Achivement and Award | TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

Professor Kengo Kinoshita receiving the 8th JSPS Prize

2012-02-02T01:33:43Z

Professor Kengo Kinoshita at Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University was chosen to receive the 8th JSPS Prize from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

The prize is given to future academic research leaders who are expected to be Nobel nominees in order to promote their studies to lead breakthroughs.

The presentation ceremony will be held at Japan Academy Hall on February 27, 2011.

More information

[Contact]

Administration Division

Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-5813

Discovery of the retrograde melanosome transport complex in melanocytes - Expected molecular target for preventing gray hairs? -

2012-01-30T00:01:48Z

Tohoku University has elucidated a mechanism for "microtubule-dependent retrograde melanosome transport", that is, reversed transport of melanin pigments along the microtubules. This research result has been acquired by Assistant Professor Norihiko Ohbayashi and Professor Mitsunori Fukuda at Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University.

Melanin pigments, sources of our skin color and hair color, are synthesized by melanogenic enzymes in melanocytes, and are stored in specialized organelles called melanosomes. Mature melanosomes are transported to the plasma membrane, along two kinds of cytoskeletal networks, microtubules and actin filaments. First, melanosomes are delivered to the peripheral area in the cell by long-distance and bidirectional (anterograde and retrograde) microtubule-dependent transport. Next, melanosomes are conveyed close to the plasma membrane by short-distance one-way actin-dependent transport. Melanosomes are eventually transferred to neighboring keratinocytes and hair matrix cells, which produce skin and hairs, respectively. This process makes skin and hairs black. Although the mechanism of actin-dependent melanosome transport by small GTPase Rab27A had been revealed, long-distance microtubule-dependent melanosome transport has not been elucidated at all.

In this study, the research group has uncovered that a transport complex including melanoregulin (Mreg) is involved in the process of microtubule-dependent retrograde melanosome transport, by using cultured mouse melanocytes. It has been revealed that Mreg on mature melanosomes forms a complex with dynein, a kind of motor protein, via Rab interacting lysosomal protein (RILP) and transports melanosomes in a retrograde fashion, that is, from near the plasma membrane to the perinuclear area in the cell.

This study has revealed that Mreg deficiency nearly restores melanosome distribution from perinuclear melanosome aggregation in Rab27A-deficient melanocytes. Hence, screening of medical agents inhibiting Mreg functions will lead to prevent our hairs from becoming gray.

The research result has been published online in The Journal of Cell Science. The paper's title is "Melanoregulin regulates retrograde melanosome transport through interaction with the RILP•p150^Glued complex in melanocytes".

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

(About the research)

Professor Mitsunori Fukuda

Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-7731

E-mail: nori*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Associate professor Fuji Nagami

Tohoku Neuroscience Global COE

Tel: +81-22-717-7908 Fax: +81-22-717-7923

E-mail: f-nagami*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Dr. Masato Sagawa was chosen to receive 2012 Japan Prize

2012-01-27T04:49:00Z

Dr. Masato Sagawa at Intermetallics Co., Ltd., who invested Nd-Fe-B type permanent magnet, was chosen to receive 2012 Japan prize. He graduated the doctoral program at Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University. He has been conducting researches on decreasing use of rare-earth in Nd-Fe-B type permanent magnet and developing alternative materials of Nd-Fe-B type permanent magnet, in collaboration with a research group led by Professor Sugimoto at Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University.

Japan Prize Website (English)

[Contact]

Public Relations Office

Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University

eng-pr*eng.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Spin/charge currents conversion in silicon using relativistic effects -The significant progress for development of next-generation super energy-saving devices-

2012-01-18T04:48:38Z

A research group led by Assistant Professor Kazuya Ando and Professor Eiji Saitoh at Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University has achieved the conversion between spin and charge currents in silicon, by using relativistic effects.

Silicon is one of the most fundamental semiconductors included in latest electronic devices, such as computers and cell-phones. Since silicon has outstanding material properties, it is expected to play a crucial role in Spintronics, which is drawing attention as an energy-saving electronic device technology. Spintronics utilizes spin currents of electrons instead of charge currents. One of the highest-priority issues for realizing new-generation spintronics devices such as silicon-based quantum computers and ultra-low power consumption information processing device is establishment of spin/charge currents conversion in silicon in order to retrieve computational results by spin current and stored spin information.

In this study, the research group has successfully retrieved spin currents in silicon as charge currents through the spin-orbit interaction from relativistic effects. The research results is expected to pave the way to silicon spintronics, which is highly consistent with latest electronics device production processing technology, and to greatly advance to development of environmentally-friendly next generation energy-saving devices.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

(About the research)

Assistant Professor Kazuya Ando

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Tel: +81-22-215-2023

E-mail: ando*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Eiji Saitoh

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Tel: +81-22-215-2021

E-mail: eizi*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

(Public Relations)

Administrative staff Keisuke Mito

Administration Division Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.

TEL: +81-22-215-2181, FAX: +81-22-215-2184

E-mail: imr-som*imr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Eimei Sato receives the 61st Kahoku Culture Award

2012-01-09T23:35:45Z

Professor Eimei Sato at the Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University was selected to receive the 61st Kahoku Culture Award for his contribution to the development of the utilization technology of animal ovarian oocytes. The prize has been given to individuals or groups who have contributed to cultural improvement and industry development in the Tohoku district every year from Kahoku Cultural Foundation since 1951.

Professor Masayuki Yamamoto received the 2011 Uehara Prize

2011-12-20T05:22:33Z

Professor Masayuki Yamamoto at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has received the 2011 Uehara prize from the Uehara Memorial Foundation. The Uehara prize is awarded to active scientists for their outstanding achievements in Life Sciences, especially studies for health promotion, disease prevention and treatment. The reason to be awarded is “Clarification of Response Mechanism against Toxicity in Oxygen and Foods”.

More information (Japanese):

The Uehara Memorial Foundation Website

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine Website

Recalculation of the total fertility rate among 47 prefectures -Marked decrease in 2005 and V-shaped recovery in 2006-

2011-12-08T00:33:12Z

Yoshida Laboratory, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University has recalculated and released the total fertility rate (2000-2010) among 47 prefectures to determine it more accurately. The total fertility rate published by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been pointed out that we cannot compare the figures of the years in which national census was carried out and not carried out. According to the recalculation, the total fertility rate has turned out to greatly decrease in 2005 among all prefectures, but showed V-shaped recovery in 2006.

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[Contact]

Professor Hiroshi Yoshida

Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University

E-mail: hyoshida*econ.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-22-795-6292

Doctoral Student Norio Ishii

Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University

E-mail: a9em1003*student.econ.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-90-7799-2091

The paper award from Japan Society of Thermophysical Properties

2011-12-01T02:08:17Z

Professor Taku Ohara and Senior Assistant Professor Gota Kikukawa have received the paper award from Japan Society of Thermophysical Properties.

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[Contact]

Professor Taku Ohara

Molecular Heat Transfer Laboratory

Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-217-5277

E-mail: ohara*ifs.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Direct observation of ultra-diluted impurities in ceramics -Discovery of an unexpected superstructure arising from an interaction between impurities and defects segregated at grain boundary-

2011-11-17T00:36:48Z

A research group led by Professor Yuichi Ikuhara at WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University (concurrently serving as Professor at School of Engineering, University of Tokyo and Senior Researcher at Japan Fine Ceramic Center (JFCC)), and Assistant Professor Zhongchang Wang at WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University has discovered that very small amount of impurities on grain boundaries of ceramics (magnesium oxide) form an unexpected superstructure at the atomic level, through the observation with an atom-resolved aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope and the supercomputing calculation. That is, they have revealed that impurities inside of a ceramic crystal accumulate at grain boundaries and form ordered three-dimensional structure (superstructure). Since even a very small amount (at ppm-level) of impurities may change characteristics of ceramics and enhance fluctuation of product properties, it had been difficult to extend the commercial uses of ceramics. This study has found that an origin resulting in fluctuation of the properties is significant transformation of atomic structures by segregation of ultra-diluted impurities at/near grain boundaries. In other words, this research has visualized the position of impurities which is too small amount to detect, and has elucidated the role of impurities for changing the properties. This study will be expected to greatly improve performance and reliability of ceramics by controlling impurities to significantly contribute to inhibit fluctuations of the properties, and develop unprecedented materials which superstructures are controlled by applying intentionally impurities.

This research result will be published online in Nature on November 16, 2011. The paper’s title is “Atom-resolved imaging of ordered defect superstructures at individual grain boundaries”. This research has been conducted with the aid of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas, ”Atomic Scale Modification (474)”, from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Professor Yuichi Ikuhara

Institute of Engineering Innovation,

School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

Address: 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

TEL: +81-3-5841-7688

E-mail：ikuhara*sigma.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Assistant Professor Zhongchang Wang

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5934

E-mail：zcwang*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

2011 Japan Student Services Organization's Student of the Year

2011-11-16T02:14:59Z

Japan Student Services Organization aims to encourage and support students for their outstanding achievements in the following fields: academic achievement, culture and art, sports and social contribution. The organization also tries to nurture promising human resources. For these reasons, they have given annual awards to high-achieving students in these fields. This project is supported by donations.

One student at Tohoku University received the Outstanding Performance Prize, and two students received the Incentive Prizes, respectively.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Education and Student Support Department, Tohoku University

Tel: +81-22-795-7816

Professor Eiji Saitou receives IBM Japan Science Prize (Physics)

2011-11-15T06:32:52Z

Eiji Saitou (Professor, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University) was chosen to receive the IBM Japan Science Prize (Physics).

URL: http://www-06.ibm.com/jp/press/2011/11/1101.html (IBM Japan)

[Contact]

General Affairs Section

Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-215-2181

Professor Emeritus Tokiyasu Fujita received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun

2011-11-11T07:23:44Z

Professor Emeritus Tokiyasu Fujita at Graduate School of Law, Tohoku University has received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in autumn 2011. The medal is awarded to people who have greatly contributed to Japanese society. Recipients were announced on November 3, 2011.

Other recipients associated with Tohoku University are the following:

The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon is awarded to:

Professor Emeritus Kinya Maruyama (Specialized in Experimental Psychology)

Professor Emeritus Nobuo Miyamoto (The former Director of Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University)

Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Oya (Specialized in Space Plasma Physics)

The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays is awarded to:

Hideko Ono (The former Chief Nurse of Tohoku University Hospital)

Associate Professor Eijiro Sumii receives IBM Japan Science Prize (Computer Science)

2011-11-11T07:02:09Z

Eijiro Sumii (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Information Sciences) was chosen to receive the IBM Japan Science Prize (Computer Science). He developed the first proof method of program equivalence in a large class of high-level languages. His research has been published in top journals and conferences including the Journal of the ACM.

URL：http://www-06.ibm.com/jp/press/2011/11/1101.html (IBM Japan)

Tohoku University student team received the Gold Prize in BIOMOD (in Boston, on November 5, 2011)

2011-11-11T01:04:49Z

International Bio-molecular Design Competition (BIOMOD) hosted by Wyss Institute at Harvard University is an international competition for students in which they design biomolecules with novel functionalities such as molecular robots in nanometer-scale. 21 teams from 10 countries have participated in the first BIOMOD competition on November 5, 2011. They have competed in showing their movies and making their presentations of their achievements. Three Japanese teams from Sendai, Tokyo, Kansai area in Japan also have entered the competition, and all of them have received the Gold Prize.

More informarion (Japanese)

[Contact]

Department of Bioengineering and Robotics

Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University

Professor Satoshi Murata

TEL: +81-22-795-4100

Assistant Professor Shogo Hamada

TEL: +81-22-795-6910

Thermal Engineering Division Prize of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (Professor Taku Ohara)

2011-11-08T05:19:26Z

Professor Taku Ohara at Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University has received the Thermal Engineering Division Prize of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was awarded in the Thermal Engineering Conference of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers held on October 29, 2011.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Professor Taku Ohara

Molecular Heat Transfer Laboratory

Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-217-5277

mail: ohara*ifs.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Discovery of dressed-cells which inhibit delayed allergic reaction

2011-11-04T00:51:10Z

A research group led by Professor Koetsu Ogasawara at Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University has discovered new cells which inhibit delayed allergic reaction such as contact dermatitis(ex. metallic allergy, rash and drug sensitivity) and immune reaction in transplantation and has named them dressed-cells.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Professor Koetsu Ogasawara

Department of Immunobiology Institute of Development,

Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-717-8579

Professor Mitsumasa Koyanagi at New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University has received 2011 Medal with Purple Ribbon in academic researches, art, culture and sports

2011-11-04T00:03:52Z

Professor Mitsumasa Koyanagi at New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University has received 2011 Medal with Purple Ribbon in academic researches, art, culture and sports.

Professor Mitsumasa Koyanagi has developed a stacked capacitor memory cell, which is a basic device of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) in the field of semiconductor engineering, and has greatly contributed to developing semiconductor industries in Japan and all over the world. In addition, he proposed three-dimensional IC in 1989 and successfully developed its prototype in 1995. Since then, he has been leading the world in this field.

Besides, aiming to apply semiconductor technology to various fields, he has positively worked in the field of biodevice engineering, which involves semiconductor technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology, and he has made great efforts to train many scientists and engineers through his education and direction.

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University

Address: 6-6-10 Aza-Aoba Aramaki Aoba-ku Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan

TEL: +81-22-795-6906

Specially Appointed Professor Akira Endo (Graduate School of Agricultural Science) was selected as Persons of Cultural Merit

2011-10-25T23:57:16Z

Specially Appointed Professor Akira Endo at Graduate School of Agricultural Science has been selected as Persons of Cultural Merit in 2011.

The reason to be awarded is to discover a substance which lowers blood cholesterol from blue mold on a rice grain and to lead to the development of Statin, a drug for hyperlipidemia.

Statin is one of the best selling drugs and used worldwide.

[Contact]

Professor Katsuhiko Nishimori

Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University

E-mail: knishimo*m.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Structural observation of oxide nanoclusters in ODS steels - Elucidation for its superior high-temperature strength and resistance to neutron irradiation -

2011-10-24T06:03:51Z

A research group led by Assistant Professor Akihiko Hirata and Professor Mingwei Chen has revealed the structure of oxide nanoclusters in Oxide Dispersed Strengthened (ODS) steels, using an aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. This achievement is important for understanding properties of ODS steels, such as their superior high-temperature strength and resistance to neutron irradiation.

The research result will be published online in Nature Materials on October 23, 2011. The paper's title is "Atomic structure of nanoclusters in oxide dispersion strengthened steels."

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Assistant Professor Akihiko Hirata

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5959 Fax: +81-22-217-5955

E-mail: hirata*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Mingwei Chen

WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

TEL: +81-22-217-5992 Fax: +81-22-217-5955

E-mail: mwchen*wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

Professor Yuko Harayama received L'ordre national de la legion d'honneur (Chevalier)

2011-10-21T04:42:43Z

Professor Yuko Harayama at Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University has received "L'ordre national de la legion d'honneur (Chevalier)" from the French Republic on October 6, 2011.

L'ordre national de la legion d'honneur, which is the very prestigious prize founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, is awarded to people who have made outstanding contribution to France. "Chevalier" indicates the ranks of the award.

The reason to be awarded is her researches on science and technology policy, activities as one of the members of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, contributions to French industries, contributions to the development of human resources of the next generation in Japan and France and long-term contributions to international exchange between Japan and France.

[Contact]

Professor Shigetoshi Sugawa

Department of Management and Science Technology

Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University

TEL: +81-22-795-4835