International Exchange : Sweden - Japan

3rd Sweden - Japan Workshop on Nanobiotechnology (Feb.28-Mar.2, 2005)

The 3rd Sweden-Japan Workshop on Nanobiotechnology was held from Feb.28 to Mar. 2, 2005 at Lund University in Sweden. This workshop was organized by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Prof. Masuo Aizawa, the president of Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Prof. Thomas Laurell, Lund University, Sweden, organized the workshop in which 12 Japanese researchers and 14 Swedish researchers gave presentations.

Mr. Sato, director of MEXT and Dr. Anders Sjolund, SSF, started the workshop with opening remarks. They talked about present collaborations and expectations for future workshops and collaborations between Japan and Sweden.

The workshop consisted of the following sessions:

1. Nanobiotechnology
2. Microfluidic Based Nanobioanalysis
3. Nanoengineered Biomolecular Systems
4. Microfluidic Systems and Applications
5. Molecular Separation
6. Protein Probing
7. Nanobio Systems

The sessions were filled with discussions on recent researches. Many of the Swedish speakers talked about microchips.

On the last day of the workshop, 8 Japanese researchers and 3 Swedish researchers visited nanobiotechnology laboratories at Department of Solid State Physics and Department of Electrical Measurements at Lund University. Research on advanced nanotechnology such as silicon nano-dots and nanowires was conducted at the Department of Solid State Physics. Nanobiotechnology was also conducted using the nanotechnology instruments like electron beam lithography at the same lab. We also visited a microchip-related venture firm at IDEON Science Park nearby the university and an electron beam lithography-related venture firm in Malmo. It seemed that research achievements are commercialized smoothly by close collaborations of universities and venture firms coupled with geographic closeness.