The Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM) was selected to the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) in Autumn 2012 and launched officially in April 2013. The objective of ITbM is to create a new inter- disciplinary field of research through the collaboration of cutting-edge synthetic chemistry, animal/plant biology, and theoretical science, as well as to deliver bio-molecules that change the way we do science and we live, i.e. "transformative bio-molecules". Many transformative bio-molecules have been developed up to now, such as the discovery of penicillin, and the development of the highly effective anti-influenza drug, Tamiflu. At ITbM, chemists, biologists and theoreticians are collaborating by working side by side to design and synthesize new transformative bio-molecules, and to generate a new research area on the boundaries of chemistry and biology. These endeavors will address various social issues regarding the environment, food production, and medical technology.
2013
