—Why did you choose to pursue platform studies?
My research is in food safety, a field that requires data collection and data processing skills. I have constantly sought settings where I have opportunities to talk and exchange ideas with people from diverse research fields, in addition to my own. I am interested in utilizing the School of Platforms for my research because its program affords me those opportunities. In the course of social progress, certain areas of research have increasingly attracted demand from totally different fields. The Platform program’s philosophy of promoting exchange with others outside one’s field of specialization resonated with me. I want to make a contribution to society by disseminating that idea.
—What research themes are you currently working on?
I am currently studying methods to quantify microbial numbers using a sensor chip and working to build a system that can measure the bioelectric properties of microbial cells. Although current approaches to microbial detection often involve investigations using spectroscopic and chemical methods, electrical methods are, I think, a better fit for Big Data. In the future, integrating approaches that examine the bioelectric properties of microbial cells will enable us to identify the biological states and characteristics of many cell types. Before, we were only able to measure the properties of microbial cells as average values; however, having a technology that is capable of evaluating individual cells means we will be able to measure differences in those properties on a cell-by-cell basis. By understanding what cellular features we can measure and acquire systematic data on, we can expand the scope of data collection. My research is about determining the type of system we should build for that purpose.
—What have you gained through the School of Platforms program?
The monthly seminars feature discussions between an expert in a certain field and people from entirely different fields of expertise, which enables us to delve more deeply into both the practical and academic dimensions of a given subject. These seminars have been highly instructive because they provided perspectives I could not gain from the field of agriculture alone, and they equipped me with a better understanding of potential social applications. They were also interesting because they provided me opportunities for exposure to the diverse thought patterns of other scholars.
—What is the platform to you (ideal situations, desirable future, etc.)?
I have an image of the smart city in mind. The “vertical” threads of interdisciplinary or cross-field collaboration and the “horizontal” threads of community or public–private collaboration together weave a network that will form a foundation for the integration or collaboration of urban data. If citizens are able to access and utilize that collaborative data platform, it will be possible to find solutions to a diverse range of urban challenges. I anticipate that academia will be able to contribute by promoting further interdisciplinary exchange. By developing virtual frameworks that integrate diverse fields of study, we may be able to open up entirely new avenues of research.
—If the goal is to improve the world just a little from where it stands today, what do you think is needed, or what would you like to do?
Currently, a variety of microbial testing techniques are in use. However, these methods cannot be readily used in food inspection processes or other applications due to cost factors and difficulties associated with their implementation. Although methods of measurement that exploit the bioelectric properties of microbes have not yet been perfected, they can be expected to lighten the cost burden once the technology for sensor chips reaches maturity. If this technology comes into widespread use, individuals will be able to measure microbial concentrations from their own homes. Understanding the biological status of microbes and cells and applying that knowledge in healthcare will be an important modality that anticipates the future decentralization of healthcare. I want to make a modest contribution to that goal.
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