Following 10 invited symposia are scheduled to be held online.

• Principles and diversity of nuclear reprogramming across kingdoms

  Sponsored by: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, Program of totipotency: From decoding to designing

  Organizer

  Kei Miyamoto (Kindai University), Momoko Ikeuchi (NAIST)

  Detail

  Nuclear reprogramming is a key event that enables specialized cells to acquire the undifferentiated state, and is observed in both plants and animals. However, a comprehensive understanding of nuclear reprogramming across kingdoms has not been achieved, partially due to the limited communications between animal scientists and plant scientists in this topic. Here, we bring together scientists studying nuclear reprogramming using diverse biological systems, ranging from mosses and seed plants to amphibians and mammals. By discussing various biological systems in the common framework of nuclear reprogramming, we aim to seek for basic principles and diverse features of reprogramming to open up a new research direction.

• Evolving Symbiosis

  Organizer

  Takema Fukatsu (AIST)

  Detail

  ERATO Evolving Symbiosis Project aims at bringing about breakthroughs in our understanding of symbiosis, by making use of our novel insect-E. coli and mammal-E. coli experimental symbiotic systems, and also by applying the recent genome engineering technologies, thereby focusing on the diversity and commonality of the symbiotic mechanisms encompassing invertebrates and vertebrates. This symposium is intended to share the cutting-edge knowledge of this emerging research field with the audience of diverse scientific backgrounds.

• Adaptive tactics via phyenotypic plasticity and epigenomic regulations

  Organizer

  Toru Miura (The University of Tokyo), Tetsuji Kakutani (The University of Tokyo)

  Detail

  Through evolutionary processes, diverse organisms on earth have acquired various adaptive tactics. Recently, novel mechanisms underlying phenotypic evolution have been revealed in various model and non-model organisms. In this symposium, we focus on phenotypic plasticity and/or epigenomic regulations as important mechanisms for evolution and discuss new principles of evolution conserved among animal and plant species.

• Resolving gene regulatory dynamics: from imaging to single-cell omics and beyond

  Organizer

  Yasuyuki Ohkawa (Kyushu University), Timothy Stasevich (Colorado State University)

  Detail

  Genes are transcribed at the level of chromatin structure in the cell nucleus and then translated to synthesize proteins on demand in the cell cytoplasm. Thus, gene expression is a dynamic and intricate process regulated by external and intrinsic signals at multiple hierarchical levels. In this symposium, we would like to discuss cutting-edge topics with researchers who analyze the dynamics of various events in gene regulation using approaches ranging from live-cell imaging to single-cell omics and beyond.

• TBD

  Organizer

  Mototsugu Eiraku (Kyoto University)

  Detail

  TBD

• Cross-scale analyses visualize the mesoscale structural dynamics in cells.

  Co-hosted by: Transformative Research Areas（A）Cross-scale new biology

  Organizer

  Motomasa Tanaka (RIKEN), Ryo Nitta (Kobe University)

  Detail

  One of the ultimate goals of life science or basic medical researchers is to understand biological phenomena or diseases seamlessly from the atomic or molecular level to the organ or body level. To achieve this, techniques for visualizing and quantifying the structural dynamics of mesoscale intracellular phenomena in the 20-500 nm range are required. In this symposium, we will discuss the current status and prospects of mesoscale analyses by gathering leading scientists who have developed or applied various techniques to visualize intracellular structural dynamics for elucidating mesoscale physiological and pathological phenomena.

• Metabolic regulation in hibernation

  Organizer

  Yoshifumi Yamaguchi (Hokkaido University), Arisa Hirano (Tsukuba University)

  Detail

  Hibernation is a survival strategy to survive the harsh cold and low food availability by being dormant with hypothermia and hypometabolism. Although the phenomenon of hibernation has attracted people's interest since ancient times, mechanisms controlling hibernation remain a mystery. Recent technological advances and the discovery of neurons that induce dormancy have made it possible to explore mechanisms of mammalian hibernation from a new perspective. This symposium will introduce the latest research focusing on metabolic changes that occur in the bodies of animals during hibernation and dormancy.

• Synthetic biotechnology and beyond

  Organizer

  Masato Kanemaki (National Institute of Genetics), Masayuki Suetsugu (Rikkyo University)

  Detail

  Synthetic biology is an approach to designing and building biological systems or extending their functions. This symposium will feature cutting-edge technologies inspired by synthetic biology. The pursuit of "what is life?" sometimes gives rise to innovative technologies, and a new era of life science can be seen when these technologies spread across fields. We would like to ambitiously look forward to the "What is the Next Game Changer" through cross-disciplinary discussions.

• Neural basis for dynamic modulation of social behaviors

  Organizer

  Yasuko Isoe (Harvard University), Kazunari Miyamichi (RIKEN)

  Detail

  Social animals, including humans, must appropriately modulate their social behaviors based on their life stage, experience, and social relationships. The neural basis underpinning the regulation of such dynamic social behaviors has been rapidly advanced. This symposium will discuss recent achievements and future challenges in this field, from molecules, neural circuits, and neuronal dynamics to regulating behavioral outputs in fish and rodent models.

• What will happen in your bodies and cells upon virus infection?

  Organizer

  Hirofumi Sawa (Hokkaido University), Tokiko Watanabe (Osaka University)

  Detail

  Viruses possess a simple structure composed of protein shells and nucleic acids with/without lipid membrane derived from host cells. Once they infect host cells, they hijack the host cellular functions and sometimes rearrange cellular structures to suit their needs for their replication. Viral infection also triggers a variety of phenomena in the host cells, leading to deterioriation of their homeostasis. In this symposium, we aim to expand our understanding of the events in the host cells caused by viral infections.