Research on Non-standard peptide synthesis and selection in Tokyo
Shaopeiwen Luo First, I want to thank to the UTRIP committee, for choosing me as a participant to the summer research at University of Tokyo, and ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. and Friends of UTokyo, Inc., for selecting me as a FUTI scholar and providing me with financial support. During my summer internship, I studied at professor Hiroaki Suga’s lab for synthesizing and selecting non-standard cyclized peptides that specifically bind to one kind of protein called TAB2. Current tentative drugs are not effective or modifiable enough which might cause excessive risk of unpredictable immunological response. Consequently, I was researching on making alternative drugs for better control. Because cyclized peptides were small enough and of good use of drug, I selected those to one kind of protein called TAB2 and tentatively produce drug that dealt with diseases related to the TAB2. To make the selection works, I learnt how to charge tRNA with noncanonical amino acids and then made cyclized peptides using flexizyme, a modified ribosome, and how to do selection using RaPID selection process and FIT system. The techniques I learnt could also allow synthesis of diverse, natural-product like, macrocyclic compounds other than TAB2 I worked on and facilitate further clinical therapeutics. With the help of my supervisor Dr. Toby, I achieved my goal of learning how scientists limited materials and derived plans for drug discovery. I applied my interests of drug discovery using chemistry technologies combined with biology basis, familiarized myself with lab work about biochemically studying pharmaceutical science. I also made sure that I really enjoyed researching on drug discovery in my future career life. Outside of the lab, I exposed myself to Japanese culture. With UTRIP crews, I saw the amazing temples and botanical garden in Nikko, experienced wearing yukata and tried tea ceremony. I also explored Tokyo city, Mountain Hakone and Yokohama on weekends: wearing yukata and going to the Natsu omatsuri with friends; losing myself in the modern art museum; try making noodles in Yokohama. Like the fireworks in Natsu omatsuri, my research experience and life in Tokyo was gorgeous and unforgettable. Finally, I want to again make special thanks to UTokyo staff and UTRIP committee for selecting me as a participant to this amazing trip, Professor Suga’s lab for providing me with opportunities to get in touch with frontier science, and ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. as well as Friends of Tokyo. Inc for selecting me as a FUTI scholar.
UTRIP 2017 : Six weeks in Tokyo
by Camille Biscarrat — This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP) thanks to the financial support from Friends of UTokyo, Inc. I was a research intern in Professor Goda’s Molecular Imaging and Spectroscopy lab. At my home institution, University of California, Berkeley, I work in the Computational Imaging Lab, where we explore and design new imaging techniques and algorithms, focusing both on hardware and software. It was my research mentor, Professor Waller, who introduced me to Professor Goda’s work on optical time stretch microscopy. The idea of conducting cutting-edge research in a top institution like University of Tokyo was so enticing that I immediately applied to the program. In Goda Lab, I worked with Assistant Professor Cheng Lei and graduate student Hirofumi Kobayashi on their High Throughput Imaging Flow Cytometry with AI project. The main goal of this research is to distinguish cancer cells from treated cancer cells in a label-free manner while achieving high throughput and high image resolution. By the time I arrived in Tokyo, the team had established a working pipeline for their project, from cell cultivation to imaging the cells using the optical setup to data analysis. On my first day in the lab, Prof. Lei mentioned that they were considering using Machine Learning to do the classification, although no lab member had substantial experience in this field. Coming from a computer science and electrical engineering background, this sounded more interesting than preparing the cell cultures for the experiment. I had never done Machine Learning before but I wanted to learn and become familiar with it. Thus began my 6 week internship: working on something very new to me in a different university halfway across the world. I spent much of my time reading papers and other resources to learn about Machine Learning, support vector machines, vector of locally aggregated descriptors, and convolutional neural nets (CNN). I spent countless hours writing and debugging code to finally obtain classifications with over 95% accuracies. My knowledge and experience in coding, specifically MATLAB and Python, proved themselves valuable assets for the project, as my team members did not have an extensive background in the field. I worked closely with Kobayashi-san, sharing my new understanding of CNNs, having impromptu meetings to talk about future steps in my work and discussing odd results that did not make much sense to either of us. The truly interdisciplinary aspect of the research conducted in the lab allowed me to fit right in, even though few lab members shared my background. The group was very welcoming and the other interns were equally eager to make friends and discover Tokyo. During my second week, the lab hosted a welcoming barbeque in Odaiba, giving us the chance to meet each other while enjoying delicious grilled food and drinks. An intern and I planned a day trip to Fuji-Q Highland (unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was nowhere to be seen that day). I ended my time in the lab with a good-bye lunch at a local restaurant. While I spent most of my weekdays at the university, my weekends were filled with adventures. I enjoyed the sun set over Tokyo and the Rainbow Bridge from the beach in Odaiba, I got lost in the sea of people in Harajuku. I explored the many temples and shrines in Kamakura. I stood in the pouring rain to catch a glimpse of the Sumida fireworks. I had sushi delivered in front of me by a mini bullet train (technology is amazing!). I enjoyed a glass of sake in a tiny bar in Golden Gai with newly made friends. I sang my heart out all night in a Karaoke. I tried my luck at arcade games in Akihabara and won a Pikachu plushie. I took a break from the busy city and welcomed the peacefulness of the Imperial Gardens. I discovered the art of Japanese flower arrangement and tried calligraphy. But more importantly, I savored all the delicious food Tokyo had to offer and discovered lemon ramen, a summer specialty. I definitely learned a lot and the research I conducted was very rewarding. I had such an amazing time, both working in the lab and discovering the city. I would like to thank Professor Goda, Lei-san, Kobayashi-san and the other members of Goda Lab for welcoming me this summer and UTRIP for organizing our stay in Tokyo. I would also like to thank FUTI for this wonderful and fulfilling experience and for giving me the chance broaden our horizons, both academically and personally.
UTRIP: A Summer in Eight Episodes
by Zane Rossi — The big problem is of course that I cannot, in the space I have here, get across what the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP) really was—that is, I can’t give every little fact or experience of the thing, and I definitely cannot do this as well as the heavy lifting to interpret and fit the little included anecdotes into some sort of Bigger Picture without (1) going on forever, or (2) reverting to saying things that are just misleading. I experienced UTRIP in episodes, moods, and times of day, not in philosophy or long-form essay. And I think this format does best. The first person I met from the program was a university student—a physicist named Asmae, who I saw, coming in off a silent, unmarked street, as we were both severely jetlagged, mutually figuring out how the front door of our apartment building worked. This was a Tokyo night—dead summer—meaning I was sweating, and maybe only said two words to her as we finally fumbled over the key thing and then said goodnight. Her accent was slightly French. The streets were immaculate. Three vending machines graced the 200 meters from the beautiful massive twisting highway overpass to our apartment: the pervading feeling of all of this being that these are places I would otherwise never have seen—people I would never have met. The first true day, after a quick tour of the University of Tokyo campus, a selection of snacks, and small speeches from the sometimes understated, driven administration of the Graduate School for Science, I went, along with Gautam, a soft-spoken physics undergraduate from India, upstairs. The director of our lab, Professor Katsura, sat us around a small table with blond veneer and began to write on the whiteboard, stopping occasionally to ask us if we had learned a concept before, and if we had found it interesting. It was casual. Professor Katsura, his lab’s graduate students, the varied snacks they always had hidden somewhere—it was almost spookily endearing. That day, even in the depths of jetlag, literally bleary-eyed, we worked smoothly, as peers, excited by one thing: to settle on a topic for research (correlated, many body quantum systems and their symmetries): papers to read (Nayak, Vidal, Shor, Wiegmann, et al), math to fiddle with (abstract algebra and representation theory), all under the good afternoon sun and the hum of the air conditioner. It felt sustainable. Many days would be like this. The afternoons spent poring over papers on many-body-localization (the idea that impurities in a regular atomic lattice can allow interesting, strictly regional effects) or spontaneous symmetry breaking (where certain patterns expected for system are not observed in the true physical system) were quiet, yes, but lacked the sort of untouchable cleanliness of the mornings. One day during the first week, Gautam and I came to the lab early to find that it was vacant and locked—we had forgotten to ask for personal keys. While waiting, the director of the adjacent lab invited us inside, and poured us each a glass of water into small, light blue plastic cups. She spoke briefly with a student in Japanese about why we, two wide-eyed’s, were sitting there, before going back to her desk. In the mornings the light was paler, and all of the computers in the woman’s lab were beige. Then, just the sound of keyboard tapping and the taste of mineral water and thinking about all the new papers to read. I remember a tall crane outside of the window (we were on the ninth floor) building something massive. At nights, after riding the subway back (first the Marunouchi Line, transfer at Otemachi, then the Hanzomon Line), I would return to my apartment (if I did not zip off somewhere else to walk or see or eat), maybe cook dinner, wash some of the dishes in my sink, and then do work at my desk, opening up the curtain and staring for a while at the small Italian restaurant across the street, festooned in orangey string-lights, as well as blue ones that looked like icicles. As the simulations (at this time I was programming a routine to capture the dynamics of a many-particle coupled system with spontaneous time translation symmetry breaking (TTSB)) ran, often for long times, I would watch from my second story window, until the restaurant eventually closed—dark bottles of wine in a line at the bottom of its windows. The notebook on my desk would be filled with new math. Tea would steam on my desk. Or it was a bottle of soda from the fluorescent 7-11 down the road. I would go out to walk at 1 or 2am. Sometimes I would write—not about physics, or math, but fiction (something else I enjoy)—and it would clear my head. Almost every day for lunch, our entire lab would go to one of the university cafeterias, and discuss whatever came to mind. Gautam would almost always get the curry rice, and I would almost always get the newest style of donburi offered. The cafeteria was lush with noise. I would try to practice my Japanese, asking on one occasion the word for ‘slippery’ (滑り易い) as I struggled to grasp a reluctant noodle. The early afternoon milieu was between Gautam, myself, Professor Katsura, and our supporter, a graduate student named Shota Tamura. We would sit once or twice per day and share what we had found confusing, intriguing, or promising. I remember many days where we would each of us correct the idea of another, only to have our correction expanded or improved upon by yet someone else. Our lab had just begun to study many body localized systems with respect to TTSB, and so, in a sense, despite our difference in age and academic patina, the language of the field was fresh and volatile to each of us. Professor Katsura would guide and elucidate with a few choice words, and we would clarify and rephrase it as
UTRIP in the Ozawa Lab
by Kotaro Tsutsumi — With the generous support of Friends of of UTokyo, Inc., I spent this Summer participating in the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program. As a biochemistry major, I have been primarily utilizing molecular biological lab techniques at Northwestern, my home institution, in investigating protein characterization in Parkinson’s disease cell models. This primarily utilizes molecular biological lab techniques, and in exploring other scientific perspectives, I wanted to participate in research that employs additional chemical approaches in the exploration of molecular biology. Consequently, conducting research at UTokyo’s Ozawa laboratory was the perfect opportunity for me to explore this realm of science. My project in the Ozawa lab centered around a signaling protein called G-protein coupled receptor. Much of prior investigation regarding this protein have been conducted in vitro using molecular biological techniques such as Western blotting. However, such methods do not necessarily illuminate the life course activity of a single protein. Hence, the aim of my project was to elucidate the in vivo kinetics of GPCR using total internal reflection microscopy, which allows for single-molecule imaging. Prior to this project, I had minimal exposure to single-molecule imaging, let alone fluorescence microscopy. This opportunity presented me with a variety of eye-opening approaches that enhanced my scientific knowledge and capacity to think critically as a scientist, and will be of great use as I move forward in my academic career. It was not only my passion for science, however, that made this experience a crucial aspect of my future career. It was also the opportunity for me to grasp Japanese culture, both within and without the lab, that made UTRIP so meaningful. As a Japanese-American, I have lived in the United States throughout my entire life. Despite my fluency in the Japanese Language and many visits to Japan, I had never lived in Japan for an extended period of time, and hence never fully understood the social culture of Japan. From the late night discussions with lab mates about the international variations in education to spontaneous interactions with people on the subway, the six weeks I spent in Japan was filled with occasions that exposed me to the characteristics of modern Japanese society, and allowed me to truly internalize my cultural identity. Outside of the laboratory, UTRIP gave me many opportunities to explore the multifaceted nature of Japan. A trip to the Nikko Toshogu shrine, botanical garden, and yuba factory presented me with the longstanding Japanese traditions that has been maintained for centuries. The exquisite taste of fresh yuba reminded me of the delicacy of Japanese dishes, which in fact is not an exclusive element of cuisine, but is a prominent aspect of the overall Japanese culture that makes it so beautiful. On the contrary, a visit to the Shibuya ward illuminated the modern millennial culture of Japan that is filled with excitement and energy. Another trip to an outskirt neighborhood of presented yet another side of Tokyo that is filled with trendy cafes and Jazz bars that offers a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. It is breathtaking that such a diverse array of subcultures exists within this city, and is the precise element that made my life in Japan continually engaging and exciting. Reflecting upon such unforgettable memories, I feel that my internship in Japan was truly a scientifically and culturally stimulating experience, and I hope to embrace it all as I move forward in my career.
My Return to Japan and the University of Tokyo
By Rocco Vitalone — In the summer of 2015, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Japan for 13 weeks to both immerse myself in Japanese culture and conduct fundamental physics research in the Shimano Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. While there, I really learned a lot about Japanese culture and traveled all over the place, seeing many of the famous Japanese sights and cities. At the same time, I spent long days and nights in lab, learning a great deal about physics and becoming very close with Shimano-sensei, Matsunaga-san, Tomita-san, and all of my other lab mates. Honestly, my favorite part about Japan was and is my lab mates. Spending time with them and learning from them made my first summer in Japan absolutely incredible and I will never forget it. In fact, I loved my lab so much that I applied to the UTRIP program to return to Japan for the summer of 2016, and I was incredibly fortunate to receive a spot in the program, working with my same lab, and receive funding from Friends of UTokyo. For my return to Japan in 2016, I wanted to further immerse myself into Japanese culture while also becoming closer with my lab mates. I also wanted to get to know the other members of the UTRIP program as well. I returned to the Shimano Lab in June and started research right away. Shimano-sensei had me on a research project that was similar to what I did the previous summer and it was great to build upon what I learned the past summer. Each day, I spent countless hours reading papers and conducting research in the lab with my mentor, Keisuke Tomita. Spending all of this time together, we became very close. He taught me about some very interesting physics concepts and some really cool experimental techniques. He also taught me about some more of the subtle concepts of Japanese culture and some nuances in the Japanese language. At the same time, I taught him about some aspects of American culture and American language. The two of us had some really interesting and thought provoking conversations about politics in both of our countries. One time, he told me about how one of the people running for a political position in his ward of Tokyo had some outlandish, aggressive even, views and that he was actually afraid of him being elected. He asked me if I felt the same way about Donald Trump, and we had a good/scared laugh about how some people with crazy or dangerous ideas could actually rise to power in politics. It was little events like this that made us realize that, even though we came from very different backgrounds and culture, that we were not really that different. We both had similar senses of humor and political views, while also having a great love of physics and science. Some evenings, if I finished my experiment by dinner time, a handful of my lab mates would take me out for dinner at some of their favorite restaurants around UTokyo. I really enjoyed going out to dinner with my lab mates because it would afford me the opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture outside of lab. Furthermore, one weekend near the end of the program, all of my lab mates took me to the Edo Tokyo museum, a matsuri, and a Chankonabe restaurant. It was, without question, my favorite day I had in Japan this summer. Overall, I once again had an absolutely incredible time working in the Shimano Lab and I hope to return again someday; either as a grad student, a post doc, or even a visiting professor. When I was not in lab or spending time with my lab mates outside of lab, I was traveling around the Tokyo region with some of the other UTRIP students. Four of us spent a weekend at a rather upscale ryokan in Hakone. We hiked some of the surrounding mountains, saw Fuji-san, and took a boat ride across Lake Ashi. On another weekend, some of us went out for Sukiyaki, which was delicious, and then we went to Tokyo Disney Sea, which was also really cool to see. Overall, although miniscule, my time outside of lab was incredibly enjoyable, almost as much as my time in lab. In conclusion, I could not have had a better second summer in Japan, and I am already looking forward to my next adventure in Japan.
2016 UTRIP Internship with Prof. Mitsuhiko Shionoya
By David Burke — This summer, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in a UTRIP internship at the University of Tokyo, thanks to the generous support of the Friends of UTokyo, Inc. I spent six weeks working in the bioinorganic chemistry laboratory of Professor Mitsuhiko Shionoya, where my research was focused on the preparation and characterization of new self-assembled metal-macrocycle frameworks. I gained a great deal of knowledge through my participation in the Shionoya Group’s research program. At my home institution (Indiana University Bloomington), I conduct research in anion supramolecular chemistry, and most of my efforts are directed towards the synthesis and purification of organic anion receptor molecules. My work on the metal-macrocycle frameworks at UTokyo allowed me to develop new laboratory skills in crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis, and broadened the scope of my research experiences, which will help to guide my research in graduate school and beyond. I was also able to meet and interact with many UTokyo students, and now have a much better understanding of graduate programs in Japan. In addition to introducing me to the world-class research taking place in the Graduate School of Science, UTRIP allowed me to experience Japanese culture firsthand. On the weekends, I had time to explore Tokyo and go sightseeing in surrounding regions, including Yokohama, Fujikawaguchiko, Nikko, and Osaka. The UTRIP staff also organized a Japanese culture workshop, where I had the opportunity to prepare origami, participate in a traditional tea ceremony, and wear a kimono for the first time. More importantly, I made some amazing new friends within UTRIP, who I’ve continued to stay in touch with since the program concluded. I hope to visit them in their home countries sometime soon. This trip also provided me with an excellent opportunity to practice speaking Japanese. Having studied the language during high school and college, I was eager to develop these skills over the course of the internship. While most of my interactions in the laboratory were held in English, I had many chances to practice off campus, performing tasks such as purchasing Shinkansen tickets, asking for directions, and speaking with waiters in restaurants. I would like to thank Professor Mitsuhiko Shionoya, Dr. Shohei Tashiro, Mr. Shinya Mitsui, and all of the other members of the Shionoya Group for their guidance, kindness, and hospitality during my stay in Japan. I would also like to thank the Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for their generous financial support of my summer research experience at the University of Tokyo. It truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and left me with a deep appreciation for Japan, its culture, and people. I hope to return to Japan in the near future.
UTRIP 2016: Molecular Alignment and Orientation in Tokyo
By Niccolò Bigagli — Two have been the major goals I have pursued in my life so far: increase my knowledge and involvement in the fields of physics and physical research, and broaden my outlook on the world by getting to know different cultures and experiencing life in different parts of the world. My participation in the UTRIP 2016 program, which was made possible through the generosity of Friends of UTokyo, Inc., enabled me to live a marvelous experience that perfectly harmonized these two seemingly different objectives. Working for a summer at the University of Tokyo was surely an amazing opportunity from the academic point of view. I was welcomed in the Hiro Sakai Group in the Department of Physics of the Graduate School of Science, and I mostly worked closely with doctoral student Md. Maruf Hossain, assistant professor Dr. Shinichirou Minemoto, professor Dr. Hirofumi Sakai and fellow UTRIP student Holly Herbert from Trinity College Dublin. The group is involved with fundamental research in the field of atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics, with an emphasis on the study of the interactions between light and matter. In particular, our work focused on the alignment and orientation of molecules through intense non-resonant laser fields and, together with visiting research scientist Dr. Hiroki Mashiko, on the exploitation of High-Order Harmonic Generation (HHG) for the creation of single attosecond pulses. Both projects constitute leading edges of research in AMO physics, and therefore working on them was an incredible opportunity I had to get exposure to novel research, acquire skills with complex experimental setups and increase my knowledge in such an interesting and fundamental topic. With respect to molecular alignment and orientation, the group recently reported both the attainment of all-optical molecular orientation and the achievement of laser-field-free three-dimensional molecular orientation. For the first goal, a two-color pump beam was employed to fully control the azimuthal angular distribution of molecules, while for the second achievement a static field and a laser field with slow turn on and fast turn off times were combined to achieve orientation without the presence of a pump beam. Our work was involved with the combination of these approaches aimed towards the attainment of completely-field-free all-optical molecular orientation. We constructed and optimized the optical path needed for the two-color beams and an additional probe pulse, and controlled whether alignment and orientation were achieved. An ethylene-glycol sheet was added to the setup to function as a plasma shutter for a rapid turnoff of the laser beams. The experiment was successful, as molecular alignment was clearly obtained and signs of orientation may have been observed, although the group did not manage to operate the plasma shutter during the UTRIP period. The relevance of this project lies mainly in its potential to widen our knowledge in the field of stereodynamics, where the attainment of field free molecular orientation could open new frontiers for the study of how the spatial arrangement of molecules or electrons affects chemical reactions and physical processes. For the generation of single attosecond pulses, during the UTRIP project we used the procedure of Double Optical Gating (DOG), exploiting a two-color laser field and the ellipticity dependence of HHG through the employment of two counter rotating circularly polarized pump beams, to produce single radiation pulses with the required short duration. The achievement of this goal makes it possible to probe ultrafast processes and study electrons stereodynamics, observe the behavior of electrons within circuits’ electronic components or biological processes such as photosynthesis, or detect the movement of electrons during the aforementioned processes of alignment and orientation. The generation of attosecond pulses may also be linked to the aforementioned goal of field-free orientation through the employment of oriented molecules as wave plates to change the polarization of attosecond pulses, for which common optical elements cannot be used. This would serve as an ideal meeting point of the two projects I worked on during UTRIP. My involvement with the Hiro Sakai Group allowed me to grow incredibly as a physicist, both from the experimental and the theoretical points of view. On a first level, I was able to work directly and both independently and as part of a team at the development of an elaborate optical setup and at the execution and data analysis of an extremely complex experiment. Many were the variables to consider and several the parameters to optimize, as the highly unstable three-dimensional overlap of the foci of the three beams involved. Moreover, the study of the fundamental principles behind the experiment exposed me to topics in quantum or optical physics that were beyond the level of the coursework I had undertaken until that time, and gave me considerable new insights into extremely interesting areas of physics. I am therefore grateful to everybody in the Sakai Group for welcoming Holly and me, and for guiding us through the whole UTRIP project. At the same time, the UTRIP program turned out to be not only an academic experience, but also a personal one. In fact, as I stepped out of my plane at the Narita airport, I entered for the first time not only Japan, but the entire Asian continent. I was therefore able to encounter directly and start to know for the first time a thriving, unique and interesting culture. Through my morning runs in the neighborhood of Yanaka, close to our accommodation, I managed to get a peek on the daily life of the inhabitants of the busy city of Tokyo. By working together with local students, researchers and professors, I experienced the way academic life is conducted in the country. Moreover, during weekend daytrips to nearby locations as Kamakura, Nikko or Hakone, I enjoyed some of the country’s natural beauties and learnt more about its cultural and religious norms and practices, as the inspiring outlook on spirituality and the way Buddhism and Shinto have been harmonized in people’s lives. From this point of view, I will never forget when, during my visit to Hakone, fog came down on
My First Summer in Japan
by Kenneth Wu — This summer, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of the participants for the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP). Saying that I was overjoyed when I received my acceptance notice would be an understatement describing how I felt. The internship would not only provide me with valuable hands-on research experiences but also a chance for me to visit Japan for the first time in my life. Although Tokyo did not seem very intriguing at first sight, the day-to-day experience did slowly make me appreciate the beauty of Japanese culture. As a participant of UTRIP, I joined Professor Kobayashi’s lab in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo from June 11 to July 22. My lab focused on synthetic organic chemistry which was a lot more labor intensive than I expected. Nonetheless, I learnt a lot of new lab techniques during my stay in the lab. One of the coolest things I was allowed to do was to operate NMR machines on my own. I also had a chance to use a glovebox which was really interesting but tedious at the same time. The lab members and faculties treated me like an actual researcher which I really appreciated. However, life as a researcher wasn’t all that fun and easy (at least not in an organic synthesis lab). When I first started, I was instructed to work from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Friday which isn’t too bad at all. But starting from the second week and onward, I began working from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. on average Monday through Saturday. I spent most of my day in the lab which prevented me from exploring other parts of Tokyo. So one take-home lesson I got during this six-week period is that it takes a lot of dedication to be a researcher. You got to enjoy what you do because that’s what you will be doing all day long. During my miniscule amount of time outside the lab, I really enjoyed Tokyo as a whole. The food were excellent, the culture was intriguing, and the people were really friendly. It was very different from where I came from. When I first arrived at the University of Tokyo, I was thrilled by how beautiful and clean the campus was. First, the main entrance was accompanied with gingko trees on both sides of the road which made it felt like opening arms welcoming my arrival. Following the main entrance was the Yasuda Kodo, the most famous building at the University of Tokyo as well as a popular tourist attraction. Next, there was also the Akamon Gate, otherwise known as the Red Gate, which is another tourist attraction. Apart from being on campus, I got to explore other parts of Tokyo such as Asakusa, Akihabara, Takadanobaba, and sometimes even outside of Tokyo such as Nikko. It was quite amazing to see the diversity in the architecture style from different parts of the country. For me, one of the most valuable thing I received from UTRIP was the chance to meet people from all around the globe. There were participants from India, Hong Kong, Australia, Italy, UK, and much more which made the cultural exchange very interesting and fun. We shared our stories with one another and even met up with some participants in other countries after the program. UTRIP is definitely a top-notch science internship program. The diversity in participants and the work done as part of the internship helped me a lot to understand what doing research is like. This summer was one of the best summers I’ve ever had despite the how intensive the program was. All these wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Friends of UTokyo, Inc. I am very thankful for the aid from FUTI and encourage all of the science major students to apply for UTRIP.
UTRIP: Prof. Hirofumi Sakai's Lab (Physics)
by Indy Liu — I can still vividly remember the nervousness that engulfed me when I woke up on March 31st to find UTRIP’s selection decision in my mailbox and the excitement that surged through when I found out that I was offered a place in the program. This was a dream come true for me: I have been hoping to live and work in Tokyo ever since I first attended a Japanese language school in the city eight summers ago. I duly accepted my offer, and that sparked the beginning of the most exciting and productive summers I have experienced. I was offered a place in professor Sakai Hirofumi’s lab to study molecular orientation and high harmonic generation. Our lab stands at the intersection between quantum optics and chemistry — the findings of our experiments can be applied to develop new lasers, improve molecular imaging techniques, and gain a better understanding of chemical reactions. We use a two-color femtosecond laser to develop practical methods for aligning and orienting gaseous molecules such as carbon monoxide, and use these molecules to generate high order harmonics. Since chemical reactions are sensitive to the orientation of molecules when they interact with one another, the ability to control molecular orientation would help chemists elucidate the mechanism behind various reactions. Aligned and oriented molecules can also be used to generate high harmonics of the input laser, which are electromagnetic waves with frequencies that are integer multiples of the input laser frequency. This technique can be used to create lasers with frequencies that were previously out of reach, and also to create pulses with previously unattainable attosecond duration. During my stay, our lab was in the middle of an experiment where we hope to be the first to directly observe orientation in carbon monoxide molecules through Coulomb explosion imaging. As a student of theoretical physics at a liberal arts college, it was eye-opening for me to participate in an experiment that stands at the forefront of its field. I have learned much about the excitements and struggles of being an experimental physicist, and I am sincerely grateful for Sakai-sensei and Minemoto-sensei for their patient guidance. Outside the laboratory, Japan has again been a wonderful host. Thanks to the financial support of FUTI and the understanding of the UTRIP office, I was allowed to stay in a sharehouse save money over staying in Todai’s accommodation. It was a privilege to chat with my housemates about their experiences living in Tokyo and abroad, and a blessing to have forged new friendships with them. In addition, the stunning view from the top of Tokyo Sky Tree that I shared with my lab mate Siobhan, the beautiful vintage oscilloscopes that I ran into in the back streets of Akihabara, and the superlative ramen shops that I have explored with my housemates and other UTRIP students were undoubtedly the highlights of the past six weeks. But of course, this report would not be complete without a mention of the trip to Kanazawa that I shared with Siobhan. A late night dash on the new Kanazawa Shinkansen saw us in the city before the start of the weekend rush. Despite the heavy drizzle and some occasional windstorm, Kanazawa was not at all shy to show us its charms. The serene Kenrokuen garden, the bustling Omi-Cho market, the playful 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and the supreme cafes at Higashi-Chaya District all added up to some absolutely unforgettable memories. Alas, my six weeks at Todai went by in the blink of an eye. No tears were shed when I waved farewell to my friends at Todai and at my sharehouse though, since this will surely not be the end of the story. The time I have spent in professor Sakai’s lab has further motivated me to continue on in physics, and the time I have spent outside the lab made me all the more eager to live in Japan. So, as I step onto the plane at Haneda airport, Japan, good bye for now, but I will be back. I would like to thank professor Sakai and assistant professor Minemoto for their insightful and patient guidance in the lab, Komatsubara Wataru and Katsumi Ryota for their friendly mentorship, the UTRIP office for organizing this program, FUTI for their recognition and financial assistance, and Siobhan for her companionship both inside and outside the lab.
Report on 2015 University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP)
by Yuka Esashi — This summer I worked as an intern in the laboratory of Prof. Kazuki Koketsu in the Earth and Planetary Science Department of the University of Tokyo. The experience was hosted by the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP). I performed exploratory research on the effect of basin amplification of long-period ground motions, specifically that of the Kanto basin. I analyzed seismic data of several large magnitude earthquakes that occurred around the Kanto basin, recorded by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. The focus of the analysis was to investigate whether there are differences between the amplification effect on seismic waves that enter the basin from different directions, due to the irregular structure of the Kanto basin. My final presentation was titled “Comparison of Long- Period Ground Motions in the Kanto Basin during the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu and the 2011 Fukushima Hamadori Earthquakes”, in which I concluded that the amplification effect was greater for the Niigata Chuetsu earthquake that occurred in the north-west of the basin, than for the Fukushima Hamadori earthquake that occurred in the north-east of the basin. I provided some possible causes for this difference, including the sharper north- western basin edge. I study physics at my home institution (Reed College, Portland, OR, USA), so I was initially both excited and worried about doing research in a field in which I had no prior exposure. Starting the research from scratch, including learning all the basic terms of seismology, was definitely challenging. However, it was a very rare and worthwhile opportunity to explore a new field. It gave me the confidence to continue exploring other areas of physics to find an area that I would like to pursue in the future. The program was also a great opportunity to learn about University of Tokyo as a research institution, as well as to explore the city of Tokyo. I would like to thank Friends of UTokyo for the support they have provided, without which I could not have participated in this great program. I am thankful to Professor Koketsu for hosting me at his laboratory and giving me this opportunity, and to his graduate students for guiding me through the research project. I would also like to thank the staff of the International Liaison Office of the Graduate School of Science at University of Tokyo for organizing the UTRIP program.