jungle in east Java. I went
bird-watching and trekking in there. I could see many wild animals andplants. I had a valuable experience.
In Indonesian life, I have many friends and spent a lot of time with them.
We went to the cigarette factory, mangrove, sightseeing of Surabaya, beach,amusement park and so on. We ate special Indonesian dishes such as Nasi
Goreng, Rawan and Sate. I could be exposed Indonesian culture, nature andcity life and spend a good time with kindly and cheerful Indonesian people.
I learned many things through involving many kinds of experiment not only
in my own project and communicating with various researchers. In addition,
I have been stimulated by many activities such as lectures, meetings andpresentation. I feel that I need to progress my English ability because it is
not enough to communicate with other people in English. And I need to learn
about DENV much more. Joining this program gave me many great
opportunities to spend with great people in great faculties. I would like touse this experience in my school life and my future carrier.

L) A meal of IndonesianR) A picture with friends in the beech

I would like to appreciate all the people involved this program.