What kind of study is life science, anyway? All research that deals with living things is life science, but at LSC, we see it as "a study that elucidates the various life phenomena that living things create and the intricate mechanisms behind them." "What is the state of being alive? How did living organisms create the mechanisms necessary for life?" These are big-scale questions, but answering them is one of LSC's major goals. The basic unit of life is the "cell." It can also be said that we are "understanding the 'basic principles' of life at the cellular level."

Life sciences are deeply connected to our daily lives. In particular, in the three areas of medicine, food, and the environment, researchers are working hard to solve problems that must be solved in order for humanity to survive on this planet. These include medicine that aims to treat diseases and develop new drugs, research to increase food production using biotechnology, and environmental conservation that uses the power of microorganisms to eliminate soil and water pollution. At this point, many people may wonder: "What is the use of all the hard work studying cells at LSC?" "Aren't you researching the development of drugs to cure diseases or the solution of food and environmental problems?"

I think that's a reasonable question. In fact, the three areas mentioned above seem to be independent of each other, but if you trace them back to their origins, they all have in common the fact that they control the actions of "cells" or utilize the functions of "cells." In other words, detailed observation of events occurring inside cells is essential for cutting-edge research. That is why at LSC, we are working to gain a deeper understanding of cells, shed light on unknown biological phenomena, and elucidate their mechanisms.

When you hear the word "research," many people may think of something difficult that is being done in a world far away from us. However, deepening our knowledge of life sciences is very important for our health and future choices. Think about genetic manipulation and genetic testing. What if genetically modified corn, genome-edited tomatoes, genome editing to treat incurable diseases, and genetic testing to find out your future? All of these are cutting-edge technologies that are already part of our daily lives or are on the verge of being achieved. What to choose and what to discard? With the right knowledge, you should be able to choose what is beneficial without being swayed by false information.

Although the LSC has its own laboratories in a research building, it is essentially a "loose community" of laboratories related to life sciences. What exactly does a loose community mean? Currently, the LSC is made up of eight laboratories belonging to Department of Chemistry and Biological Science, Department of Physical Sciences, or Department of Mathematical Sciences. However, these laboratories are by no means united and working toward a single goal. They cooperate loosely as much as they need, when they need it.

There are several reasons for this. First, basic research is driven by the "curiosity" of each researcher. Curiosity is not something that is given to us or that falls from above. It's just because it's interesting and we want to know more. Much of the research that brings innovation to society is not clear when we are doing it. That's why it's so innovative. Secondly, it's the "diversity" of research. The more homogeneous the human society and ecosystem are, the more vulnerable they are to dramatic changes in the environment. On the other hand, even in a crisis situation, if there is an accumulation of various research, one of them can provide concrete measures and hints to overcome the crisis. The extremely rapid development of the mRNA vaccine against the new coronavirus also speaks to this.

Living organisms have a great deal of genetic diversity, but what's interesting is that there are many genes whose functions we don't know. The budding yeast (baker's yeast) that I use in my research has about 6,600 genes, but we don't know what about 700 of them do. Why has yeast retained these genes for hundreds of millions of years since it first appeared on Earth? There must be some reason.

At LSC, we place the utmost importance on the individuality of our researchers, and aim to create a flexible and diverse system. Our ideal is for people with various backgrounds to come together and split up at the right time to create something new. Therefore, we re-open the call for applications for each project for a three-year term to increase fluidity. After the applied projects are reviewed by the LSC Steering Committee, research activities are carried out. Currently, there are eight research projects running, as shown on the right.

LSC has three principles:

1) Respect individuality and originality
2) Persist in basic research
3) Create value


1) Respect individuality and originality

Objectivity is important in science, but it is not enough to just pile up facts. Why? Because science is a subjective human endeavor. Let's say that 99.9% of microorganisms are killed when a certain drug is administered to a culture medium. Some people see this and want to know the mechanism of action of the drug that can kill 99.9%, while others wonder how the surviving 0.1% of bacteria are different from the others. "Individuality" and "originality" imply absolute uniqueness, but this is not necessarily the case in research. There is no need to think so dramatically. The research process, starting from observation and reaching a conclusion, is very long and complicated. When you make repeated subjective choices such as "I think this way," or "I'll go this way," and eventually a story that no one has ever seen or heard is born, people call it "original research." It is important to focus on a research topic that you are passionate about, and this is something that LSC is conscious of when nurturing young researchers.

3) Create value

Although I have mentioned the importance of basic research, I do not neglect practical applied research. At LSC, we aim to be a base for "value creation" that develops future needs, rather than satisfying existing demand. You can call "innovation" the same thing. However, innovation is not something that can be created with the intention of doing so from the beginning. When a chance discovery leads to new value that transforms society, isn't it called innovation for the first time? When conducting research, we often notice that cells give off strange signs. "What is this? I wonder if I should look into it a little more." Research that begins with such playfulness can sometimes produce unexpected results.

You may have heard the term "interdisciplinary fusion" a lot lately. Biotechnology is a field that combines life science and engineering. In cutting-edge medical fields, artificial intelligence is being used to detect cancer and predict life phenomena. Life science in the 21st century is truly a culmination of interdisciplinary fusion. LSC is also focusing on collaboration with private companies, and recently started joint research with a major beer company. There, we are working on research with the stance of creating something new from scratch, without being conscious of practicality.

LSC also puts effort into developing human resources. What is important for students is to have the courage to challenge difficult problems and to immerse themselves in one thing. Curiosity and a spirit of inquiry are what support this. So, how can you specifically develop your skills as a researcher? It's about thinking for yourself to achieve your goal, planning an experiment, carrying it out, and getting results. Whether the results are good or bad, think about what to do next and carry it out. Repeat this cycle over and over to strengthen your thinking skills. Doesn't it seem similar to athletes? They think about how to run faster and how to increase the distance they can jump, and use their own bodies to experiment and get results. If it doesn't work, they try again. And they gradually become stronger. Young people who aim to be researchers should also have their senses sharpened by repeating this cycle. Such training is absolutely necessary for research.

We are conducting research at the world's forefront. It takes tremendous patience and concentration to venture into unknown territory and make new discoveries. There are many times when things don't go well. However, if you continue to think for yourself and experiment, one day your vision suddenly opens up and the world before your eyes suddenly becomes bright. The joy you feel at that time is something you can't experience anywhere else. It may be a little like the feeling you get when you take off the training wheels as a child and keep falling over, but one day you suddenly become able to ride a bike smoothly. The qualities required to become a good researcher are the ability to devote yourself to one thing. Things are more interesting when they are difficult. We will fully support students who have the courage to challenge difficult problems and can devote themselves to something.