NIBB Annual Report 1999
INTRODUCTION
The National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), a government-supported, basic research institute, was established in 1977. As a center of excellence, NIBB aims to promote the biological sciences by conducting first-rate research on site as well as by cooperating with other universities and research organizations. Re-searchers at NIBB investigate cell structure and func-tion, reproduction and development, neuronal and envi-ronmental biology, gene expression and regulation, and molecular evolution of eukaryotic organisms.
In 1999, the Center for Bio-environmental Science was established to investigate pollution and other ad-verse effects of the activities of human beings on the earth, including the so-called "environmental hor-mones" (endocrine disruptors). The Center, managed by NIBB, is operated jointly with the Institute for Mo-lecular Science (IMS) and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS). The Center will be located in the newly constructed center for biosciences in 2000. The Director-General of the NIBB currently acts as the head of the Center. In August, Professors Teizo Kitagawa (IMS) and Minoru Kanehisa (Kyoto University) were appointed Professor and Adjunct Pro-fessor of the Center, respectively. Drs. A. Hazama (NIPS) and H. Tsukaya (University of Tokyo) were promoted to Associate Professor of the Center in August and October, respectively. Associate Professor S. Saito (Nagoya University) was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor in November. Professor Taisei Iguchi (Yokohama Municipal University) is scheduled to join this Center soon.
In addition to establishing the Center for Bio-environmental Science, we have replaced 1 research associate, 5 institute research fellows and 1 technician with 7 research associates, 6 institute research fellows and 1 technician. In the past several years, the total number of personnel working at the NIBB, especially graduate students and post doctoral fellows, has in-creased from about 200 to 300. We would also like to congratulate Associate Professor Ikuko Nishimura of the Division of Cell Mechanism, Department of Cell Biology, on her promotion to Professor at Kyoto Uni-versity in November.
As a national and international center for biological research, NIBB is responsible for conducting research projects in cooperation with various research groups. As a part of such cooperative activities, NIBB held the 42nd NIBB International Conference entitled "Tubulin; 30 Years Later" (Professors Y. Nagahama, R. Kamiya, I. Mabuchi and H. Hotani, organizers) in March to cele-brate the thirtieth anniversary of the naming of tubulin by H. Mohri. In accordance with the "Memorandum of Understanding between the NIBB and the Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sci-ences", a Japanese-Hungarian Bi-national Symposium entitled "Developmental and Environmental Control of Cell Differentiation" (Professors Naoto Ueno and Denes Dudits, organizers) was held in Szeged, Hungary in October with the support of the Japan Society for Promotion of Science.
In addition, NIBB continues to sponsor interdiscipli-nary symposia and study meetings on current topics by inviting leading scientists from around the world to the Institute. NIBB also provides a training course in biological sciences for young investigators. To con-tinue our improvement, the activities and future plan of NIBB, especially in the field of animal science, were subjected to an external peer review. We welcome any suggestions concerning the research activities of NIBB.
Finally, I would like to congratulate Professor Norio Murata for being selected as a Foreign Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Hideo Mohri, D.Sc.
Director-General
CONTENTS
Copyright(C) 2000 The National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB)