Systems Biology(BI)
Understanding Life as a System with Big Data and Making Contributions to Medical Care, Food, and the Environment
ARAKAWA, Kazuharu
Professor, Program Chairperson
The 21st century is said to be the era of biotechnology. Cutting-edge life sciences contribute to all aspects of our society, including medicine, health, food, the environment and industry. Biology is now rapidly transforming into a data-driven science, with new developments enabling the acquisition of enormous amounts of data on living systems through comprehensive measurement and analysis. For example, we can use metabolome analysis for metabolic compounds, genome analysis for DNA, transcriptome analysis for gene expression, and proteome analysis for proteins. Systems biology is expected to use this data to reveal the inner workings of life and go on to apply the findings to benefit society. The Systems Biology Project at SFC collaborates with TTCK (Tsuruoka Town Campus) to allow for a multifaceted approach to be taken in a variety of frontier fields, such as cancer, the immune system, the gut microbiome, food and health, the origin and evolution of life, extremophiles, astrobiology, microbial communities in urban environments, genomics, and systems biology. The Program also develops unique bio-ventures, including a saliva test to detect cancer, a blood test to diagnose depression, and the production of synthetic spider silk.
Affiliated Academic Projects
- Advanced Biosciences A
- Advanced Biosciences B
Faculty Members
Possibilities after Graduation
Graduates of this Program are taking on leading roles in research and development in the pharmaceutical industry, food, IT, as well as at consulting firms. Alumni who have completed our doctoral program go on to pursue advanced scientific careers at prestigious research institutions and universities, including Harvard University, institutions within the University of California system, the University of British Columbia, the University of Tokyo, RIKEN, and Keio University