August 8, 2023
On Thursday, July 27, the Keio University Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q) held its second symposium at Shinanomachi Campus. This symposium was an event where Bio2Q researchers shared their work with those inside and outside the center and discussed potential future avenues of science. The hybrid event was held in person and also live-streamed to the world online.
Ryosuke Takahashi, Program Officer of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), opened the event by introducing Bio2Q's place in WPI. This was followed by sessions with ten of the world's top scientists from the U.S., Europe, and Japan working with Bio2Q. The sessions included introductions to each scientist's area of expertise as well as time for questions and answers.
The symposium welcomed approximately 60 in-person attendees, and online sessions were accessed a total of 240 times, including 45 from the U.S., Europe, and Singapore. Participants engaged in lively discussions on how to achieve good health and longevity in society through the integration of human biology, the microbiome, and quantum computing, as well as the future development of new life sciences.
The Bio2Q is the first microbiome research center in Japan and the country's first private university to be selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as a WPI. It will use both quantum computing and conventional bioanalytical methods to reveal the complex interactions between the microbiome and humans at the molecular level. In the future, the center hopes to develop new medications and therapies for diseases that have proven difficult to treat.
For more information about the symposium agenda, please clickWPI-Bio2Q 2nd Symposium.pdf.
*Masks were removed only during speeches, Q&As, and briefly for commemorative photos.