東北大学
学際科学フロンティア研究所

I like to think that my research career began when, as a child, I received a small microscope and quickly became lost in the amazing world hidden in a drop of pond water. Fantastic Voyage was also an early favorite, but little did I know how far this natural curiosity about invisible structures would carry me across disciplines, technologies and continents.
My formal path began with yeast genetics at the University of Milan, which serendipitously sparked an interest in RNA chemistry and opened the way to a Ph.D. with the late Kiyoshi Nagai. In his group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, structural studies of RNA and RNA-protein complexes revealed to me the unique satisfaction of visualizing molecular interactions at atomic resolution. A postdoctoral transition to New York introduced me to the biochemistry and cell biology of fertilization, an area that always fascinated me and in which structural information had been almost entirely missing. Since establishing my own laboratory at Karolinska Institutet, I have been using X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM and deep learning-based protein structure prediction to uncover the three-dimensional structure of the egg coat, showing examples of how it can both mediate the first contact between gametes and permanently block sperm access after fertilization. In parallel, my group has studied structurally related human proteins involved in cell signaling and in the defense against bacterial infections.
Crucially, many of these studies were enabled by sustained international collaborations, several with outstanding Japanese scientists, as well as a sabbatical in Nagoya. In this lecture, I will reflect on my scientific trajectory from a simple microscope to high-end cryo-EM platforms, and on how this journey shaped my views on science, career development and navigating an academic path across borders.

Prof. YOSHIDA Kumi (Aichi Shukutoku University)

吉田久美教授（愛知淑徳大学）

Chemical studies on blue flower pigments: from the past 100 years to future
青色花色の化学研究 これまでの100年とこれから

The early history of organic chemistry could be described as the history of pigment chemistry. It is natural to desire to obtain a color that appeals to the senses and to understand its color-developing mechanism. Within the field of natural products chemistry, plant pigments initially drove chemical research, and today they are the focus of molecular biology and functional studies. Among these, anthocyanins, which have been the author's primary research subject, are widely distributed in higher plants as pigments in flowers, vegetables, fruits, seeds, leaves, stems, and roots. They are characterized by their ability to produce a broad spectrum of colors ranging from red through purple to blue, and have been studied since the 19th century. Among them, discussions on the mechanism of blue coloration persisted for a long time, and its chemical evidences were  obtained recently. This lecture will focus on our group's research on blue flower coloration;  introducing the chemistry of plant pigments from the past 100 years to the present, along with future challenges. Simultaneously, I will touch upon what guided our research at each stage and the interactions with numerous collaborators.

 

初期の有機化学の歴史は、色素化学の歴史といっても過言ではない。視覚に訴える「色」という現象について、「その色を手に入れたい、仕組みを知りたい」と考えることは当然であろう。天然物化学研究の領域においても植物色素は、初期には化学研究、現在では分子生物学研究、機能性研究へと展がっている。その中で、筆者が対研究対象としてきたアントシアニンは、花や、野菜や果実・種子、葉や茎、根の色素として高等植物に広く分布する上、赤から紫〜青色までの幅広い色を発色することが特徴で、19世紀から様々な研究がなされてきた。中でも青色発色の機構についての議論が長く続き、それが化学的に実証されたのは、つい最近である。本講演では、我々のグループが行ってきた青色花色研究を中心に、過去 100 年から現在までの植物色素の化学、そして今後の課題を紹介する。同時に、それぞれの機会で何を考えて研究を進めたか、および、多くの共同研究者との交流にも触れたい。

 

Prof. HAYASE Gen, Senior Researcher (Research Center for Electronic and Optical Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Alumni of Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences)

早瀬 元 主任研究員（物質・材料研究機構 電子・光機能材料研究センター, 学際科学フロンティア研究所アルムナイ）

This talk focuses on monolithic porous materials based on an organosiloxane (silicone) framework and explores approaches to functional design through the control of pore structure and surface properties. Organosiloxanes combine high chemical stability, low cytotoxicity, and flexibility, and have been widely utilized across various research fields. By appropriately controlling the porous structure, a range of physical properties can be tailored to specific applications. New applications in the biomedical and optical fields that leverage these characteristics are outlined, together with efforts to develop user-friendly kits accessible to researchers without a background in materials chemistry.

 

オルガノシロキサン（シリコーン）を骨格とするモノリス型多孔質材料に着目し、細孔構造および表面特性の制御を通じた機能設計の取り組みを紹介する。オルガノシロキサンは高い化学的安定性、低細胞毒性、ならびに柔軟性を併せ持つ材料であり、さまざまな分野で研究・利用されてきた。多孔構造を適切に制御することで、用途に応じた異なる物性を引き出すことができる。本講演では、これらの特性を活かしたバイオ分野や光学分野における新たな応用展開に加え、材料化学を専門としない研究者でも扱えるキット化への取り組みについて概説する。