One of Chugai Pharmaceutical’s research centers is the Chugai Life Science Park Yokohama in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama City. Within this center is the BIO LAB, a practical and experiential facility which provides opportunities for children from elementary school age through to high school age to develop an interest in science and biotechnology. In this article we speak to the individual in charge of running the BIO LAB, Masato Kato (Social Contribution Group, ESG Promotion Department), who tells us about the facility’s initiatives and the company’s efforts at nurturing the next generation of scientists.

Increasing the Number of Children with an Interest in Biology and Biotechnology

Through experiences at the BIO LAB, Kato says that the aim is to develop children’s interest in science from an early stage and to provide them with opportunities to think about their own future and that of society. Chugai Pharmaceutical is an R&D-based pharmaceutical company with strengths in biotechnology. Having positioned the development of human resources who can uphold a healthy future society as an important social contribution activity, for many years the company has been engaged in associated activities. One initiative of particular significance for the company is the development of next-generation scientists through science education. To bring shape to this initiative, an idea was formed to create a practical and experiential facility for elementary, junior high, and high school students within the Chugai Life Science Park Yokohama. Kato has led the launch and operation of the BIO LAB since the idea first came to the fore.

“As a company working with advanced drug discovery technologies, we have a duty to develop science-based human resources. In addition to classroom study, by having children use their hands and experience science with all their senses, we hope to inspire their curiosity and enhance their interest in the study of science,” he says.

A Full Range of Programs and Facilities to Enable Students to Become Researchers Themselves

The main feature of the BIO LAB is that visitors can experience the real excitement of actual experiments. It is equipped with the latest experiment equipment and safety facilities, the very same as those used by Chugai Pharmaceutical’s drug discovery researchers, allowing participants to feel like they have become researchers themselves.

The BIO LAB offers two main programs.

 

1.Regional Contribution Program (for elementary to junior high school students)

Through observations of familiar organisms to a wide range of experiment classes that can rarely be experienced at school, this program aims to broaden the scope of people with an interest in science and biology. Some of the more popular activities include observations of aquatic microorganisms and pollen under a microscope, dissections of squid and shrimp, the extraction of NA from broccoli, and polymerase chain reactions.

 

2.Bio Human Resource Development Program (for high school students)

This program offers more advanced experiments that have been put together by Chugai Pharmaceutical researchers, based on the theme of antibody engineering, which is one of the company’s areas of strength. Some experiments to date include protein modifications and refinement.

 

To complement classes at school, the experiment classes for elementary and junior high school students include observations of familiar organisms. In addition, other creative measures are in place to enable children to smoothly come into contact with specialized content and advanced technologies that perhaps would not be covered in school science classes. There are also many families who visit the facility to help with summer holiday homework. In 2024, the BIO LAB held 34 programs.

 

The Bio Human Resource Development Program for high school students, meanwhile, is planned by Chugai Pharmaceutical researchers who also give lectures and provide practical guidance. Other activities include one- to two-day experiments that are used in the actual drug discovery process, from the use of the PCR method to modify existing proteins through gene mutation to their refinement. Three, including trials, were held in 2024. In addition to experiments, the program also prioritizes opportunities for dialogue with the researchers. “By having students listen to researchers working on the frontlines and learning the ins and outs of drug discovery, the role of bio researchers becomes something more familiar,” says Kato.

Demonstrating Diverse Career Models Through Collaboration with External Experts and Universities

Activities at the BIO LAB prioritize collaboration with the regional community. The Regional Contribution Program works with schools in the region to raise awareness among regional elementary and junior high school students of the BIO LAB and make it a familiar presence.

 

Moreover, collaboration with external experts and universities is essential. For example, the BIO LAB works with Kanto Gakuin University for its programs for junior high school students, with university professors helping to give lectures and university students working as assistants in experiment classes. This helps to demonstrate potential career models for program participants.

Moreover, to promote diversity and gender equality in STEM subjects, the lab works with Yokohama City University and the Gender Equality Center Yokohama to host special programs for junior high school girls. In these special programs, lectures are given by female lecturers, and female students work as their assistants. The aim is to host experiments in an environment where it easy to envisage the success of women in life sciences.

Kato says, “As the assistants are university students of a similar age, it is easier for participants to get friendly with them. The aim is to help students envisage their future selves.”  Further, collaboration with universities enables the development of programs that incorporate the latest research themes.

Providing Experiences That Spark a Desire to Step into the World of Biotechnology

It has now been two years since the BIO LAB began its activities in April 2023. Kato says that it is great to see an increase in number of repeat visitors. As the programs are completely free, participation in the popular programs is highly competitive. Kato says, “We can see that there is huge demand for our programs. We are currently looking at ways to increase our offerings to enable as many children as possible to take part.”

 

Participant feedback has also been incredibly positive. Many have commented on how much fun the experiments have been and how participation in the programs has made them want to become researchers in the future. Parents, meanwhile, have said that their children’s interest in science has grown and that they have begun talking about experiments at home.

 

When asked about his future plans for the lab, Kato says enthusiastically, “We want to create an integrated set of programs that elementary school students can continue to participate in when they become junior high school students, which then leads them into the Bio Human Resource Development Program for high school students.”

 

He continues, “Our aim is for experiences at the BIO LAB to help children think about their futures. Nothing would bring us greater joy than to see someone who was inspired by their experiences here go on to become a Nobel Prize-winning researcher in the bio industry. We will continue to provide exciting experiences that teach students the fun of science and the mysteries of biology.”