The National Institute for Basic Biology, NIBB is a part of the
Okazaki National Research Institutes (ONRI) located on a hill
overlooking the old town of Okazaki. The NIBB was established
in 1977 and its activities are supported by Monbu-sho (the Ministry
of Education, Science, Sports and Culture) of Japan. The ONRI
are composed of three independent organizations, National Institute
for Basic Biology (NIBB), National Institute for Physiological
Sciences (NIPS) and Institute for Molecular Science (IMS).
The Director-General oversees the operation of the Institute assisted by two advisory bodies, the Advisory Council and Steering Council. The Advisory Council is made up of distinguished scholars representing various fields of science and culture, and advises the Director-General on the basic policy of the Institute. The Steering Council is made up of professors of the Institute and an equal number of leading biologists in Japan outside NIBB, and advises the Director-General on the scientific activities of the Institute. The Council advises on faculty appointments and on the Institute's annual budget as well as its future prospect.
Administration of the Institute is undertaken by the Administration Bureau of the Okazaki National Research Institutes under the direct auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture.
The Institute conducts its research programs through three departments
and one laboratory organized into 16 divisions.
Each division has its own research project and is staffed by a
professor, an associate professor and two research associates.
A division forms, in principle, an independent project team. Six
of the divisions are for adjunct professorship and are under professors
who hold joint appointments with other universities. The adjunct
division has resident research associates. The arrangement aims
to facilitate exchange in research activities in Japan. The Technical
Department manages the activities of research techniques and helps
to promote research activities of each division and also to maintain
the research resources of the Institute. The Department also undertakes
the technical education of its staff.
The research support facility of the NIBB consists of the Large Spectrograph Laboratory, Tissue and Cell Culture Laboratory, Computer Laboratory, Plant Culture Laboratory, Plant Cell Culture Laboratory, Experimental Farm, and Laboratory of Stress-Resistant Plants. In addition, seven facilities are operated jointly with the NIPS; they consist of the Radioisotope Facility, Electron Microscope Center, Center for Analytical Instruments, Machine Shop, Laboratory Glassware Facility, Animal Care Facility, and Low-Temperature Facility.
The Okazaki National Research Institutes covers an area of 150,000 m2 with four principal buildings. The NIBB's main research building has a floor space of 10,930 m2. Two-thirds of the space was completed in 1982 and the remaining third in June, 1983. The buildings which house the research support facility were also completed in June, 1983.
Department/Laboratory |
Divisions |
Department of Cell Biology | Cell Mechanisms
Bioenergetics Cell Proliferation (adjunct) Cell Fusion (adjunct) Cellular Communication (adjunct) |
Department of Developmental Biology | Reproductive Biology
Cell Differentiation Morphogenesis Developmental Biology (adjunct) |
Department of Regulation Biology | Molecular Neurobiology
Cellular Regulation Biological Regulation (adjunct) Behavior and Neurobiology (adjunct) |
Laboratory of Gene Expression and Regulation | Gene Expression and Regulation I
Gene Expression and Regulation II Speciation Mechanisms I |