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3. Evolution based on KAKENHI projects

Katsumi Tsukamoto, Professor, The University of Tokyo

Professor Tsukamoto discovered the migratory mechanism of eels by analyzing their DNA and age in days. (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) 1996-1997)

Dynamics of the Ocean Biosystems （Grant-in-Aid for Creative Scientific

Research 2000-2004）

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（KAKENHI）

He discovered the spawning grounds of Japanese eels (in the vicinity of the West Mariana Ridge). By uncovering the life of Japanese eels in their natural environment, he helped develop mass-breeding tech-nologies for the fish.

Biology of eels

Research for future program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) He participated in a project to dis-cover the life cycle of Japanese eels as a co-researcher (1997-2001).

Government research project carried out by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council His findings helped develop breed-ing technologies for Japanese eels and spiny lobsters (2005-2008)

Pre-leptocephalus (larval fish) of the Japanese eel were caught for the first time in sea-mounts west of the Mariana Islands on the day of a new moon in June 2005. The picture shows five-day-old pre-leptocephali measuring about 5mm in length. The discovery of a large number of the eels at this stage helped scientists identify the fish's spawning areas in the vicinity of the southern seamounts of the West Mariana Ridge. (Tsukamoto 2006 Nature)

Satoshi Kawata, Professor, Osaka University, Chief Scientist, RIKEN

Surface plasmon photo sensor for chemical experiment

(General Research (C) in 1988)

Near-field and nano-photonics (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific

Research on Priority Areas (A) Model 1997-1999)

Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research（KAKENHI）

Professor Kawata invented an epoch-making optical microscope with nanometer-scale resolution (near-field optical microscope), which was thought impossible to de-velop in principle. He began new optical science fields: nanophotonics and nanoplasmonics.

Nano-photonics

Basic Research Program of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) ‐ Nonlinear nanophotonics (2001-2006) - Plasmonic scanning analytical microscope (2006-2011)

Fig.1: Non-linear nano-Raman imaging of DNA clusters (a) Image created by the vibrational frequency of adenine molecule: spatial distribution observed. (b) Image created by the vibrational frequency of no particular molecule: spatial distribution not observed. (c) Topographic image with an atom force microscope.

Fig.2: Micro-bull created by optical mi-cro-fabrication technology with ultra short pulse laser

Nanophotonics is the study of light with nanometer scale lengths, smaller than the wavelength of light. The study aims to investigate novel optical phe-nomena associated with the interaction between nanometer structures and photons. Nanoplasmonics is the study of light to investigate the interaction between the metallic nanostructures and photons, and novel optical phenomena induced by that interaction.