Two hubs: breaking new ground

“What is life?” “What does it mean to be human?”

Two international research centers are tackling these fundamental questions by creating new academic fields: iCeMS (the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences) and ASHBi (the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology).

Established in 2007, iCeMS advances cell biology-chemistry fusion research centered on “self-assembly,” exploring the boundaries between life and matter. While biologists advance their understanding of living organisms, chemists develop materials with functions similar to biological systems. Actively seeking to return research benefits to society, the scientists have launched five startup companies related to pharmaceuticals, the environment, and materials chemistry.

ASHBi, founded in 2018, aims to establish the new field of human biology and advance 21st-century life science to understand humans. With the advent of iPS cells and improved genetic analysis technologies, research using human cells rather than animals like mice has become possible. The researchers study human birth, development, and lifetime changes while also considering potential ethical challenges.

Both centers attract researchers from across the globe with their innovative concepts for new fields and English work environments. Integrating ideas across race, gender, and position while continuously producing groundbreaking results is considered a model for cutting-edge research universities. For KyotoU, which has long embraced cross-disciplinary endeavors (such as between physics and philosophy), these centers represent new fusion hubs with the entire world in their focus.