In materials, coupling between electrostatic and magnetic fields, which is rejected by Maxwell's equations, can occur. We will introduce such phenomena and discuss their possible applications to new functional materials.

The human body is composed of more than 200 types of cells, all of which have differentiated from a single cell, the fertilized egg. Differences in the properties of various cells are caused by differences in gene expression patterns, and it is necessary for gene expression patterns to change during the process of differentiation from fertilized egg to various cells. And this change proceeds according to a certain program of gene expression. Most of the cells that make up the human body are in the final stage of differentiation and have reached the final stage of their gene expression program. Since sperm and eggs are also cells that have reached the final stage of differentiation, when they join together to produce the next generation of fertilized eggs, they must reset their previous gene expression program and start a new one. This process is called reprogramming of gene expression. Through this reprogramming, we have been able to connect the threads of life over countless generations. In this seminar, I would like to introduce the results of my research on reprogramming of gene expression in fertilized eggs. In addition, we will discuss the reprogramming of gene expression during somatic cell cloning and iPS cell generation, which have become hot topics in recent years.

In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, expectations for renewable energy have been rising in Japan, and attention is now turning to offshore as a location for large-scale power farms. In Europe, however, many large-scale offshore wind farms have already been constructed as part of the next generation energy strategy. In addition, wave power generation and tidal and ocean current power generation are also being researched and developed in many countries. In order to keep up with these developments, several national projects have been launched in Japan. The research and development of the ocean current power generation system being conducted at the Takagi Laboratory was selected as one of these projects. In this lecture, I will introduce our research on marine renewable energy, and explain the principle and future of the ocean current generator.