—Toward a Complete Understanding of Life Phenomena—
Request for Donations
At the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), we conduct research in the life sciences while placing the highest priority on quantitative methodologies, seeking to elucidate the principles behind biological processes with high precision. The Human Genome Project has led to the emergence of advanced measurement technologies that make it possible to quickly obtain vast amounts of data that describe biological phenomena from a variety of approaches. Data-driven research is a defining characteristic of IQB, and we interpret these vast amounts of data in an integrated manner in order to model biological phenomena as they occur in reality. Our research is essential not only for the elucidation of basic biological phenomena, but also for clinical applications such as drug discovery, treatment, and diagnosis, which enable people to lead healthy lives. Along with introducing new technologies, another focus at IQB is fostering junior researchers who will engage in basic research at the global level. Fostering such talent requires maintaining close physical proximity to a network of researchers in Europe and the United States.
To this end, the University of Tokyo and the Karolinska Institutet, a Swedish medical university, have signed a basic agreement to establish an international platform (the UTokyo-KI LINK program) with IQB as its main axis. This will not only facilitate human exchange based on international research collaboration and encourage innovation through the sharing of cutting-edge technologies, but also make it easier for junior researchers to establish themselves within the international network. Continuing such efforts to enable more researchers to secure a place for themselves in the international network will make it possible to re-establish Japan’s presence as a nation of science and technology in the future.
We ask for your generous support in helping to foster the development of junior researchers based on this vision, and in contributing to the advancement of Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities.
Project Initiatives
◆Training Junior Researchers Within the International Network
Since its inception, IQB has focused most of its efforts on the training and internationalization of junior researchers. In particular, our focus has been on promoting international joint research through collaboration agreements with European research institutes and fostering junior researchers within the international network. Through this project, we will strengthen our ties with the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden to conduct interdisciplinary joint research, implement a doctoral-level course on the theme of “big data visualization,” and operate a co-creation laboratory, among other activities.
The Karolinska Institutet is a medical university located in Stockholm, Sweden. It is the world’s largest single-department medical educational and research institution, and it is also famous for hosting the Nobel assembly that awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The university’s influence is such that it accounts for 30% of all medical education and the largest share of medical research conducted in Sweden.
To set up a framework for co-creation with the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, we have loaned IQB-affiliated researchers to the Karolinska Institutet, installed next-generation sequencers, and are expanding IQB’s central lab functions overseas. We also employ foreign-national researchers from the Karolinska Institutet as full-time researchers at IQB, where they promote various activities at the center.
IQB plans to continue to develop the UTokyo-KI LINK program by hiring junior researchers capable of working internationally and promoting cross-disciplinary international research collaborations.
How Donations Will Be Used
◆For the travel and accommodation expenses involved in hosting international students and researchers, etc., in Japan
◆To fund international co-creation lab experiments and cover the costs of developing, maintaining, and managing equipment
◆To fund outreach activities, such as holding symposiums to present research results Together with IQB, you can help to create the future of science in Japan. We look forward to your generous suppo
appreciation for Project Donors
◆All donors:
You will receive invitations to online events and reports from researchers on assignment at the Karolinska Institutet (KI).
◆Lump-sum donations of JPY 30,000 or more:
Names of donors will be displayed in the main building’s exhibition space after renovations are complete (with donors’ permission; please inform us if you would not like your name to be displayed).
◆Lump-sum donations of JPY 100,000 or more:
You will receive invitations to exclusive, in-person IQB events.
(We will inform you of the event details as soon as they are finalized.)
Project Leader
Katsuhiko Shirahige
Director, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences
