同共同声明の「第2の柱：経済、ビジネス、研究開発およびイノベーション」の第23項では、筑波大学計算科学研究センターと、ソフィア大学傘下のGATE（Big Data for Smart Society Institute）との部局間交流協定が紹介され、「産業、技術および科学に関する協力を一層促進することを決定する」と明記されました。
Background of the recruitment and description of the project
In the Research Area of Scientific Transformation A, titled “Materials Science of Mesohierarchies,” researchers are engaged in various fields including supramolecular chemistry aimed at constructing hierarchical structures in the mesoscopic domain; technologies and theoretical frameworks for designing and creating mesohierarchical materials; structure visualization techniques; technologies for manipulating energy levels between nanostructures via strong resonator coupling; and methods for analyzing the unique mechanical properties exhibited by mesohierarchical structures. Researchers focusing on the analysis of these mechanical properties are not only pursuing their own lines of investigation but are also actively collaborating with each other.
Work content and job description
A fixed-term Research Assistant Professor position is available under the support from the Research Area of Scientific Transformation A, “Materials Science of Mesohierarchies.” The successful candidate will conduct research on the mechanisms of structure formation and functional expression in mesohierarchical materials, utilizing materials informatics, molecular simulations, and/or quantum chemical calculations. In addition, the appointee will be expected to engage in teaching and research supervision in the Graduate School of Science and Technology, as well as the Faculty of Science and Technology, depending on their qualifications. A willingness to collaborate with experimental researchers is essential.
【題名】 Phase separation of the PRPP amidotransferase into dynamic condensates promotes de novo purine synthesis in yeast（PRPPアミドトランスフェラーゼの動的凝縮体への相分離は酵母内のプリン新規合成を促進する）
Doan Quang Van, an expert from the Center for Computational Sciences, has been appointed as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
Associate Professor Doan is one of just four lead authors from Japan and among 100 global experts from 50 countries. He was selected from more than 1,200 nominations submitted by governments and international organizations to contribute to this significant publication by IPCC—the United Nations body responsible for assessing climate change science. Scheduled for release in 2027, the report will synthesize recent scientific research and propose practical solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change in urban environments.
For the first time, the IPCC is dedicating an entire report to cities, recognizing their central role in both contributing to and mitigating climate change. To kickstart the work, lead authors gathered in Osaka, Japan, last week (March 10-14) to define the report’s key priorities.
“Urban areas are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions while producing 80% of global GDP,” says A/Prof. Doan. “This report is designed to help cities become climate-resilient by providing decision-makers with clear, science-backed strategies.”
He adds: “By linking climate science with policy, we can give global and local leaders the knowledge they need to act on climate risks effectively. At the same time, this report will help identify critical knowledge gaps that will shape future research.”
A/Prof. Doan is a recognized researcher in atmospheric science and urban climate modeling. He specializes in computational methods for high-resolution climate simulations and urban extreme weather and climate. As an Associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba’s Center for Computational Sciences, he has been pioneering the integration of physics-based modeling with AI techniques to improve climate research.
Internationally, A/Prof. Doan collaborates with major urban climate research institutions. He serves as a board member of the Board on Urban Environment at the American Meteorological Society from 2020 and leads several research initiatives on urban climate prediction and AI/ML applications under the World Meteorological Organization. His work on the IPCC Special Report highlights the critical role of computational science in advancing knowledge of urban climate change and developing solutions for climate-resilient cities worldwide.
Assoc. Prof. Doan (seventh from the left) and Chapter 2 fellow lead authors of the IPCC Special Report.Assoc. Prof. Doan (second from left) with IPCC Working Group II Co-chair Prof. Winston Chow (fourth from the right) and fellow lead authors of the IPCC Special Report.
Assoc. Prof. Doan (seventh from the left) and Chapter 2 fellow lead authors of the IPCC Special Report.Assoc. Prof. Doan (second from left) with IPCC Working Group II Co-chair Prof. Winston Chow (fourth from the right) and fellow lead authors of the IPCC Special Report.
受賞論文は以下のとおりです。 “The origins and impact of outflow from super-Eddington flow” Takaaki Kitaki, Shin Mineshige, Ken Ohsuga, and Tomohisa Kawashima Vol. 73 (2021), No. 2, pp. 450–466
In this joint workshop, we focus on searching the opportunity for collaborative research between two national institutes, University of Tsukuba and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) especially on the fields of advanced computational sciences and high performance computing, where both institutes have strong points on these research fields. The Center for Computational Sciences (CCS) of University of Tsukuba is a representative institute in Japan on these fields and jointly hosts the workshop with IISc. We aim to construct a strong partnership toward the advanced collaboration supported by both institutes to lead the world-class research based on the Japan-India partnership, which is strongly desired to proceed nowadays. In this memorial first joint workshop, we especially focus on five scientific fields; Material Science, Astrophysics, Bioscience, Global Environmental Science, and Computer Science for Supercomputing. We also aim to make a partnership not only between two institutes but also involving industry for supercomputing to spread the collaboration to the real world. The workshop consists of multiple sessions of flash talks from both CCS and IISc for each scientific fields as well as the overall introduction of the two institutes, followed by special talks from industry, Fujitsu Corporation. In the last part, we discuss on how to proceed with our collaboration among institutes, nations, and academia and industry, in the panel session. The workshop is open and we welcome any participant who is interested into the topics.
Date and Venue
Date: March 26, 2025, 9:30-13:10（India Time); 13:00-16:40 (Japan Time) Venue: Zoom *The Zoom link (passcode) will be sent to registrants just before the symposium.
Program
India time
Japan time
title
speaker
9:30 –
13:00 –
Opening remarks
Prof. Takeaki Sakurai (Director, OGI)
9:35 –
13:05 –
Introduction UT CCS
Prof. Taisuke Boku (Director, CCS)
9:50 –
13:20 –
Introduction IISc SERC
Prof. Sathish Vadhiyar (Chair, SERC, IISc)
10:05 –
13:35 –
Developments and Applications of Hybrid DFT-Implicit Solvation Models in Electrochemistry
Prof. Minoru Otani (CCS)
10:15 –
13:45 –
Merging Quantum and Classical Simulations with Machine Learning for Understanding and Designing Materials
Dr. Ananth Govind Rajan, Chem Engg.
Fast and scalable computational methods for ab initio modeling of materials in the exascale era
Dr. Phani Motamarri, CDS
10:25 –
13:55 –
Division of Astrophysics: Overview & AGN Feedback
Prof. Ken Ohsuga, Asst. Prof. Alex Wagner (CCS)
10:35 –
14:05 –
Astrophysical gas dynamics: From black hole accretion disk to intercluster medium
Prof. Banibrata Mukhopadhyay, Physics
10:45 –
14:15 –
Break
10:55 –
14:25 –
Multiscale simulations of biomolecular systems using exascale computing
Prof. Anand Srivastava, Molecular Biophysics Unit
11:05 –
14:35 –
Molecular Dynamics Insights into 3D Domain Swapping in Human Antibody Light Chain
Asst. Prof. Kowit Hengphasatporn (CCS)
11:15 –
14:45 –
Ocean model simulations at sub-mesoscale (~1km) resolving resolution
Prof. PN Vinayachandran
11:25 –
14:55 –
Numerical Simulations of Urban and Mountain Meteorology from Micro- to Meso-Scales
Prof. Hiroyuki Kusaka (CCS)
11:35 –
15:05 –
Break
11:45 –
15:15 –
Invited Talk (Fujistu Ltd.) Fujitsu Small Research Lab: Driving Research and Talent Development in Partnership with Universities
Mr. Hirotaro Ohira (Academia-Industry liaison)
Invited Talk (Fujistu Ltd.) Collaboration Between Tsukuba University and Fujitsu: Achievements and Future Prospects in Next-Generation Data Platforms
Dr. Kohta Nakashima (SRL with CCS-Tsukuba)
12:05 –
15:35 –
Panel Discussion
13:05 –
16:35 –
Closing remarks (IISc OIR)
Registration
Participants should finish the registration by March 24, 2025. The registration is free but mandatory.
“Large-scale HPC Challenge” Project, Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing(JCAHPC).
謝辞の英文例
Computational resource of Supermicro ARS-111GL-DNHR-LCC and FUJITSU PRIMERGY CX2550 M7 (Miyabi) was awarded by “Large-scale HPC Challenge” Project, Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing(JCAHPC).
Researchers at University of Tsukuba have investigated the structure and light energy transfer efficiency of a protein complex crucial to the photosynthesis of purple sulfur bacteria thriving in high-salt, high-alkaline environments. Cryo-electron microscopy observation and computer analysis revealed that this unique protein complex significantly enhances energy conversion ability.
Tsukuba, Japan—Unlike plants and cyanobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria, such as purple sulfur bacteria, thrive in extreme environments with high salt concentrations and alkalinity. These bacteria use hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to convert solar into chemical energy. Light-harvesting protein complexes—specifically the light-harvesting two complex (LH2) and the core light-harvesting reaction center complex (LH1-RC)—play a crucial role in this process. Halorhodospira halophila, a purple sulfur bacterium, is believed to perform photosynthesis efficiently by integrating LH2 and LH1-RC. However, in nonsulfur bacteria, the interaction between LH2 and LH1-RC has been reported to be weak, and this key difference remains unclear.
Fig. Structure of the Core Light-Harvesting Reaction Center Complex (LH1-RC) and the Light-Harvesting Supercomplex (LH1-LH2) of Hlr. halophila Visualized by Cryo-Electron Microscopy. ー This illustration shows how two isoforms of the α and β chains in the LH1 subunit pair together to form a ring. The LH1 ring is structured to surround both the reaction center and the LH2 complex, which are depicted in semi-transparent colors on the left and right, respectively.
To investigate this, researchers employed cryo-electron microscopy to observe LH2 and LH1-RC from Hlr. halophila at the amino acid level. Results revealed that LH1-LH2 and LH1-RC complexes are formed, the smallest unit of the LH1 structure is composed of an unusual polypeptide chain, and this LH1 structure surrounds LH2 or RC. Furthermore, experiments measuring intermolecular energy transfer showed that the LH1-LH2 complex achieves almost 100% light energy transfer efficiency, suggesting that its structural arrangement enhances energy conversion.
These findings provide new insights into how bacteria perform highly efficient photosynthesis even under extreme conditions while converting toxic H2S into sulfur. This knowledge could contribute to advancements in solar energy and environmental conservation.
### This work was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 20H05086, 20H02856, 23K05822, 24K01620, 22K06144, 24H02084, 22K18694, 21H01985, 22H05416, 24H01128, and 22K19060, Japan.
Original Paper
Title of original paper: A distinct double-ring LH1-LH2 photocomplex from an extremophilic phototroph
– The Initiative Aiming for Sustainable Town Development has been Highly Evaluated for its Collaboration Between Industry, Government, and Academia –
Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. (hereinafter ”JAL”), Amami Island Drone Co., Ltd. (hereinafter ”AID”), Setouchi Town in Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture (hereinafter “Setouchi Town”), the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (hereinafter “NIED”), and the University of Tsukuba have jointly undertaken the initiative “Resident Services Utilizing Drones for Normal and Emergency Situations in Setouchi Town, Amami Oshima” (hereinafter “this initiative”). On February 5, 2025, this initiative was awarded the “Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award” at the 7th Japan Open Innovation Awards hosted by the Cabinet Office.
The Japan Open Innovation Prize recognizes initiatives with high leadership and originality that are expected to serve as role models to further promote open innovation in Japan. It honors exemplary initiatives with significant social impact and sustainability, with minister’s awards and other awards presented in various fields.
This initiative has been highly evaluated for its pioneering efforts in addressing regional issues such as disaster response and logistics on remote islands, contributing to the sustainable town development that Setouchi Town aims for, where . It has also been recognized for its potential to serve as a model for other remote islands, aging regions, and isolated areas during disasters.
