◆ International Bioscience and Biotechnology Course Program

Graduate School of Bioscience & Biotechnology

Dept. of Life Science

Dept. of Biological Sciences

Dept. of Biological Information

Dept. of Bioengineering

Dept. of Biomolecular Engineering

Integrated doctoral program (3 - 5 yrs)

The Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology has launched a new program entitled “International Course in Bioscience and Biotechnology” within our Integrated Doctoral Education Program. The primary aim of the course is to foster student excellence within our various and sophisticated educational programs by exposing students to the advanced science and technology that underpins medical and environmental industries and to other related areas of bioscience and biotechnology. By enhanced exchange between international and Japanese students, we will produce high level researchers and engineers who will flourish as national and global leaders.

Course Program

The program will commence in October of each year, and student education will be conducted in English.

1) A student must be certified at master’s degree level while attending the course, which will be of at least 3 years duration.

2) A student must acquire more than 26 credits in the special and general subjects listed below. (exclusive of colloquium (Seminar I - X) and internship credits.) *See the tables below.

3) A student must acquire more than 4 credits of Bio-Internship. Bio-Internship: a 3-6 month project at research institutes or corporations in Japan. *compulsory

4) A student must acquire 2 credits of Directed Collaborative Work. *compulsory

5) A student must take all of the required colloquium (Seminar I - X of each department) credits.

6) A student usually files for a master’s degree after acquiring 26 credits in general and special subjects together with one colloquium in each semester (usually a total 2-4 credits). She/he then submits a research report which must be passed according to the examination rules in each department. Students who are admitted to obtain a master’s degree must take the qualifying examination for the doctoral course immediately, and those who pass it will become students of the doctoral course.

7) To graduate, doctoral students must present satisfactory mid-term progress reports, and then pass doctoral thesis review and a final oral examination.

Standard Courses

1st year	2nd year	3rd year	4th year
M1	M2	D1	D2
	QP	QP	FP, FE
M1	D1	D2	D3
QP	QP	QP	FP, FE
<Classes> <Internship>		<Researches>

QP: qualifying presentation, FP: final presentation, FE: final examination

Classes in this list given in English

Class Name	Credit	Lecturer(s)	Semester	Remarks
Advanced Bioorganic Chemistry	2-0-0	Sekine et al.	Autumn	E, C
Advanced Molecular Biology	2-0-0	Ishikawa et al.	Autumn	E, C
Advanced Bioengineering	2-0-0	Okura et al.	Autumn	E, C
Advanced Biophysical Chemistry	2-0-0	Fujihira et al.	Autumn	O, C
Advanced Biochemistry	2-0-0	Hirose et al.	Autumn	O, C
Advanced Biology	2-0-0	Okada et al.	Autumn	O, C
Advanced Life Science Frontiers	2-0-0		Spring	E, C
Advanced Biotechnology Frontiers	2-0-0		Spring	O, C
Bioscience and Biotechnology Topics 1 (200X)	1-0-0	Kitamura et al.	Spring	C
Bioscience and Biotechnology Topics 2 (200X)	1-0-0	Mihara et al.	Autumn	C
Synthesis of Bioactive Substances	2-0-0	Yuasa	Autumn	E
Advanced Course of Molecular Developmental Biology	2-0-0	Tanaka	Autumn	E
Genome-based Drug Discovery	2-0-0	Ishikawa	Spring	E
Bio-Nanomechanics	2-0-0		Spring	E
Advanced Cell Biochemistry	2-0-0	Komada	Spring	E
Advanced Course of Biological Recognition and Signaling II	2-0-0	Saito	Autumn	O
Asymmetric Synthesis	2-0-0	Kobayashi	Autumn	O
Advanced Course of Biological Molecular Function	2-0-0	Aizawa	Spring	O
Advanced Developmental Genetics	2-0-0	Kawakami	Spring	O
Structure and Function of Biological Supramolecules	2-0-0	Arisaka	Spring	O
Bioscience and Biotechnology International Communication I	2-0-0		Spring	O, C
Bioscience and Biotechnology International Communication II	2-0-0		Spring	E, C
Advanced Course of Bioscience Communication	2-0-0	Arimura	Autumn
Cell Signaling and Regulation	1-0-0	Hirose, Maturana	Autumn	C
Development and Disease	1-0-0	Kitamura, Takeuchi	Autumn	C
Computational Biochemistry	1-0-0	Sakurai, Harano	Autumn	C
Bionanotechnology	1-0-0	Mihara, Heddle	Autumn	C
Biomaterials	1-0-0	Akaike, Chowdhury	Autumn	C

“E” or “O” in the remarks column shows that those classes are open in even or odd year, respectively.

The classes without such symbols are open every year.

“C” in the remarks column indicates the class is common to all departments.

*Must take more than 4 credits in other departments.

Internship, Advanced Experiments and Colloquiums (Seminar) of each department (compulsory)

Class Name	Credit	Lecturer(s)	Semester	Remarks
● Bio-Internship I	0-4-0	Mentor	Spring
● Bio-Internship II	0-4-0	Mentor	Autumn
○ Directed Collaborative Work	2-0-0	Mihara, Kajiwara	Autumn	MC 1st year
○ Advanced Experiments I (each dept)	0-0-2	Mentor	Spring	MC 1st year
○ Advanced Experiments II (each dept)	0-0-2	Mentor	Autumn	MC 1st year
○ Seminar I (each dept)	1	Mentor	Spring	MC 1st year
○ Seminar II (each dept)	1	Mentor	Autumn	MC 1st year
○ Seminar III (each dept)	1	Mentor	Spring	MC 2nd year
○ Seminar IV (each dept)	1	Mentor	Autumn	MC 2nd year
○ Seminar V (each dept)	1	Mentor	Spring	DC 1st year
○ Seminar VI (each dept)	1	Mentor	Autumn	DC 1st year
○ Seminar VII (each dept)	1	Mentor	Spring	DC 2nd year
○ Seminar VIII (each dept)	1	Mentor	Autumn	DC 2nd year
○ Seminar IX (each dept)	1	Mentor	Spring	DC 3rd year
○ Seminar X (each dept)	1	Mentor	Autumn	DC 3rd year

● Taking one of these credits is compulsory.　　○ Compulsory.

<2008 Autumn Semester>

Advanced Bioorganic Chemistry (2-0-0)

2nd period of even year

Prof. Mituo SEKINE, Assoc. Prof. Hideya YUASA, and Assoc. Prof. Kohji SEIO

(Aim)

In addition to analyze bioorganic molecules and/or organic molecules, their synthesis is a next critical step to take advantage of these molecules in a more positive way. Actually, derivatives of these molecules, which are solely obtained by the artificial synthesis, often prove much more useful than the original biomolecules. In this lecture, such an essential field of organic chemistry, i.e., how to construct and design our own biomolecules, will be discussed.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction, what are molecular recognitions?

2. Molecular recognition of enzymes (1)

3. Molecular recognition of enzymes (2)

4. Molecular recognition of enzymes (3)

5. Synthesis and design of small biomolecules (1)

6. Synthesis and design of small biomolecules (2)

7. New trends in organic synthesis (1)

8. New trends in organic synthesis (2)

9. New trends in organic synthesis (3)

10. New trends in organic synthesis (4)

11. Synthesis of classical prostaglandins

12. Synthesis of new prostaglandins and other cyclopentanoids

(How to Grade)

Attendance and reports (and possibly examination?)

(Text, etc.)

Necessary stuff for this class will be provided by the lecturers.

Advanced Molecular Biology 2-0-0

Even Years 2nd Semester

Prof. Toshihisa ISHIKAWA (Bldg B2 Flr 5th Rm521, ext.5800), Prof. Osamu NUREKI (Bldg B1 Flr 5th Rm511, ext. 5711), and Associate Prof. Susumu KAJIWARA (Bldg B1 Flr 7th Rm702, ext5715)

(Aim)

The course will be given in English and open to all students belonging to not only the International Graduate Course but also to the regular course. The course consists of three academic/research fields which will be presented by the above-mentioned three professors of the Graduate Course of Bioscience. Each of the fields contains several topics.

(Schedule)

I. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Eukaryotic Microoganisms (Associate Prof. S. Kajiwara)

1. Introduction to eukaryotic microorganisms

2. Molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism

3. Infection and virulence and pathogenic yeasts

4. Molecular mycology for environmental application

II. Molecular Biology at an Atomic Resolution (Prof. O. Nureki)

1. Introduction of structure determination of proteins and nucleic acids

2. Structural biology of genetic code translation

3. Structural biology of membrane transporters

4. Structural biology in cancer research

III. Modern Molecular Genomics (Prof. T. Ishikawa)

1. Pharmacogenomics

2. ABC transporters

3. Drug Discovery and Development

4. SNPs and medical applications

(How to Grade)

Attendance and reports

Advanced Bioengineering (2-0-0)

2nd period of even year

Prof. Ichiro OKURA, Prof. Satoshi NAKAMURA, and Assoc. Prof. Tomoko MATSUDA

(Aim)

Most advanced research status of bioengineering is to be learned, where bio-functions derived from biological elements such as viruses/phages, enzymes, microbes, plant/animal cells are applied to the construction of innovative systems for producing materials and/or energy, and contributing environmental technology.

(Schedule)

1. Mechanism and application of biocatalysis

1-1 Kinetics of biocatalytic reactions

1-2 Mechanism of biocatalytic reactions

1-3 Production of useful materials with biocatalysts

1-4 Pront of industrial production with biocatalysts

2. Molecular bioengineering of extremozymes and related proteins

2-1 Methodology for effcient foreign gene expression

2-2 Extremophiles and extremozymes

2-3 Protein engineering of extremozymes and related proteins

2-4 Directed evolution of extremozymes and related proteins

3. Biotransformation for organic synthesis

3-1 Kinetic resolution using hydrolytic enzymes (I)

3-2 Kinetic resolution using hydrolytic enzymes (II)

3-3 Reduction and oxidation

3-4 Future directions in biotransformation

<2007 Autumn Semester>

Advanced Biophysical Chemistry (2-0-0)

2nd period of odd year

This course is given by Prof. Masamichi FUJIHIRA, Assoc. Prof. Toshiya OSADA, and Prof. Minoru SAKURAI.

Lectures will be given along “Physical Chemistry, Principles and Applications in Biological Sciences” 4^th Edition, by I. Tinoco, K. Sauer, J. C. Wang, and J. D. Puglisi, Prentice-Hall, Inc., (2002).

(Schedule)

I Introduction (Masamichi Fujihira)

II The First Law: Energy Is Conserved

III The Second Law: The Entropy of the Universe Increases

IV The Free Energy and Chemical Equilibria (Toshiya Osada)

V Free Energy and Physical Equilibria

VI Molecular Structures and Interactions: Theory (Minoru Sakurai)

Advanced Biochemistry (2-0-0)

Autumn semester of odd years

Prof. Shigehisa HIROSE, Assoc. Prof. Fumio ARISAKA, and Assoc. Prof. Yoichi TAGAWA

This course will be given in English. Major areas of contemporary biochemistry will be covered to help understand the chemical basis of life. The themes include (1) biological membranes, chemical communication between cells, and intracellular trafficking; (2) protein motifs, protein folds, and macromolecular assembly; and (3) extracellular matrices and biochemistry of cell community.

(Schedule)

Prof. HIROSE: Biological membranes

1. Proteins, lipids, and biological membranes

2. Localization and targeting of proteins

3. Signaling molecules

4. Receptors, second messengers, and intracellular signaling molecules

Prof. ARISAKA: Protein structure and assembly

1. Protein structure and motif

2. Protein folding

3. Protein-protein interactions

4. Macromolecular assembly

Prof. TAGAWA: Biochemistry of cell community

1. Cell surface chemistry

2. Cell-matrix interactions

3. Cell-cell interactions

4. Cellular engineering and tissue engineering

Advanced Biology (2-0-0) Odd year

2nd period of odd year

This course will be given in English. Major areas of contemporary biology will cover to help understand the modern biology. The themes include (1) Evolutional science, (2) Developmental biology, and (3) Mobile element science.

Prof. Norihiro OKADA, Assoc. Prof. Atsushi KAWAKAMI, and Assoc. Prof. Masaki KAJIKAWA

(Aim)

The evolution of genes, genomes and organisms will be studied (N. Okada).

Cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate animal development will be studied. Main focus will be on principles for establishment of the body plan and formation of selected organs (A. Kawakami).

Transposable elements and their impact on the eukaryotic genome evolution will be studied (M. Kajikawa).

(Schedule)

1. Natural selection (Okada)

2. Neutral theory (Okada)

3. Genetic drift (Okada)

4. Phylogenetic analysis (Okada)

5. Development and organ formation in vertebrates (Kawakami)

6. Patterning embryo (Kawakami)

7. Genetics and signaling (Kawakami)

8. Organ regeneration I (Kawakami)

9. Organ regeneration II (Kawakami)

10. The structure and mobilization mechanism of transposon (Kajikawa)

11. The structure and mobilization mechanism of retroposon (Kajikawa)

12. The impact of transposable elements on the genome evolution (Kajikawa)

Synthesis of Bioactive Substances (2-0-0) Even year

Assoc. Prof. Hideya YUASA

(Aim)

Organic synthesis is one of the most powerful tools to create drugs for diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, flu, and etc. Thus the knowledge and skills of organic synthesis are prerequisite for the research in pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this class is to have you understand the logics and mechanisms underlying the design and synthesis of bioactive molecules. To make the class less bored, each lecture will deal with the synthesis of a few compounds, with which the basic principles behind the constituent reactions will be uncovered. Therefore, you do not have to attend all of the classes. The first half of this class will be based on the text book, “Top Drugs: Top Synthetic Routes” (John Saunders, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2000). Our own research results are discussed in the latter half.

(Schedule)

1. Inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzyme

2. Blockade of angiotensin-II receptors

3. Calcium channel blockers

4. Antagonists of histamine receptors

5. Proton pump inhibitors

6. Modulation of central serotonin

7. Ligands for benzodiazepine receptor

8. Blockers of the H1 recptor

9. Inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase

10. Anti-bacterial DNA gyrase inhibitors

11. Glycosidase inhibitors against diabetes

12. Carbohydrate-based future drugs

13. Principles of mimics and mimetics

14. Dynamic molecules for future drugs

15. Peptide synthesis (optional)

(How to grade)

Attendance and report

Advanced Course of Molecular Developmental Biology (2-0-0) 2nd period of odd year

Assoc. Prof. Mikiko TANAKA

(Aim)

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate vertebrate development.

(Schedule)

Introduction to Developmental Biology

Nervous System

Neural Crest Cells

Heart

Paraxial and Intermediate mesoderm

Endoderm

Limb Development

Blood Vessels and Blood Cells

Germ Line

Regeneration

Medical Implications

(How to Grade)

Attendance and presentation

(Text, etc.)

(Message from a Lecturer)

Genome-based Drug Discovery (Even year)

Prof. Toshihisa ISHIKAWA

(Aim)

In the 21st century, emerging genomic science and technologies are shifting the paradigm of drug discovery research and improving the strategy of medical care for patients. In order to realize the personalized medicine, it is critically important to understand molecular mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in the drug response, namely, pharmacological effect vs. side effect. Pharmacogenomics, the study of influence of genetic factors on drug action, is increasingly important for predicting pharmacokinetics profiles and/or adverse reactions of drugs.

In this lecture series, basic science underlying the genome-based drug discovery and current critical issues will be presented and mutually discussed.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction: History of drug discovery research (lecture)

2. Genome-based drug discovery (lecture)

3. Target validation and high throughput screening (lecture)

4. Presentation and free discussion

5. Medicinal chemistry (lecture)

6. Presentation and free discussion

7. Pharmacology and toxicology (lecture)

8. Presentation and free discussion

9. Pharmacogenomics (lecture)

10. Presentation and free discussion

11. Recent topics (lecture)

12. Business strategies of pharmaceutical companies (lecture)

13. Presentation and free discussion

(How to grade)

Graduate students are expected to attend lectures and to actively participate in discussion. Following lectures, graduate students will be requested to present their own reports on particular subjects, such as target validation and high throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmacogenomics, and business strategies of pharmaceutical companies. Lecture, presentation, and discussion will be provided in English only (no Japanese!).

(Text)

“Pharmacogenomics” (Eds.: W. Kalow, U.A. Meyer, R.F. Tyndale) Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York/Basel.

Advanced Cell Biochemistry (2-0-0) Even year

Assoc. Prof. Masayuki KOMADA

(Aim)

Precise transport of proteins to their destinations in the cell is essential for various cellular functions. Membrane traffic is a major protein transport process between organelles made of lipid membranes. This course focuses on the molecular mechanisms as well as physiological and pathological roles of various membrane traffic processes in eukaryotic cells. Equal efforts will be made to address the fundamentals and recent findings on each subject.

(Schedule)

1. Endocytosis

2. Traffic from endosomes to lysosomes

3. Budding of viruses from host cells

4. Traffic between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi

5. Exocytosis

6. Traffic from the Golgi to endosomes

7. Rab family of small GTPases

8. Autophagy

9. Kinesin-mediated vesicle transport

10. Mechanisms of membrane protein localization

(How to Grade)

tests, report

(Text, etc.)

(Message from a Lecturer)

<2007 Autumn Semester>

Advanced Course of Biological Recognition and Signaling II (2-0-0) Odd year

Assoc. Prof. Yuji SAITO

(Aim)

Students will learn the up-to-date knowledge and the ways to carry out research about biological signal transduction. This object could be attained not only from the lectures given by the instructor but also by actively participating in a series of presentations given by fellow students.

(Schedule)

1. Give basic and general understanding about Biological Signal Transduction. (2 weeks)

Explain various receptors and molecules involved in different biological signal transduction pathways, and cross-talks among them.

2. Discuss about various oncogenes and tumor suppressors with regard to apoptosis, differentiation and cancer, based on topics published in recent literatures. (2 weeks)

3. Students are expected to make a bit formal presentations about a series of subjects chosen from current literature. Students will learn from this experience how to write and read papers as well as how to give a talk in conferences. (8 weeks)

(How to grade)

Students are expected to attend lectures as often as possible, and actively participate in the discussion about the topics presented by fellow students.

Asymmetric Synthesis (2-0-0) Odd year

Assoc. Prof. Yuichi KOBAYASHI

(Aim)

Asymmetric reaction is a powerful method to obtain enantiomerically enriched compounds for synthesis of biologically important compounds. Among the efficient asymmetric reactions so far published, several types of reactions listed below will be described. The principle for the creation of stereocenter(s) are discussed.

(Schedule)

1. Fundamental Aspects of Asymmetric Synthesis

2. Preparation of Enantiomerically Enriched Compounds by means of Optical Resolution, Asymmetric Synthesis, Chiral Pool Method, Reactions using Enzymes

3. Diastereoselection and Enantioselection

4. Enolate Formation and Asymmetric Alkylation

5. Asymmetric Aldol Reaction: Part 1

6. Asymmetric Aldol Reaction: Part 2

7. Catalytic Asymmetric Reactions: Part 1:

Hydrogenation, Isomerization, Allylic Substitution

8. Catalytic Asymmetric Reactions: Part 2:

Cyclopropanation, Diels-Alder Reaction

9. Asymmetric Epoxidation

10. Transformations of Epoxides

11. Asymmetric Dihydroxylation

12. Dissymmetrization of Compounds with Symmetry Elements

13. Chiral Pool Method

14. Asymmetric Synthesis of Biologically Active Compounds

15. Summary

(How to grade)

Attendance and report

Advanced Course of Biological Molecular Function (2-0-0) Odd year

Associate Prof. Yasunori AIZAWA

(Course Description)

This course considers the structural and functional aspects of the most fundamental cellular molecules, ribonucleic acids (RNAs). Topics in this course covers mechanisms on expression, processing, intracellular transport, and functional outcome of different classes of protein-coding RNAs as well as noncoding RNAs (ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, small RNAs, and polyadenylated noncoding RNAs). In addition, to deeply understand these RNA-related mechanisms, this course provides additional topics on genome structures and functions. The technique and logic used to address important issues in RNA biology is also emphasized. Lectures cover the broad topic areas and class discussions focus on representative papers in the field.

(Topics)

1. Genome Architecture and Function

2. Definition of Gene and Complexity of Mammalian Genomes

3. RNA Expression and Processing

4. Intracellular RNA Transport

5. Gene Regulation through RNAs

6. Noncoding RNA

(Student requirements)

Intensive reading assigned papers and high quality performance in the class discussion is required from all the students.

Advanced Developmental Genetics (2-0-0)

1st period of odd year

Assoc. Prof. Atsushi KAWAKAMI

(Aim)

Cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate animal development, organ formation and related issues will be studied. Through the studies of developmental genetics and related areas, students will develop ability for oral presentation in English about respective researches and/or issues related to developmental genetics. Final goal of this class is to cultivate a faculty for logical thinking and scientific communication in scientific meetings, especially those in which English is a formal language.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction, schedules etc.

2. Developmental genetics in model animal, particularly in small fish species

3. Cellular and molecular background of tissue regeneration

4-12. Presentations by students

(How to Grade)

Attendance and presentation

(Text, etc.)

Not required

Structure and Function of Biological Supramolecules (2-0-0)

1st period of odd year

Assoc. Professor Fumio ARISAKA

(Aim)

Among biological supramolecules, focus will be made on the protein supramolecules and the mechanisms and principles that control the molecular assembly and the methods of analyses will be taught. First, hierarchical structure of proteins will be introduced and varieties of interactions involved in the formation of protein supramolecules will be explained. After describing the various structures in the cell, structure of viruses will be introduced and the mechanism of assembly and the structural changes during assembly and infection process will be described through examples of bacteriophages along with the methodology of the analyses.

(Schedule)

1. Overview of supramolecules in the cell

−tight complex and association-dissociation system−

2. Hierarchical structure of proteins

3. Protein-protein interactions

4. Repeats and symmetry in protein supramolecules

5. Co-operativity in the structure formation of protein assembly

6. Structure of viruses

7. Principle of quasi-equivalence

−Caspar・Klug theory−

8. Methods of analyses on assembly: application of conditional lethal mutants and in vivo and in vitro complementation

9. Methods of strucutre determination: electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography etc.

10. Mehtods of analysis in protein-protein interactions：anaytical ultracentrifugation, surface plasmon resonance, isothermal titration microcalorimetry, light scattering

11. paper review (1)

12. paper review (2)

13. paper review (3)

14. Summary

(How to Grade)

Attendance to the lectures and reports

Cell signaling and regulation(1-0-0)

Professor Shigehisa Hirose, Assistant Prof. Andres MATURANA

(Aim)

Communication between cells is essential in order to maintain an organism alive and functional. Extracellular signals (such as hormones, neurotransmitter, osmotic changes…) are transduced specifically into the intracellular space to generate an appropriate answer from the cell. These lectures will focuses on the molecular mechanisms of transmission of the intracellular signaling.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction to cell signaling.

2. Receptors.

3. Kinase and Phosphatase.

4. Localization of the signal: Scaffolding proteins

5. Calcium signaling

6. Ion channels part I

7. Ion channels part II

(How to Grade)

Attendance and report.

Development & Diseases (1-0-0)

Professor Naomi Kitamura, Assistant Prof. Jun K. TAKEUCHI

(Aim)

This field of science is defined to know “us-human being”, that means how we are established and born, how we are different from other people or animals, and how diseases are occurred. Since genes for making body pattern was first reported, many indispensable genes for patterning and diseases have been identified and characterized for over twenty years. And such gene-profiling study will be finished soon, following the genome projects. Next, we need to know combinatorial functions of genes to explain how complicated human body is formed and why significance of disease differs among people. In this lecture, exciting and outstanding studies will be picked up in each term, and will be discussed why it was “exciting and outstanding”. We will focus on anatomical, genetic & developmental, and technical approaches to study embryology and aging.

(Schedule)

1． Anatomical Science

2． Early Development

3． Late Development

4． Heart Development

5． Diseases

6． Functional Analyses & ES Technologies

7． Evolutional Sciences & Future Effort

(How to Guide)

Successful guidance for this lecture has at least two important requirements. First, a couple of interesting papers will be picked up and discussed as an introduction at every class. From this project, students will figure out new insights or important points about the theme of each term. Second, every class follows these papers to understand their background and their thought. Through lecture, students will have the opportunity to meet the ideas of great scientists who have made significant contributions in their field and our life.

(Text)

Developmental Biology 8^th edition (S.Gilbert)

Heart 2nd edition (N.Rosenthial & R.Harvey)

Computational Biohemistry (1-0-0)

Professor Minoru Sakurai, Assistant Prof. Yuichi HARANO

(Aim)

Computational methods on biochemistry are overviewed. Various topics on molecular biology are introduced in the class. The methods are based on quantum chemistry, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics. How computational methods can contribute to biological science will be discussed, and the idea on theoretical biochemistry will be mastered. The basic knowledge on physical chemistry is required.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction; how dose the computer contribute to biochemistry?

2. Quantum mechanical methods.

3. Molecular dynamics simulation of biomolecules (1).

4. Molecular dynamics simulation of biomolecules (2).

5. Thermodynamics on biochemistry.

6. Solution chemistry on biomolecules.

7. Bioinformatics on structural biology.

(How to Grade)

Attendance and reports.

(Text, etc.)

Necessary stuff for this class will be provided by the lecturers.

Bionanotechnology (1-0-0)

Professor Hisakazu Mihara, Assistant Prof. Jonathan HEDDLE

(Aim)

Using biological molecules to construct functional materials at the nanoscale for uses as diverse as microelectronics and therapeutics is a new and exciting field. The aim of this lecture series is to introduce the ideas and concepts behind bionanotechnology, giving examples from recent research.

(Schedule)

What is Bionanotechnology? An Introduction

1. Current Uses of Bionanotechnology

2. Bionanotechnology with protein spheres

3. Bionanotechnology with TRAP protein part I

4. Bionanotechnology with TRAP protein part II

5. DNA as a bionanotechnology tool

6. Future prospects of Bionanotechnology

(How to Grade)

Attendance and Report

Biomaterials (1-0-0)

Professor Toshihiro Akaike, Assistant Prof. Ezharul Hoque CHOWDHURY

(Aim)

Biomaterials science is a unique multidisciplinary field being evolved with the efforts of chemists, biologists, medical doctors and engineers. A biomaterial is any natural or engineered material intended either to augment, direct, replace, repair, or regenerate organs, tissues, or cells with potential applications in medicine, dentistry, biotechnology, and industry. The following lectures would be useful in order to learn how to design biomimetic materials based on understanding cellular biology and utilize them for therapeutic purposes.

(Schedule)

1. Introduction to design and synthesis of biomaterials with therapeutic applications

2. Structural and functional roles of cell-adhesive proteins

3. Regulations of cell functions through engineered biomaterials

4. Cell adhesion-dependent signaling pathways on biomaterial surfaces

5. Biomaterials: Synthetic and Engineering strategies

6. Scaffolds for tissue engineering: Implications for regenerative medicine

7. Bioinspired engineering of intelligent drug delivery systems

(How to grade)

Attendance and reports

(Text)

Biomimetic Materials and Design (Eds.: Angela K. Dillow & Anthony M. Lowman) Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York/Basel.