REPORT OF INTERMEDIATE EVALUATION COMMITTEES

for CLUSTER SCIENCE and BIONIC DESIGN PROJECTS

The Intermediate Evaluation Committees for the Cluster Science Project and the Bionic Design Project, being carried out under the International Special Research Program, were held at the NAIR Main Building, Tsukuba, in the following schedule.

Cluster Science Group: October 3, 1995

Bionic Design Group:$B!!!!!!(JOctober 18 and 19, 1995

Intermediate Evaluation covered 1) organization and management of research group, 2) research environment (facilities, equipment and research exchange), 3) goal, schedule and progress, 4) achievements, and 5) perspective. Following the presentation by the Group Leader, laboratory tour and interview with researchers, a discussion was held, and Committee membersÕs comments are given by filling in a provided form.

Cluster Science	Bionic Design
Leader Harutoshi Takeo	Leader Tetsuya Tateishi
Members of Evaluation Committe
Hackett, Peter(Director General, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, NRC, Canada) Kaya, Koji(Professor, Keio University) Kawai, Masaki(Senior Scientist, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research) Matsui, Hiroyuki (Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo) Tanemura, Sakae(Director, Multi-Functional Material Science Department, National Industrial Research Institute of Nagoya) Izumi, Jun(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd.) Hirota, Eiji(President, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies	$B!{(J Molecular Machine Yanagida, Toshi(Osaka University) Sudo, Kazuo(Tokyo University) Osawa, Fumio(Aichi Institute of Technology) Ikai, Atsushi (Tokyo Institute of Technology) De Rossi, Danilo (University of Pisa) $B!{(J Tissue Engineering Ikada, Yoshito(Kyoto University) Nakabayashi, Nobuo(Tokyo Medical and Dental University) Matsuda, Takehisa(National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute) Aoki, Hideki(Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Comennts
1) With the transfer of laboratory, the research environment has been extensively improved. A sufficient research budget is available for the Group, and the research exchange with domestic and overseas research organizations is active. In overall terms, the Group is under a good management in the free atmosphere. 2) In regard to goal and schedule, research efforts based on researchersÕ free will are being are maintained with adequate eagerness, and a new development is emerging. The progress is satisfactory for the rising phase of basic research. As the project duration is limited, it would be necessary to establish a solid orientation of the Group in the latter half. For this reason, it is desirable to strengthen the joint research by adjusting research topics within the Group. 3) As achievements bearing high potential for opening a new field of research are appearing, it is recommended to publish them positively in the international conferences and scientific journals to promote the international collaboration. 4) The original goal of the institute of innovative scheme is to be attained by all means. In consideration of nurturing a new growth, it is desired to extend the project duration by a few years. Besides, it should be taken into consideration how to transfer the research assets of the Group. Since an ideal research environment is available, a new development for more challenging research is to be sought for.	1) As for the Group organization, management and research environment, it seems that a sound management is being made with scientists derived from various organizations including foreign ones under a privileged, free research environment. Further efforts will be required, however, to recruit supportive human resources, such as post doctorals and post-graduate students. 2) An innovative approach is recognized for multidisciplinary integration involving biology, physics and chemistry, and scientists of different backgrounds are concentrating their efforts in the frontier fields of cell and tissue engineering, mechanism of muscular contraction and construction of molecular machine. While the goal setting and approaches are close to ideal, it has been pointed out by a few members that more biologically inclined attitude, emphasizing the bionic design, that is, designing a biomimetic system is desirable. 3) The majority of members state that as the intensive joint research has been started only recently, and as it is rather difficult to attain all the goals within a limited project duration, it is recommendable to extend the project period while concentrating efforts on to a few selected topics. 4) Whereas many of research teams have achieved remarkable outcomes in spite of a long period of inefficient collaboration at sporadically distributed sites, some are still in a groping stage of elementary studies for the grand central theme of bionic design. More efforts will be needed toward the integration. 5) Research on the mechanism of muscular contraction using the gene engineering method merits particular citation. The team having already published results leading the world would grow to a top-ranking research group, if new members are recruited properly and the project period is extended. 6) For the future prospect, the Group organization is to be made more open, expanding the cooperation with academic sectors, and positively accepting postdoctorals and graduate students. Since the animal experiments seem to be inadequate, facilities are to be augmented for this purpose.

The Third Meeting of Advisory Board, NAIR

The Third Meeting of Advisory Board, NAIR was held on Monday, November 20, 1995, with 13 Board members, including 4 foreign scientists, in attendance. Following the addresses by Dr. Y. Suematsu, Direct-General, NAIR and by Mr. N. Sasaki, Deputy Director-General for Technology Affairs, AIST, Dr. H. Inose, Director, National Center for Science Information System was elected as the chairman to steer the proceeding. The session was started with the presentation of institute management, future perspective and annual activities, and reports of three research groups: Atom Technology, Cluster Science and Bionic Design, covering research organization and progress ensued. After an active debate between Board members and researchers, lasting longer than expected, the laboratory tour was held to visit actual research sites. The Meeting was concluded by the Dr. InoseÕs remarks on general views and comments. Major comments are listed below.

• The research organization, achievements and equipment established up to now since the foundation are worthy of being praised.
• Three projects should be kept in good collaboration not only among the three but also with outside organizations.
• For starting new projects of next generation, the significance of the feasibility studies is to be respected.
• The process of terminating a project is to be studied.
• Distributing the merits of research achievement broadly to the society would raise the fame of NAIR.
• In order to improve the quality of research, further efforts are desired to expand and make more flexible the scheme for supporting research, accepting post doctorals, research fellows and postgraduate students.

Discussion in Advisory Board Meeting$B!!(J

Laboratory tour by Board members

Members of Advisory Board, NAIR

As of November 20, 1995, in the alphabetic order

• Aizawa, Masuo
  Dean, Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Curl, F. Robert
  Professor, Chemistry Department, Rice University, USA
• Esaki, Leona
  President, University of Tsukuba
• Fritzsche, Hellmut
  Professor, The James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, USA
• Hayashi, Izuo
  Advisor, Optoelectronics Technology Research Corporation
• Hirota, Eiji
  President, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
• Inokuchi, Hiroo
  President, Okazaki National Research Institutes
• Inose, Hiroshi
  Director, National Center for Science Information Systems
• Karube, Masao
  Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
• Kikuchi, Makoto
  Professor, School of Engineering, Tokai University
• Osawa, Fumio
  Professor, Aichi Institute of Technology
• Queisser, Hans-J.
  Director, Max-Planck-Institut fur Festkoperforschung, FRG
• Sakurai, Yasuhisa
  Professor, Tokyo WomenÕs Medical College
• Shu, Chien
  Director, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, USA
• Tokumaru, Katsumi
  Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba
• Toyosawa, Yutaka
  Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University
• Uenohara, Michiyuki
  Executive Adviser, NEC Corporation