Colloquium

Year 2025

The 6th, Year 2025 ZC Colloquium
"Energy Storage Research at the German Aerospace Center"
Lecturer： Professor Dr. Andre Thess
Belongings： The Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center
Date： 17:00-18:00, September 18, 2025
Place： N1 Conf. Room
Abstract： His research interests are in thermal energy storage, electromagnetic processes and high-temperature measurement technology. Professor Thess’s textbook “The Entropy Principle ? Thermodynamics for the Unsatisfied” helps mechanical engineering and physics students to better understand the mathematical foundations of entropy. He will address all three technologies thermal, chemical and electrical (battery) energy storage in the lecture.
The 4th, Year 2025 ZC Colloquium
" From Advanced Positronium Imaging with J-PET to Clinical Validation"
Lecturer： Prof. Powel Moskal and Prof. Ewa Stępień
Belongings： Jagiellonian University (Poland)
Date： 13:30-16:00, June 11, 2025
Place： N2 6F Conf. Room
Abstract： Positronium imaging is a newly invented method for visualizing the properties of positronium in living organisms. This seminar will present the first-ever images of positronium properties in humans, the first multi-photon images of positronium decays into three photons, and, furthermore, the first observation of non-maximal entanglement of photons from positronium annihilation in matter.
The 2nd, Year 2025 ZC Colloquium　
"Exploring DLR’s initiatives for low-carbon industrial processes"
Lecturer： Dr. Seon Tae Kim
Belongings： German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Date： 13:30-15:00, May 19, 2025
Place： N1 Conf. Room
Abstract： The Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) was established in 2019 to conduct R&D supporting the energy transition in industry. The seminar will present the institute’s structure and main research activities, offering insight into our efforts and providing a platform for exchanging ideas and exploring collaboration.

 

Year 2024

The 4th, Year 2024 ZC Colloquium　
"Bloom syndrome helicase is required for survival of BRCA1/BARD1-deficient cancer"
Lecturer： Kaima Tsukada
Belongings： Oxford University / Tokyo Institute of Technology
Date： 16:30-17:30, July 29, 2024
Place： N2 6F Conf. Room
Abstract： The Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM) interacts with topoisomerase IIIα (TOP3A), RMI1 and RMI2 to form the BTR complex, which dissolves double Holliday junctions and DNA replication intermediates to promote sister chromatid disjunction prior to cell division. In this colloquium, he will introduce a recent finding of a synthetic lethal interaction between loss of BLM and deficiency in the BRCA1-BARD1 tumour suppressor complex.

Year 2023

The 10th, Year 2023 ZC Colloquium　
"Double strand breaks form in DNA when alkylation repair intermediates collide."
Lecturer： Robert P Fuchs
Belongings： CNRS, SAS bioHalosis, France
Date： 14:00-15:30, March 18, 2024
Place： N2 6F Conf. Room
Abstract： With novel DNA pull-down approach, we have demonstrated that DSBs may result from the fortuitous encounter between MMR-induced repair intermediate initiated at O6-mG:C sites and BER-induced nick at N-alkylation adducts located in close proximity in the opposite strand. We refer to this model as the Repair Accident model which differs from the futile-cycling model as it does not involve replication. We will discuss strategies to improve the clinical use of TMZ based on the Repair Accident model.With novel DNA pull-down approach, we have demonstrated that DSBs may result from the fortuitous encounter between MMR-induced repair intermediate initiated at O6-mG:C sites and BER-induced nick at N-alkylation adducts located in close proximity in the opposite strand. We refer to this model as the Repair Accident model which differs from the futile-cycling model as it does not involve replication. We will discuss strategies to improve the clinical use of TMZ based on the Repair Accident model.

The 4th, Year 2023 ZC Colloquium　
"Computational and Experimental Methods to Estimate Burnup, Cooling Time, and Reactor-type of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel for Nuclear Forensics Applications"
Lecturer： Prof. Sunil S. Chirayath
Belongings： ZC
Date： 16:00-17:20, July 31, 2023
Place： N2 6F Conf. Room
Abstract： Technical nuclear forensics is one of the tools that can be used to deter nuclear terrorism and proliferation threats. Nuclear forensics techniques developed at Texas A&M University showed that ten intra-element nuclide ratios: 137Cs/133Cs, 154Eu/153Eu, 134Cs/137Cs, 135Cs/137Cs, 136Ba/138Ba, 150Sm/149Sm, 152Sm/149Sm, 240Pu/239Pu, 241Pu/239Pu, and 242Pu/239Pu can be utilized to estimate nuclear fuel burnup, cooling time, and rector-type of irradiation for the attribution of plutonium produced. Monte Carlo N-Particle code, MCNP6.2 was used to perform the neutronics simulations, which included fuel burnup simulations to build a database containing concentration of the aforementioned nuclides of interest that can be used to identify the characteristics of irradiated fuel. The isotopic information was stored as a function of fuel burnup and time since irradiation for each reactor-type simulated. The database was point validated using experimental neutron irradiations of uranium of various enrichments in research reactors. The point validations were possible by subjecting the irradiated uranium samples to radiochemical separations and performing nondestructive and destructive assays of nuclides. Using this point validated database, we were able to predict the characteristics of unknown irradiated nuclear reactor fuel samples in two different ways; one using a maximum likelihood statistical method and another using a combination of machine learning methods.

The 2nd, Year 2023 ZC Colloquium　
The 2nd, Year 2023 GXI seminar
"Wild KUUKAI - WhyBuddhist monk was a civil engineer"
Lecturer： Prof. Takeshi Nakajima
Belongings： Institute for Liberal Arts, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Date： 16:00-17:20, May 29, 2023
Place： Bld. N1, 1F Conf. Room + Zoom (HyFlex)
Abstract： “KUUKAI”, a Buddhist monk lived in early Heian period of Japan, who is known as the founder of Shingon Sect, was also a civil engineer who directed the repairs of Manno Lake. Why was the Buddhist monk related to the base layer in the history of civil engineering in Japan? Why was it possible for him to complete such difficult construction project? We can get a hint for its answer in the philosophy of Lévi-Strauss, a cultural anthropologist who advocated the structuralism. He showed in his representative writing, “Wild Thinking”, the horizon where the knowledge structure of primitive society that is different from the modern rationalism merges with the latest advanced science. Today, which is called as “Anthropocene”, I will consider the methods of knowledge how people should manage the nature on the basis of the esoteric Buddhism provided by KUUKAI.

The 1st, Year 2023 ZC Colloquium　
The 1st, Year 2023 GXI seminar
"Outlook for the world energy market and the challenges for Japan"
Lecturer： Prof. Ken Koyama
Belongings： ZC
Date： 16:00-17:20, April 18, 2023
Place： N1 Conf. Room + Zoom (HyFlex)
Abstract： Outlook for the world energy market was overviewed and the challenges for Japan was discussed.

Year 2022

The 13th, Year 2022 ZC Colloquium　
The 8th GXI seminar
"Regional Research Coalition Action Toward Decarbonized Society System Implementation "
Lecturer： Prof. Tsuyoshi Fujita
Belongings： ZC
Date： 16:00-17:20, February 27, 2023
Place： N1 Conf. Room + Zoom (HyFlex)
Abstract： Discussions on the transition to a decarbonized society are becoming more serious globally and in Japan. While dynamic development green energy systems are important to achieve decarbonization, strategic goals setting for the regional future both from socio-economic, transportation and industrial stakeholders to achieve both regional revitalization and decarbonization. The research reports the evaluation and planning system for regional revitalization scenarios from the perspectives of both current situation assessment and future estimation. Industrial and energy scenarios that promote regional economic cycles and decarbonization that are consistent with current assessments will be developed by identifying industries with high economic benefits when introduced and calculating the introduction potential of renewable energy through an inter-industry analysis. As electricity supply from renewable energy sources fluctuates greatly over time, the hourly fluctuations in electricity supply and demand will be quantified, and future assessments of CO2 emissions and electricity supply and demand will be also conducted.