Delegation of International Media, Corporate, and Diplomatic Representatives Visits the iCeMS
December 17, 2010
On December 10, a 
study tour of biotechnology efforts in the Kansai region visited Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS). The group, organized by the Kansai Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), consisted of representatives from diplomatic missions of various countries, multinational corporations, as well as from overseas media such as the Financial Times, Time, and Fortune.
The tour provided participants with the opportunity to visit leading edge research institutions in the region, in an effort to increase overseas investment in Kansai. The 60 participants, including members from relevant ministries and agencies, visited four research institutions: the Medical Center for Translational Research (MTR) at Osaka University Hospital, the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO) in Osaka, the iCeMS, and Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA).
At the iCeMS, participants first took part in a networking luncheon, after which they listened to presentations given by iCeMS Director Prof. Norio Nakatsuji and ReproCELL Inc. CEO Chikafumi Yokoyama.
Prof. Nakatsuji, Japan's prioneer in the creation and distribution of embryonic stem cell lines, currently focuses his laboratory work on drug development research and the creation of disease models, such as for Alzheimer's. In his talk, he presented an overall picture of the iCeMS and described the "multi-disciplinary research and application of pluripotent stem cells for disease mechanism research and drug discovery."
Dr. Yokoyama of ReproCELL, the world's first company to market human iPS cell-derived cardiomyocyte and neural cells, spoke on the subject of stem cells as a business.
Intrigued by the presentations, many participants took the opportunity to ask detailed questions of both speakers.
The visit concluded with a tour of the iCeMS main building, during which Asst. Prof. Ken-ichiro Kamei of the iCeMS' Chen Lab and Senior Lecturer Kazuhiro Aiba of the Nakatsuji Lab explained recent developments in their fields as related to ES/iPS cells.
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| Prof. Nakatsuji addressing the group in the Main Building Seminar Room |
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| Dr. Yokoyama giving his presentation |
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| Luncheon in the Main Building Lounge |
Prof. Nakatsuji answering a question |
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| Dr. Yokoyama discussing a point with an audience member |
Asst. Prof. Kamei (center) explaining the application of nano-patterns and microfluidic technology to stem cell research |
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| Participants comparing undifferentiated ES and iPS cells which, as Senior Lecturer Aiba (right) explains, are visually indistinguishable |
Prof. Nakatsuji leading the group through the iCeMS Main Buildling |