Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

In front of the TWIns at Center for Advanced Biomedical Sciences​

What's graduate school like? Currently, Waseda University has 21 graduate schools. In this edition of "Graduate Student's Research!", we introduce the campus life of Kimura, who is diligently conducting research in the Graduate Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering. We'll share not only why she decided to go to graduate school, but also the allure of academics and how she spends her days.

Practical knowledge gained through discussions with classmates and teachers

Saya Kimura, 2nd year Master's student, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering

In the Bannai Laboratory (Professor Hiroko Bannai, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Biophysics Laboratory), where I belong, we are conducting research to elucidate the mechanisms of neurological diseases and the physiological functions of nerve cells by using "visual" technology to investigate changes occurring in nerve cells and the proteins that make them up.

The image shows an experiment being conducted in a safety cabinet. Since cultured nerve cells are used in the experiment, the experiment is conducted in a sterile environment with careful attention to sterilization procedures to prevent contamination by microorganisms.

My interest in neuroscience research began when I watched a documentary in high school about a person suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a rare neurological disease. ALS is a disease that causes a decline in muscle strength throughout the body, and I was deeply moved by the patients who lived each day to the fullest despite their limited mobility. I felt a strong desire to help those facing a disease for which there is currently no cure. Many neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, still lack a fundamental cure, and I came to want to conduct research that could lead to the development of treatments for these neurodegenerative diseases.

My undergraduate major was in  the Department of Electrical, Information and Life Engineering within the Faculty of School of Advanced Science and Engineering. My reason for choosing this field was that I could broadly study electrical engineering, information technology, and life sciences before deciding on a specialized research area. Furthermore, I was attracted to the fact that they were trying to solve problems that had previously been unsolvable, including the development of treatments for diseases for which there had been no treatment until now, through an interdisciplinary approach. Also, while studying life sciences at university, I learned about the phenomenon of information being transmitted in nerve cells by being converted into electrical signals and chemical signals, and the excitement I felt from thinking "nerves are so interesting!" led me to choose the Sakauchi Laboratory, where I could study brain and nerves.

Within that context, I am conducting research to create model cells for Alzheimer's disease. If we can create model cells, we can elucidate how the proteins that cause Alzheimer's disease interact to promote disease progression, and investigate at the cellular level which drugs can suppress disease progression.

In Alzheimer's disease, aggregates of tau, one of the causative proteins, are observed. While animal and cell models that reproduce tau aggregates have been studied, models in rat nerve cells that reproduce the initial aggregation process, such as soluble oligomers formed by the binding of multiple tau molecules, have rarely been realized. Therefore, I am researching whether it is possible to reproduce the initial process of tau aggregation by increasing tau levels inside and outside cells, or by administering two causative proteins (tau and amyloid-beta).

A scene from a microscope observation. It makes me happy when I get a beautifully captured image.

The most appealing moments in research are when you can see things that are normally invisible. For example, by attaching a fluorescent substance to a protein you want to observe and then observing it under a microscope, you can visualize the protein. It's fascinating to learn about the quantity, morphology, and localization of proteins within cells that are invisible to the naked eye, and sometimes the images of the observed cells look as beautiful as a starry sky. Also, there's the joy of gaining ideas you wouldn't have thought of yourself by discussing research with professors, peers, and seniors.

Cells in which tau is overexpressed inside nerve cells and tau is also administered extracellularly.

Finding small joys even in these tiny moments of research, I want to continue my research with the aim of reproducing the early pathology of tau, the cause of Alzheimer's disease.

A group photo with the members of the research lab. While the atmosphere is calm and warm, many members are seriously dedicated to their research, which is inspiring. Professor Bannai is at the left of the middle row, and I am the third from the left in the top row.

Daily Schedule

Playing the viola is a source of healing for my soul.

• 07:00 Wake up and have breakfast
• 09:00 Lab seminar (online presentations of research papers and progress reports)
• 11:00 Move to TWIns (a facility where life science research laboratories from Waseda University are located)
• 12:30 Experiment (In life science experiments, there is often a long waiting time for the reaction to occur, during which time I eat lunch or do some research on academic papers.)
• 19:00 Arrive home and have dinner
• 20:00 Instrument practice (I practice the viola in my free time in preparation for the community orchestra's ensemble practice every weekend.)
• 23:00 Get ready for bed
• 24:00 Bedtime