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Takeshi Sugai, Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy

Update: Jan. 20,2014

Integration of organic synthesis and biotechnology creates and manufactures medicine

Our laboratory on organic and biocatalytic chemistry is a place to train individuals who will create medicine to save people's lives and livelihoods in the future. This group of young people aims to master organic synthesis and biotechnology for global success.

Prof. Takeshi Sugai and students

Our research themes are threefold: (1) to have microorganisms make enzymes responsible for maintaining internal biological processes and apply them to the synthesis of drugs, and further discover hybrid artificial enzymes; (2) to efficiently synthesize natural products with anticancer/anti-parkinson effects using the unique method of domino cyclization; and (3) to synthesize anti-influenza drugs from sugars through resourceful and environmentally friendly research. Because the expertise of Prof. Shoji (science), Prof. Hanaya (pharmacy), and me, Takeshi Sugai (agriculture), are all in different areas, we are often able to teach and learn from each other. Upholding the principle of "creating inventions in chemistry which can be applied across a variety of fields," declared by former Faculty of Science and Technology professor Gen-ichi Tsuchihashi, we accept students and researchers alike both internally and externally, always valuing the revelations we receive from those around us. During the Great East Japan Earthquake, we welcomed some undergraduate and graduate students from Tohoku University to our laboratory to work together with us for an extended period of time.

Both undergraduate and graduate students who belong to the seminar are chosen as TAs for student experiments, where they are required to give younger, less-experienced students guidance. Upper-level students first comprehend the true meaning and value of student experiments and practical training by responsibly teaching their juniors. I then faithfully provide feedback to improve students' research skills.

Additionally, we encourage students to present at academic conferences in Japan and abroad. We believe that presenting is valuable training in order to communicate with clients and customers in the working world. Students must also study logical articles in English, a necessary tool to make presentations, on a daily basis. Moreover, we put significant effort into helping students find employment. By editing and revising their entry sheets and research abstracts, we train students to produce more compelling pieces of writing. Graduates work in a variety of fields, including pharmacy, research and development, technical sales (medical representatives), IT, and advertising among others. Many of the students who join the seminar do not necessarily have the best grades, and some brave souls have barely managed to scrape by, but each step forward motivates them to climb even higher. And each coming year new members choose to join us.


Student’s Voices
Hayato Okazaki
First-year master’s program student, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences


"They're gonna work you like a horse every day from 9:30 in the morning till the last train at night." So flew the unfounded rumors. Students who missed their seminar of first choice let out a gasp of anguish upon hearing they were to be assigned to the seminar on organic and biocatalytic chemistry. Could it really be that bad? Sure, the work is tough, but not a single person is being forced to do it. Each and every member starts to enjoy their research (organic synthesis) the more they accomplish. There have been times when I've focused so hard on an experiment that it's time for the last train before I even realize it. We also take various events seriously as well. Students are both physically and mentally tempered through different events, from customary eating contests within the seminar to the annual, university-wide President's Cup in watersports. “Serious about learning and having fun.” That’s our motto at the seminar on organic and biocatalytic chemistry.

*This article appeared in the 2013 autumn edition (No.280) of “Juku”.
*Position titles, etc., are those at the time of publishing.