iCeMS holds its 27th International Symposium: “Self-Assembly Science for Unlocking Life’s Secrets”
The 27th iCeMS International Symposium, titled “Self-Assembly Science for Unlocking Life’s Secrets,” was held on October 2–3, 2025, at the iCeMS Main Building. The two-day event gathered researchers from Japan and abroad to share the latest scientific progress in fields related to iCeMS’s central concept of self-assembly. The symposium was organized by Professors Shuhei Furukawa and Mineko Kengaku.
In his opening remarks, iCeMS Director Motonari Uesugi welcomed participants and introduced the symposium theme. The first day began with a lecture by Carl Brozek (University of Oregon) on Surface Chemistry of Porous Nanocrystals, followed by talks by Yumi Yakiyama (Osaka University), Masahiko Yoshimura and Masateru Ito (iCeMS, Kyoto University), and Yasuko Osakada (SANKEN, Osaka University). Discussions ranged from molecular crystal flexibility to recreating nanoscale cell environments and designing photo-functional nanomaterials.
In the afternoon, speakers Shunsuke F Shimobayashi (CiRA, Kyoto University), Yusuke Himeoka (University of Tokyo), Mao Hori (Institute of Science Tokyo), and Kohei Sato (Kwansei Gakuin University) explored diverse topics such as intracellular condensates, transitions between life and non-life, and synthetic membrane channels. A networking session followed in the evening, fostering exchange between invited speakers and iCeMS principal investigators.
The second day featured talks by Megumi Mukoyoshi (Kyoto University), Yukari Katsura (NIMS), and Takahiro Kosugi (IMS), covering alloy nanoparticles, crystal structure simulations, and computational protein design. The program continued with presentations by Tomonori Tamura (Kyoto University), Takanobu A Katoh (University of Tokyo), Misa Arizono (Kyoto University), and Yumi Konagaya (RIKEN), introducing new insights into brain receptor networks, mechanosensing via cilia, and stem cell regulation.
The symposium concluded with a plenary lecture by Prof James C Liao, President of Academia Sinica, titled “A Tale of Two Carbons: Design and Evolutionary of CO₂ and CH₃OH Conversions.”
After closing remarks by Prof Shuhei Furukawa, participants gathered for a group photo, marking the end of two days of inspiring scientific exchange at iCeMS.
