Title: NSF/Tokyo Report: Biken's Brain Science Institute Date: December 2, 1997 The National Science Foundation's offices in Tokyo and in Paris periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the Foundation's mission. These documents present facts for the use of NSF program managers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy. Report Memorandum #97-12 November 20, 1997 On 11/10/97, a ceremony was held at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) in Wako City, Japan to celebrate the opening of RIKEN's Brain Science Institute (BSI), a new research center established as of October 1, 1997 with funds provided by the government through the Science and Technology Agency (STA). At the opening ceremony, Dr. Akito Arima, RIKEN's President, pointed out that ever since its establishment in 1917, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) has served as a center of excellence in basic research over a wide spectrum of disciplinary areas ranging from physical and chemical sciences to engineering and medical sciences, and expressed his hope for the new Brain Science Institute to make valuable contributions in elucidating brain functions and in making use of the resulting knowledge for the welfare of mankind. He said, "I would hope Director Ito and his colleagues will be able to find ways to prevent Altzheimer's disease and other hard-to-cure neural diseases before too long so that I don't have to worry about myself growing senile." Following Dr. Arima's opening speech, Vice Minister Norifumi Kato of the Science and Technology Agency, and Dr. David Ottoson of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) delivered their congratulatory remarks, and Dr. Masao Ito, Director of the newly-established Institute, made a short speech to express his thanks to all the concerned for their part of contributions in bringing the new institute to a reality. After the brief (30-minutes) opening ceremony, all the ceremony participants were guided through the newly-built East Building of the Brain Science Institute for a tour. Many laboratories we visited in the new building, however, were yet to be in full operation as they were still waiting for arrival of their research equipment and experimental animals. According to RIKEN officials, most of the laboratory equipment and animals for the East Building laboratories will be put in place within the next several months. Apparently, some of the research members assigned to the new Brain Science Institute are those who have hitherto been working in the laboratory of brain mechanisms under RIKEN's Frontier Research Program, and they are likely to remain in their old laboratories although administratively they have been already transferred to the new Brain Science Institute. In fact, the particular building they have occupied under the Frontier Research Program is now called the West Building of the Brain Science Institute. In addition, starting from JFY 1998, another new building, to be called BSI's Central Building, will be constructed. According to a brochure distributed at the opening ceremony, the ultimate goal of the Brain Science Institute (BSI) is to serve as a center for brain science in Japan as well as to play an active role in promoting international research cooperation towards greater understanding of the brain. BSI's research activities are targeted at "understanding the brain," namely to understand the reasons why human intelligence and thought processes distinguish human race from other animals. Findings from such studies should help people to act more effectively in "protecting their brain" from degradation due to aging and neurological disorders (such as Alzheimer's disease) as well as in "creating the brain" through the development of new information processing systems including neuro-computers. BSI's research laboratories are organized into 3 major research groups, namely (1) Understanding the Brain, (2) Protecting the Brain, and (3) Creating the Brain, with each group having several sub-research groups and laboratories as follows: Director (Dr. Masao Ito) | 1. Understanding the Brain (Elucidating brain functions): |- Neuronal function research group | ||-Neuronal Recognition Molecules Lab. | ||-Cellular Neurophysiology Lab. | ||-Cellular Information Processing Lab. | ||-Neuronal Circuit Development Lab. |- Neuronal circuit mechanisms group | ||-Memory and Learning Lab. | ||-Neurobiology of Emotion Lab. |- Cognitive brain science group | ||-Cognitive Brain Mapping Lab. | ||-Integrative Neural Systems alb. |- Communicative function research 2. Protecting the Brain (Conquering brain diseases): |- Developmental brain science group | ||-Developmental Neurobiology Lab. | ||-Developmental Gene Regulation Lab. |- Molecular neuropathology group | ||-CAG Repeat Diseases Lab. | ||-Neurogenetics Lab. | ||-Alzheimer's Disease Lab. |- Aging control research group |- Recovery control research group 3. Creating the Brain (Developing neuro-computers): |- Brainway group | ||-Brain-operative Expression Lab. | ||-Brain-operative Device Lab. |- Brain-style architecture research group | ||-Open Information Systems Lab. | ||-Information Synthesis Lab. | ||-Neural Modeling Lab. |- Brain-style information systems research |- Application of brain-style systems research In addition, BSI will have an Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) , with its research activities falling into two main categories. One concerns the development of non-invasive techniques; MEG, fMRI and other photodynamical analyses, while its second research category focuses on the development of cell biological materials; production of gene targeting and transgenic animal models, in vitro model systems, transplantation of nerve tissues, and breeding of new animal models. According to BSI's long-range strategic time table, the long-range targets of the three research groups are: 1. Understanding the Brain: To understand brain mechanisms of self-consciousness and social-consciousness, and to understand roles of language in thinking and intelligence. 2. Protecting the Brain: To (a) control the aging processes of brain in man, (2) develop artificial nerves and muscles, and (c) prevent psychiatric diseases. 3. Creating the Brain: To (a) develop human friendly network operated neurocomputers that are symbiotic with human beings, and (b) develop robot systems that support human intellectual life. This year's (FY'97) total annual budget for the Brain Science Institute is 7.3 billion yen (about $60 million), and they are asking for 8.8 billion yen ($73 million) for FY'98. The total number of researchers hired at present for the various laboratories in the Brain Science Institute is about 100 including about 30 foreigners (6 Americans). One of the American scientists is Dr. Takao K. Hensch from UC/San Francisco who is now heading BSI's Neuronal Circuit Development Laboratory. Ultimately, RIKEN hopes to increase the total number of researchers to about 500 in five years. For further details, please contact: Brain Science Planning Office The Brain Science Institute, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako City, Saitama-ken 351-01, Japan Phone: +81-48-462-1111 Ext. 7323 FAX: +81-48-462-4914 E-mail: bsi@postman.riken.go.jp RIKEN Homepage: http://www.riken.go.jp/