Environmental sciences course has been newly founded to respond to the requests from our society to find out solutions for various environmental problems such as global warming, pollutions brought by human activities, extinction of species and so on. Since many factors are contributing simultaneously to the environmental problems, our society desires the capable persons with flexible ideas and ability to find solutions over various fields of natural sciences. Therefore in this course, the students learn earth science, chemistry, biology, computer programming, modeling as well as related knowledge and skills from the faculty staffs. One of the most specific features is extensive use of computing techniques such as data analysis, simulation, and massive data handling. All these approaches are based on our academic achievements and we further attempt to extend high-level education and research in environmental sciences.

Education in the Environmental Sciences Course is based on two pillars: 1) learning and understanding a wide range of phenomena in the global environment, life, and chemistry, and 2) acquiring the technology to analyze these phenomena, put them into models, and simulate them using computers.
Students can freely choose from a variety of subjects in the Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Sciences and take lessons depending on their interests, including experiments, practical learning, and on-site practical learning to experience the actual phenomena. Fourth-year students carry out cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields encompassing global environmental sciences, mathematics and life science systems, environmental chemistry, and biological environmental sciences, while receiving guidance from an individual teacher. From this wide range of fields, students can pursue the graduation and task-oriented research they are enthusiastic about.

Introduction to the Environmental Sciences Course

Group of Global Environmental Sciences

Global environment observed from space

We research the properties of the earth's environment based on satellite observations in order to adequately comprehend current global environmental changes. Furthermore, we analyze the interrelationships between these properties to elucidate the processes causing the changes. The research covers broad fields, such as the development of remote sensing algorithms and simulation of global environmental changes.

Group of Mathematical Biology

Mathematical and computational approaches to advance understanding of biological and environmental phenomena

We apply mathematical and computational techniques to explore a variety of biological phenomena and interactions with environments. Biological phenomena are intrinsically very complex. However, they can be abstracted as simple models described using mathematical expressions or algorithmic rules. By analyzing these models, we aim to better understand the processes underlying phenomena. This is a very interdisciplinary field of science in which the disciplines of applied mathematics, biology, and computational science are employed together.

Group of Environmental Chemistry

Chemical approach to environmental science

In the Division of Environmental Chemistry, we aim to develop new analytical methods for archaeology and the preservation of cultural assets. We also adopt synthetic approaches to create new functional, environmentally friendly compounds for environmental analyses. In this research, we employ a variety of cutting-edge spectroscopic instruments: MALDI-, nanoLC-ESI, and GC-EI mass spectrometers, and an Ion Mobility Spectrometer. Equipped with these instruments, we analyze peptide and protein components of archaeological assets, develop new microbial identification software, "MVOC Finder", and characterize the newly created functional compounds that are under investigation. Furthermore, we investigate environmentally friendly molecular assemblies using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at the world's largest synchrotron radiation facility "SPring-8".