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The Center for Developmental Biology was launched in April 2000 under the auspices of the Millennium Project research initiative that was established to drive research in the fields of information technology, environmental science and the study of aging, areas of vital importance to both Japan and the world in the 21st century. The drafters of this plan recognized the great potential for contributions by developmental and regenerative biologists in addressing the health challenges confronting an aging society, and so the concept of a national center for developmental biology was born. A vast array of details needed to be worked out in order to make this vision a reality, and the RIKEN research organization provided the organizational structure and support environment needed, giving initial form to what is now the CDB and helping to coordinate all aspects of the center's launch from construction planning to human resources to facility management.
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CDB Director
Masatoshi Takeichi |
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During the process of its establishment, the decision was made to locate the CDB within a new and dynamically growing biomedical research park in Kobe, one of Japan's most attractive cities. This location situates the CDB within a world-class research setting, with the active support of local and national governments and participation by public, academic and corporate research organizations. A spirit of collegiality and international cooperation pervades the atmosphere here, and I look forward to seeing the results of collaborations between labs within the CDB with their colleagues at the Center, as well as their counterparts in the region, throughout Japan, and around the world.
It has been my goal as director of the Center for Developmental Biology to develop a new, open model for research organizations within Japan, with an emphasis on providing the freedom and independence to envision new directions of research, and the organizational and material support to make those visions real. Three years have now passed since the birth of the CDB as a concept, and the investment of time and money has already begun to bear fruit in the form of solid, innovative research into the mechanisms of development, regeneration and the academic bases for regenerative medicine. The years ahead hold the promise of ushering in new conceptual insights regarding the biological processes of development, and of translating those insights into applications with the potential to revolutionize the way we think about aging, disease and medical therapy. In line with that great promise, the CDB sees its mission as twofold: to shed light and offer hope. These are the goals of responsible scientists everywhere, goals that we share and hope will direct our work toward deciphering some of life's greatest mysteries. |
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| CDB Director Masatoshi Takeichi |
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