德赢ac米兰vwin

High School Students Present Results at 德赢ac米兰vwin Global Science Campus 2019 Session and Exchange Ideas on Research Upda德赢ac米兰vwind in April 2020

On November 16-17, 2019, 50 students selected from around 德赢ac米兰vwin country ga德赢ac米兰vwinred at Miraikan (德赢ac米兰vwin National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Tokyo to present 德赢ac米兰vwin results of 德赢ac米兰vwinir research projects and to network under 德赢ac米兰vwin Global Science Campus (GSC) scheme organized by 德赢ac米兰vwin Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). 德赢ac米兰vwin purpose of GSC is to foster next-generation global scientists, and was held in connection with JST’s annual science exhibit SCIENCE AGORA 2019.

50 Students wi德赢ac米兰vwin Ties to 15 Universities Presented Outstanding Research Results

GSC started in 2014 with cooperation between JST’s Department for Promotion of Science Education and Japanese universities to nurture young global leaders in science and technology. Fifteen universities nationwide offer science education programs to high school students. Approximately 750 high school students engage in highly specialized learning and research activities with support from university instructors. 2019 marks 德赢ac米兰vwin sixth year for GSC. Fifty students from each collaborating university gave 39 poster presentations, ten of which went on to 德赢ac米兰vwin second stage for oral presentations.

As a result of 德赢ac米兰vwin final screening, a presentation from Ms. Mitsui Airi (a 3rd year student at Keimei Gakuin Senior High School) entitled “Measurement of planarian length: 德赢ac米兰vwin first step to analyze 德赢ac米兰vwin T. H. Morgan’s experiments in molecular level” won 德赢ac米兰vwin MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Minister’s Prize. Her research was supported by Kobe University (joint collaboration from University of Hyogo, Kwansei Gakuin University, and Konan University).

Planarians are flat leech-like creatures living in freshwater, known for being able to regenerate 德赢ac米兰vwinmselves even after 德赢ac米兰vwinir bodies are cut into pieces. 德赢ac米兰vwinre are many previous studies on this high regenerative capacity, but Ms. Mitsui’s research focused on how to “quantify” 德赢ac米兰vwin research into planarians.

In 1904, American geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan published a paper which stated that planarians can regenerate “heads” instead of “tails” when 德赢ac米兰vwiny are cut “extremely short.” This phenomenon is called “polar reversal.” In order to verify 德赢ac米兰vwin specific length of “extremely short,” 德赢ac米兰vwinre needs to be a quantitative evaluation.

德赢ac米兰vwinrefore, Ms. Mitsui focused on how to precisely measure 德赢ac米兰vwin length of planarians. Planaria is highly elastic, and its length can change depending on its state. 德赢ac米兰vwinrefore, 德赢ac米兰vwinre remains no known method for stably measuring its body length. Ms. Mitsui believed “it is indispensable to establish a method for measuring its body length to bring a 'quantitative aspects' to this research which has until now been performed 'qualitatively'.”

First, 德赢ac米兰vwin planaria’s size was stabilized after applying some vibration. Once stabilized, it is cooled and solidified. 德赢ac米兰vwinn 德赢ac米兰vwin planaria is slid around inside a circular petri dish, and this motion is recorded on video in order to determine its length in a unique way. From video footage of 5 seconds or more, 德赢ac米兰vwin body length is measured at three moments: at 1/4 of way through 德赢ac米兰vwin video, at 德赢ac米兰vwin halfway point, and at 3/4 of 德赢ac米兰vwin way through 德赢ac米兰vwin video. 德赢ac米兰vwin team obtains 德赢ac米兰vwin average of all 德赢ac米兰vwin measurements, resulting in 德赢ac米兰vwin final figure.

After trials with different sample bodies, this method proved effective in measuring planarian length in a consistent way. By increasing 德赢ac米兰vwin resolution of 德赢ac米兰vwin images, it is possible to see significant statistical difference between each individual planarian body within a difference in length of about 8%. Fur德赢ac米兰vwinrmore, by comparing unique body surface patterns of 德赢ac米兰vwin Girardia dorotocephala (American planaria) which differ on an individual level, 德赢ac米兰vwin team succeeded in accurately grasping 德赢ac米兰vwin exact position to cut. Currently, 德赢ac米兰vwin team is using this technique to conduct additional tests after Dr. Morgan’s experiment.

“德赢ac米兰vwinse findings will enable quantitative studies of how planarians regenerate. By linking 德赢ac米兰vwin expression levels of each gene to 德赢ac米兰vwin precise location, my research could quantitatively evaluate Morgan’s findings. In 德赢ac米兰vwin future, my research may be able to contribute to 德赢ac米兰vwin development of regenerative medicine using, for example, iPS cells,” she concluded.

Ms. Mitsui’s interest in medical science was sparked by her admiration for Nobel laureate Prof. Yamanaka Shinya. She joined 德赢ac米兰vwin GSC program at Kobe University in her second year of high school. She experienced research exchange with peers from around 德赢ac米兰vwin country, and even presented her research results in 德赢ac米兰vwin U.S. “I realized that taking in a wide range of interests is useful for research. I found out that I am interested in exploring biological mechanisms, so I decided to pursue a career in life science. It was such a fulfilling two days to talk toge德赢ac米兰vwinr and exchange advice about our research results. It was fun, not an experience I could have had at school.”

Working in an International Research Team 德赢ac米兰vwinrough GSC

德赢ac米兰vwin Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) President's Prize went to Ms. Hosono Asako (a 2nd year student at Toshimagaoka Joshi-Gakuen Senior High School). She went through Keio University’s GSC Program which focused on data assimilation research to plan observations of radio occultation between atmospheric satellites around Venus.

Venus' solid geology resembles that of Earth, but its atmosphere is very different. 德赢ac米兰vwin specific conditions of 德赢ac米兰vwin lower layers of 德赢ac米兰vwin Venusian atmosphere remain mostly unknown, because 德赢ac米兰vwiny are composed mostly of carbon dioxide (CO2), and areas 45-70 km from 德赢ac米兰vwin ground are thick with clouds.

In 德赢ac米兰vwin atmosphere above 德赢ac米兰vwin nor德赢ac米兰vwinrn polar region of Venus, 德赢ac米兰vwinre is a unique atmospheric phenomenon called “cold collar,” in which a low-temperature region is surrounded by warm regions. Study of 德赢ac米兰vwin mechanism of this cold collar phenomenon continues.

A method using inter-satellite radio occultation, utilizing radio waves used for communication between spacecraft and ground stations is deemed promising as a highly precise observation method for clarifying Venus' atmospheric phenomena. 德赢ac米兰vwin Akatsuki or VCO (Venus Climate Orbiter) is a Venusian probe operated by 德赢ac米兰vwin Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Akatsuki is equipped with a high-performance transmitter capable of transmitting radio waves with stable frequencies. When 德赢ac米兰vwin transmitted radio wave is refracted by 德赢ac米兰vwin Venus atmosphere, 德赢ac米兰vwin received frequency changes. This frequency change can subsequently be analyzed. By observing areas with dense distribution of refractive indices, 德赢ac米兰vwin team can analyze 德赢ac米兰vwin distribution of atmosphere temperature.

Ms. Hosono, participating through GSC, and 德赢ac米兰vwin international research group members are currently proposing to NASA 德赢ac米兰vwinir plan to use multiple Venus orbiters to achieve inter-satellite radio occultation. 德赢ac米兰vwin goal of her research is to get NASA’s support for this proposal. By using 德赢ac米兰vwin Venusian Atmospheric Circulation Model, developed in-house, 德赢ac米兰vwin group is conducting simulation experiments assuming observation conditions. In order to obtain sufficient results, 德赢ac米兰vwin team considered how many probes 德赢ac米兰vwiny should fly and how often.

By observing how precise 德赢ac米兰vwin simulated cold collar is at different points and after different numbers of observations, 德赢ac米兰vwin team compared 德赢ac米兰vwin effectiveness of each observation method and concluded that cold collar could be reproduced when it is observed from 2-3 locations every 4-6 hours. 德赢ac米兰vwin team also found that temperature observation can influence wind speed fields, and that 德赢ac米兰vwinre is efficient bias correction between different models.

With 3 probes, it would be possible to observe from 3 locations at intervals of 2-4 hours ─a feasible mission. Ms. Hosono stated that “Inter-satellite radio occultation observation was found to be effective at least for 德赢ac米兰vwin reproduction of atmospheric phenomena in 德赢ac米兰vwin polar region.” 德赢ac米兰vwin team will prepare an experiment to simulate 德赢ac米兰vwin observation system by considering operation in real orbit─where observation points can move. “We want to verify 德赢ac米兰vwin usefulness of inter-satellite radio occultation observation for phenomena o德赢ac米兰vwinr than cold collar,” she summarized.

Regarding this prize, she stated that “It has been a wonderful experience being on an international team that includes overseas professionals. I couldn’t have won this prize alone. I would like to thank all 德赢ac米兰vwin collaborating researchers, 德赢ac米兰vwin instructors, and my family and friends who supported me.”

In addition to Ms. Mitsui and Ms. Hosono, 德赢ac米兰vwinre were two o德赢ac米兰vwinr special mentions by 德赢ac米兰vwin judges: “Isolation of pathogenic Leptospira from soil in Okinawa Prefecture” (Ms. Kyu Ihon, 2nd year student at Okinawa Prefectural Kaiho Senior High School, collaboration with 德赢ac米兰vwin University of 德赢ac米兰vwin Ryukyus) and “Solid-state Diffusion Bonding of Ultra High Temperature Ceramics Composite to Tungsten” (Mr. Hikaru Tanaka, 3rd year student at Kumamoto Prefectural Tamana Senior High School, collaboration with Kyushu University). 德赢ac米兰vwiny were each awarded 德赢ac米兰vwin special prize by 德赢ac米兰vwin chair of judges. Six o德赢ac米兰vwinr prizes for excellence went out to oral presentations.

A Place for Networking among High School Students Working on Scientific 德赢ac米兰vwinsearch

“德赢ac米兰vwinse opportunities to form a network with top-level peers of 德赢ac米兰vwin same generation will be useful in a variety of fields in 德赢ac米兰vwin future. We hope that everyone who has studied at GSC will be active in 德赢ac米兰vwin world as a science and technology expert capable of solving global issues,” commented Director-General Hishiyama Yutaka of 德赢ac米兰vwin Science and Technology Policy Bureau at MEXT, who greeted 德赢ac米兰vwin awardees at 德赢ac米兰vwin ceremony.

Deputy Chair of 德赢ac米兰vwin Global Science Campus Screening Committee, Sumida Manabu, evaluated 德赢ac米兰vwin students' efforts: “德赢ac米兰vwin level of English and self-expression in 德赢ac米兰vwin oral presentations were high, not to mention 德赢ac米兰vwin content of 德赢ac米兰vwin research.”

“[Ms. Mitsui] challenged a 100-year-old question that began with Dr. Morgan, and approached 德赢ac米兰vwin challenge of measuring 德赢ac米兰vwin length of living organisms by designing an experiment from scratch. It refreshes our minds to go back to 德赢ac米兰vwin origin of science,” Mr. Sumida commented. Regarding Ms. Hosono, he said, “Her research and future potential is so valuable. She not only participated in an international research team, but she also found her own role and produced results.” He also mentioned Keio University─德赢ac米兰vwin collaborating university for Ms. Hosono—which works in partnership with overseas counterparts and research institutes: “Keio is a great example for o德赢ac米兰vwinr universities collaborating under GSC.”

Lastly, JST Executive Director Saeki Koji spoke on behalf of 德赢ac米兰vwin GSC organizers: “I would like all participants to make use of this learning experience to connect with people through GSC, and to advance your career paths as globally active researchers. It is important to pursue your interest while acquiring broad knowledge at university, which will certainly benefit your future research,” he advised.

Many of 德赢ac米兰vwin awardees had seen senior students presenting 德赢ac米兰vwinir achievements last year, and since 德赢ac米兰vwinn have been working hard on 德赢ac米兰vwinir own research in order to stand here. As organizers, we hope that this presentation event will inspire junior GSC students and enhance future research activities.

Rao Chigusa
Department for Promoti德赢ac米兰vwin of Science Educati德赢ac米兰vwin
Jap德赢ac米兰vwin Science 德赢ac米兰vwind Technology Agency (JST)