[No. 175] So Miyazaki

I am deeply honored to have been given this wonderful opportunity to write for the Alumni Relay Column. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Professor Shiro Shimizu, who supervised my laboratory, and to all the other professors involved. I have written this by looking back on my memories as a student, and I hope it will be an opportunity for you to become even a little interested in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University.

I am a graduate of Keio Senior High School (commonly known as Jukuko). Jukuko had a relaxed and liberal school culture, and my impression was that not only the students but also many of the teachers had unique personalities. For my three years of high school, I devoted all my time to my club activities (playing the trumpet in the brass band).

When it came time to choose between science and liberal arts in high school, I decided to aim for the Faculty of Science and Technology without any particular sense of purpose, simply because I was not good at Japanese and social studies and had enjoyed collecting insects since I was a child.

A common topic of conversation around me was that students who entered the university from its affiliated high school, unlike those who came from outside, did so without taking an entrance exam, so we would have to study very hard to keep up. My grades were not particularly good, and I was worried about whether I would be able to keep up with everyone else after entering university. At that time, my physics teacher gave me some encouraging words: "Graduates of Jukuko have a fighting spirit that is second to none, so you'll manage. You should be able to persevere through your research life, so do your best." These words became the foundation that helped me stay positive, thinking, "Well, I guess I'll manage."

These words have continued to inspire me not only during my student and research life but also after I entered the workforce, and I still reflect on them from time to time.

At university, I attended classes diligently, participated in a student club, and had a part-time job—a very ordinary student life, but every part of it was precious to me, and every day seemed to sparkle.

I was particularly devoted to my club activities, continuing to play the trumpet in a brass band club called the Keio Wind Ensemble. Despite being a large group of over 100 members, everyone was unique, and each person played hard and worked on their music with great seriousness. I also learned the taste of alcohol and how to get along with others in a diverse group of people. Looking back now, I realize it was an important time for my personal development.

However, I never skipped classes and managed to balance them with my club activities. Because I was interested in chemistry and biology, I chose Academic Cluster 3 upon admission, and when I moved up to my second year, I entered the Department of Applied Chemistry, which offered a wide range of output.

In my third year, choosing a laboratory became the main topic of conversation. While I also found organic chemistry interesting, I was personally interested in something called biocatalysis. I was inspired by the fact that reactions that are difficult to achieve through chemical synthesis can proceed easily with enzymes. This sparked my interest in biology, and before I knew it, I was drawn to the field of biology as seen through the lens of chemistry. I soon set my heart on joining the Shimizu Laboratory, which was the most biology-oriented in the Department of Applied Chemistry.

At that time, the Shimizu Laboratory was focusing its research on "glycomodification," which is involved in controlling protein function, and most of my peers in the lab also had research themes related to this.

In this context, I was assigned to evaluate the activity of a natural compound that had been successfully synthesized in a joint research project with Professor Takao from our department. Since we were also provided with many synthetic intermediates, I was also tasked with investigating which partial structures were important for the activity.

I was delighted to be entrusted with a new research theme that had not been handled in the laboratory before, and I conducted my experiments every day with sparkling eyes.

Since the evaluation started with almost no hints, the reality was that I found very few hits even after trying various experiments. However, when designing a new experiment, I would get excited planning it, wondering what kind of effect it might have and if it could perhaps be the seed for a new anticancer drug.

I remember it like it was yesterday when, during a discussion in Professor Shimizu's office, I presented him with conclusive data, and he shook my hand and said, "Well done."

I am very grateful that I was given the opportunity to participate in domestic and international academic conferences and present papers from a relatively early stage. (I can say this now, but attending conferences was a kind of travel-like event in the lab because we were freed from core time. I will never forget the taste of the exquisite roast pork and beer I had in Germany, where I went with just Professor Shimizu for an international conference.)

The lab had a variety of equipment and technologies, and for experiments that we couldn't do on our own, Professor Shimizu would introduce us to external professors. There was also a huge number of accessible papers on campus, creating an environment where we could obtain the necessary information ourselves. I feel that I was very fortunate to be able to live and work hard with my lab mates in a situation where "the environment is all set, all that's left is for you to do it." The days I spent advancing my research on my own initiative while being stimulated by those around me have become a treasure I will never forget.

Because I had been conducting my research from the perspective of "What kind of medicine will the compounds I'm using become?", I had pharmaceutical companies in mind when job hunting, and through a fortunate connection, I was able to join my current company.

I am currently in a department unrelated to the flow of pharmaceutical development to sales, but I am engaged in research work, carrying out tasks related to the company's new business through joint research with external partners. My work requires a broad physicochemical perspective, and more than half of it involves areas I did not touch upon during my time in the laboratory. However, the knowledge, ways of thinking, and scientific sense I cultivated in the lab have been a great help in my current job, and I feel this is also a gift from Professor Shimizu's guidance.

From now on, as a corporate researcher, I want to be involved in the development and advancement of technologies that can contribute to society.

In closing, the experience of a research life spent with dedication will surely be useful in any profession. I imagine some of you may be worried, thinking, "Is it okay to be in a science field when I haven't even decided what kind of job I want in the future?" or "Is it really right for me to be in science when most of my friends are in liberal arts?" (I was one of them). I can't give advice about the future, but what I can say with confidence is that continuing your research with seriousness and concentration will undoubtedly promote your own growth and provide you with knowledge and skills that will become your assets in the future. I am convinced that, whether you are in a science-related or a liberal arts-related job, a moment will surely come when that experience will help you. The Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University is a place that provides an environment where you can study and research seriously and with passion to gain such experience.