Collaboration with China

Abstract

In Japanese fiscal 2005, the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo (IMSUT) launched joint laboratory in each Institute of Biophysics (IBP) and Institute of Microbiology (IM) of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Japanese investigators have resided in Beijing and been working together with young Chinese scientists. As the principal investigator of the joint laboratory in IBP, Dr. Zene Matsuda have focused on the membrane fusion process in HIV-1 infection and invented a remarkable assay system to be used for the analysis of the membrane fusion. Dr. Yoshihiro Kitamura started the joint laboratory in IM and handed to Dr. Takaomi Ishida. The research in IM has focus on the epidemiology and molecular biology of HIV-1 and hepatitis viruses. The research in Beijing has been supervised by Dr. Tadashi Yamamoto and then by Dr. Junichiro Inoue. Highly productive collaboration between Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka and Dr. Hualan Chen has been producing cutting edge outcomes in the research on highly pathogenic avian viruses and their molecular epidemiology in China. The whole schema of the collaboration between Japan and China has been led by Dr. Aikichi Iwamoto.