The_Reserch_Support_Center page 4/8

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The_Reserch_Support_Center

Takanori NakamuraKyushu University Graduate School of Medical SciencesThe Research Support CenterBusiness ManagerTen-year anniversary of the Research Support CenterEstablishing the Research Support Center (Core Facility) started based ona discussion I had 35 years ago with Professor Mutsuo Sekiguchi, who was aprofessor of Biochemistry(1) (Department of Medical Biochemistry). Thediscussion began, “Although individual laboratories are making efforts to getbudgets for expensive equipment, all these expensive equipment go to wasteafter professors retire.” We also discussed that, “There are not manylaboratories that can get a budget large enough to install expensive equipment.Even if they are lucky enough to do so, the use of the equipment is limited tothe researchers in that laboratory. Our research would definitely improve ifthere is a facility that accumulates various equipment for shared use.”Although this topic was discussed amongst the professors, it did not take shapein reality.After twenty-five years, there was an opportunity to establish the Center.There was a plan for a complete renovation of the Medical Science’s BuildingA of Basic Sciences, and a shared depository room was designed. I proposed the following to Professor Morimasa Wada, who was an AssistantProfessor of the Medical Chemistry Course (former, Biochemistry(1)): “Why not accumulate the dormant, expensive equipment from the variouslaboratories in the Medical Departments into the shared space at the Building A of Basic Sciences, and offer its use to various researchers?” Thisproposal reached Professor Koichiro Takeshige, and progressed to become a proposal for a place with a concentrated management system ofequipment and basic research technical guidance for molecular biology (this was mentioned in later discussions).Professor Yokomizo of Department of Medical Biochemistry, who was going to become a core leader for the establishment, was instated aboutthat time. And with the direction of the Medical Research Committee Chairman (Professor Ryoichi Takayanagi), the Research Support Centerwas established on the 2nd floor of Medical Science’s Building A of Basic Sciences, as a predecessor to the Core Facility.Initially, there were only four rooms?the office, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Biological Kinetic Analysis Laboratory 1 & 2?and we wereunable to organize the equipment according to their functions due to the limited space. Because we did not have much space, we divided theoffice into two sections, and worked on our consignment services in a small space at the back of the office. In regards to consignment work, westruggled to consider the conditions for RNA extraction method and sequence analysis but the conditions we set at the time continue to provide uswith valuable results. We have added two rooms, and I am happy to announce that the number of users and amount of equipment has grown to apoint that we now need more space.Installing large, expensive equipment, such as the confocal laser scanning microscope and the cell sorter to separate and analyze cells, was amajor accomplishment. Instating Shigemi Takami, a very skillful technician who refined her skills as a Basic Biology Research Laboratoryemployee, and the improved skills of our Center’s employees has allowed us to construct a lecture system that is led by our employees.Looking back, I realize the founding of the Center at Kyushu University (School of Medicine) as a Core Facility was made possible because bythe support of Professors Wada, Yokomizo, Takeshige, Takayanagi, and the other professors of the School of Medicine. We have been able toprovide our services because the Center employees have gathered to work as a team who used each of their abilities at the right place and at theright time. The Research Support Center would not be here without everyone’s complete cooperation, for which I am very grateful.Achieving over 17,000 annual users and increasing the amount of equipment has gone above and beyond our expectations. What surprises methe most, however, is the number of the papers (more than 200) with acknowledgements to the Center.The Research Support Center has gone beyond its initial goal of becoming a research support facility through providing equipment (andguidance of how to use the equipment) and provides ample support for basic research (including basic research technical guidance and researchconsultations). I believe we are fulfilling our role and function as a “Core Facility” (including technical support) as a Kyushu University’s researchsupport facility.The Ten-Year JourneyProfessor Wada, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,Nagasaki International University