48AssociateProfessorYAZAWA KenjiroAssociateProfessorYazawagothisph.DatTokyoTech.andcametohiscurrentpositionafterworkingasapostdoctoralresearcheratYamagatauniversityandRIKENinJapan.Hespecializesmolecularbiologyandpolymerscience.Hisfinalaimistorevealthemechanismofspinningsystemofspidersandsilkworms.Spidersarefixedbetweenspongeswiththeirlegsinsidethespongestoextracttheirsilks.Wefeelthatthesilkisshinyandtough.Spiderstransformsilksolutionsintofibersintheirglands.Outlook for researchMan-madefibersneedtobeprocessedathightemperature,whilespidersandsilkwormssynthesizetheirsilkinamildcondition.Wecansynthesizetheartificialsilkbymimickingthenaturalspinningsystemandcontributetousesilkasastructuralmaterialinourdailylife.Outlook for students after graduationIwouldliketosharetheexcitementoftacklingthescienceofnature,fromthestudyofspiderandsilkwormsilk.Youwillmakehypothesisandperformexperimentstoproofthehypothesis.Hopefully,youwillexertyourselfinsocietyfromyourresearchexperimentatShinshuUniversity.How can spider and silkworm spin such a tough silk?Silkisusedasastructuralmaterialinnaturesuchasalifelineofspiderandashellofsilkworm.Thethicknessofspidersilkisapproximatelyonetenthofhuman’shair.Thespidersilkwith3-mmthicknesscansupportamanwith60kg.Silkseemsveryattractivewhenusedasstructuralmaterial,however,itisdifficulttosynthesizeanartificialsilkthathasbothstrengthandextensibilitylikenativesilk.Spidersandsilkwormsareknowntopossesssophisticatedspinningmechanism.Iwouldliketosharemysteriesinthenaturalspinningsystemsinspidersandsilkwormsandtakeadvantageofthesystemtosynthesizeartificialsilkforindustrialapplications.Applied BiologyDepartment of
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