Abstract
The non-profit organization, IIRS, conducted in 2007 a research project entitled "A study on the present condition and future prospects of visualization technology in the life sciences" with a grant-in-aid from the Watanabe Memorial Foundation for the Advancement of Technologies. The study clearly showed that there is great disparity in scientific environments in Japan. As a result, a large number of scientists are having difficulty getting access to ultrastructural research apparatus. In order to promote ultrastructural research in Japan, IIRS is establishing a network system for the joint use of ultrastructural research instruments. This symposium is jointly organized by IIRS and the Japanese Society of Plant Morphology in an effort to discuss the establishment of a functional and effective network system.
