[No. 165] Tatsuro Kawamura

I am honored to have been given this opportunity to write for you. Finding chemistry classes and experiments in high school fascinating, I went on to the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Science and Technology (Master's and Doctoral Programs) at this Juku. Since then, I have dedicated my life to science as a professional researcher in the field of chemical biology. I hope that my experiences will be of some help to all of you students.

I started my university life with a vague dream of contributing to the treatment of diseases as a researcher in the future, but I had not yet formed a concrete vision. I was searching for my path while taking classes and participating in student experiments. When I was promoted to my second year, we were divided into departments. In addition to my interest in life sciences, I also wanted to follow the trend, so I chose the Department of Biosciences and Informatics, which had just been established at the time. As its name suggests, the Department of Biosciences and Informatics aimed to cultivate individuals who understood biology, information science, chemistry, and physics. Although I studied many subjects not directly related to my current specialty, I believe that learning a wide range of subjects back then helped broaden my perspective.

Outside of my academic studies, I joined the Faculty of Science and Technology Athletic Association Swimming Club immediately after enrolling and practiced hard every day. During the season, practice started at 7:30 a.m. four days a week, with competitions on weekends. Swimming took up a significant portion of my university life, but I had a very fulfilling time competing with my teammates and was able to train both my mind and body.

From my fourth year, I was assigned to a laboratory and spent six years, including my time in graduate school, with a life centered on research. When choosing a laboratory, I wanted to contribute to cancer treatment, so I knocked on the door of the Laboratory of Applied Cellular Biology (at the time), led by Professor Masaya Imoto. My research involved searching for compounds with anticancer activity from among the metabolites of soil microorganisms and their derivatives, and analyzing their effects at the molecular level. The process of searching for compounds effective against cancer cells was exciting, like a treasure hunt. It was fascinating to be the one to discover a compound that no one else in the world had found and to be the first to test its effects. Since it was an experimental laboratory, I spent almost every day from morning to night there. I learned a great deal from the members of the lab, and especially from Professor Imoto, who taught me not only knowledge and techniques but also the mindset necessary for a researcher and the importance of hard work.

After completing graduate school, I was given the opportunity to conduct research in Professor Hiroyuki Osada's group at RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research). The core of my research—understanding and controlling the functions of cancer cells using organic compounds as tools—remained the same as in my student days. However, RIKEN has many veteran researchers, and I was excited to be able to conduct research at a cutting-edge research institution. About five years after I started working at RIKEN, Professor Osada asked me if I would like to go to the Max Planck Institute (MPI) in Dortmund, Germany, our collaborative research partner. There are no borders in the world of research, and I had always wanted to take on the challenge of working abroad someday, so despite some anxiety, I readily decided to move to Germany.

When I actually joined Professor Herbert Waldmann's group at MPI, the first thing that surprised me was the extremely global environment. As one of the world's leading research institutions, MPI attracts many highly motivated researchers from all over the world, including neighboring European countries and Asia. Although it is in a German-speaking region, the official language within the institute was, of course, English. Despite coming from different countries, many of my colleagues were close to my age and shared the common goal of pursuing research in the same field, which was very stimulating. In terms of research, I proposed a new project related to the redox regulation of cancer cells, which I had been working on at RIKEN, and with the cooperation of experts in the Waldmann group, I was able to successfully complete it. What made me even happier was being entrusted with supervising a new German graduate student who joined the group, and we were able to advance the research together through daily discussions. The many valuable experiences I had and the good friends I made at MPI during my stay of about a year and a half were an invaluable gain for me.

Although I did not envision my current self when I entered university, I feel that what I learned and experienced at this Juku has been very useful in my current work and life. Compared to about 20 years ago when I entered the Faculty of Science and Technology, the structure of society and the level of science and technology are vastly different now, and I believe they will change even more in the next 20 years. Some things may not be useful right away but may become important in the future, and vice versa. The Faculty of Science and Technology at this Juku has a wonderful environment where you can learn with amazing people, so please learn a wide range of things centered on your interests and enjoy your student life to the fullest.