National Institute for Basic Biology, Japan
Encyclopedia
The is a research institute and post graduate university in Okazaki City
, Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. NIBB was founded in 1977 to promote biological research in Japan in cooperation with public and private universities, and research institutes.
, research at NIBB covers a wide variety of biological fields, such as cell biology
, developmental biology
, neurobiology, evolutionary biology, environmental biology, and theoretical biology, and is conducted to elucidate general and fundamental mechanisms underlying various biological phenomena. The results of the research conducted at NIBB are regularly published in peer reviewed publications
such as Science
, Nature
, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
.
. The Department offers a five-year Doctoral program for university graduates and a three-year senior Doctoral course for students who have already completed a Master's course.
and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) in an effort to promote intellectual, educational and technological exchange in the fields of biology and molecular biology. Academic cooperation between NIBB, NINS, and EMBL includes:
NIBB has also joined hands with the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding (MPIZ)
in an initiative aimed at stimulating academic and scholarly exchange. NIBB and MPIZ will plan and promote joint research projects, collaborative symposia, training courses and student exchange programs.
, a small, egg-laying freshwater teleost fish found in brooks and rice paddies, whose usefulness as a vertebrate model first developed in Japan. The use of medaka as a research organism in biology has drawn increasing attention since its full genome sequence recently became available. The medaka supplied by NIBB include standard strains, wild stocks, inbred strains, related species and spontaneous and induced mutants. NIBB is also a subcenter for NBPR’s work with Japanese morning glory
and zebrafish.
In addition, NIBB provides databases in English containing research data on the moss physcomitrella patens
, daphnia
, xenopus laevis
, plant cell organelle
s, and bacteria
l genome
s to reaserchers worldwide.
The Office of Public Relations and International Cooperation is the central office for public relations and the management of conferences and other extramural activities. The department also assists the Director-General with NIBB's evaluation procedures and in planning long-range strategies for the institute.
Administration of NIBB is undertaken by the Okazaki Administration Office under the direct auspices of the Administration Office of NINS.
, the National Institute for Fusion Science, the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, and the Institute for Molecular Science - established the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
to promote collaboration among researchers of the five constituent institutes.
Okazaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
, Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. NIBB was founded in 1977 to promote biological research in Japan in cooperation with public and private universities, and research institutes.
Research
Though NIBB's primary focus is basic biologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, research at NIBB covers a wide variety of biological fields, such as cell biology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
, developmental biology
Developmental biology
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. Modern developmental biology studies the genetic control of cell growth, differentiation and "morphogenesis", which is the process that gives rise to tissues, organs and anatomy.- Related fields of study...
, neurobiology, evolutionary biology, environmental biology, and theoretical biology, and is conducted to elucidate general and fundamental mechanisms underlying various biological phenomena. The results of the research conducted at NIBB are regularly published in peer reviewed publications
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
such as Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
, Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences...
.
Education
In addition to being a research institute, NIBB also functions as an institution of higher education.Graduate University for Advanced Studies
NIBB constitutes the Department of Basic Biology in the School of Life Science of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)Graduate University for Advanced Studies
The is one of the national universities of Japan. It is located in the town of Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture. It was established in 1988. Its nickname is...
. The Department offers a five-year Doctoral program for university graduates and a three-year senior Doctoral course for students who have already completed a Master's course.
Graduate Student Training Program
Graduate students enrolled in other universities and institutions are eligible to conduct research for fixed periods of time under the supervision of NIBB professors.International Cooperation
NIBB acts as a gateway between the international scientific community and researchers in Japan through various conferences, seminars, and hands-on practical courses.NIBB Conference
NIBB has hosted the NIBB Conference every year since the opening of the Institute in 1977. The purpose of the conference is to provide active researchers with the opportunity to freely discuss current issues in various areas of biological research.Okazaki Biology Conference
The Okazaki Biology Conference (OBC) initiated in 2003, has as its objective the establishment of interdisciplinary networks in the pursuit of answers to major questions in biology.Academic Exchange
NIBB performs academic exchange programs with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)European Molecular Biology Laboratory
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a molecular biology research institution supported by 20 European countries and Australia as associate member state. EMBL was created in 1974 and is an intergovernmental organisation funded by public research money from its member states...
and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) in an effort to promote intellectual, educational and technological exchange in the fields of biology and molecular biology. Academic cooperation between NIBB, NINS, and EMBL includes:
- Promotion of joint research activities
- Invitation of faculty members and researchers to lectures, workshops, conferences, symposia, and other academic activities
- Exchange of graduate students for conferences and training courses
- Exchange of information and academic publications
NIBB has also joined hands with the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding (MPIZ)
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
in an initiative aimed at stimulating academic and scholarly exchange. NIBB and MPIZ will plan and promote joint research projects, collaborative symposia, training courses and student exchange programs.
National BioResource Project
The National BioResource Project (NBRP) is a national project for the systematic accumulation, storage, and supply of recognized bioresources (experimental animals and plants, cells, DNA, and other genetic resources) which are widely used as tools in life science research. To promote this project, NIBB has been appointed as a research and supply center for medaka (Oryzia latipes)Oryzias latipes
Oryzias latipes, also known as Medaka and Japanese killifish, is a member of genus Oryzias , the only genus in the subfamily Oryziinae. This rather small...
, a small, egg-laying freshwater teleost fish found in brooks and rice paddies, whose usefulness as a vertebrate model first developed in Japan. The use of medaka as a research organism in biology has drawn increasing attention since its full genome sequence recently became available. The medaka supplied by NIBB include standard strains, wild stocks, inbred strains, related species and spontaneous and induced mutants. NIBB is also a subcenter for NBPR’s work with Japanese morning glory
Ipomoea nil
Ipomoea nil is a species of morning glory known by several common names, including picotee morning glory, ivy morning glory, and Japanese morning glory. It is native to most of the tropical world and it has been introduced widely....
and zebrafish.
In addition, NIBB provides databases in English containing research data on the moss physcomitrella patens
Physcomitrella patens
Physcomitrella patens is a moss used as a model organism for studies on plant evolution, development and physiology.-Model organism:...
, daphnia
Daphnia
Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the order Cladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style...
, xenopus laevis
African clawed frog
The African clawed frog is a species of South African aquatic frog of the genus Xenopus. Its name is derived from the three short claws on each hind foot, which it uses to tear apart its food...
, plant cell organelle
Organelle
In cell biology, an organelle is a specialized subunit within a cell that has a specific function, and is usually separately enclosed within its own lipid bilayer....
s, and bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
s to reaserchers worldwide.
Organization
The Director-General oversees the operation of NIBB, assisted by the Advisory Committee for Programming and Management. The Advisory Committee, composed of professors within NIBB and an equal number of leading biologists outside NIBB, advises the Director-General on important matters such as planning joint research programs as well as on the scientific activities of NIBB. The Advisory Committee makes recommendations on the appointments of new Directors-General, faculty appointments, NIBB's annual budget and future prospects.The Office of Public Relations and International Cooperation is the central office for public relations and the management of conferences and other extramural activities. The department also assists the Director-General with NIBB's evaluation procedures and in planning long-range strategies for the institute.
Administration of NIBB is undertaken by the Okazaki Administration Office under the direct auspices of the Administration Office of NINS.
NINS
In 2004, NIBB, in alliance with four other national institutes - the National Astronomical ObservatoryNational Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, International Latitude...
, the National Institute for Fusion Science, the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, and the Institute for Molecular Science - established the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)
National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan
The is an inter-university research institute corporation consisting of five member institutes: the National Astronomical Observatory , the National Institute for fusion Science , the National Institute for Basic Biology , the National Institute for Physiological Sciences , and the Institutes for...
to promote collaboration among researchers of the five constituent institutes.
See also
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, JapanNational Institutes of Natural Sciences, JapanThe is an inter-university research institute corporation consisting of five member institutes: the National Astronomical Observatory , the National Institute for fusion Science , the National Institute for Basic Biology , the National Institute for Physiological Sciences , and the Institutes for...
- Max Planck SocietyMax Planck SocietyThe Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Molecular Biology LaboratoryThe European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a molecular biology research institution supported by 20 European countries and Australia as associate member state. EMBL was created in 1974 and is an intergovernmental organisation funded by public research money from its member states...