The human genome project was launched in 1990 as the biggest project of the 20th century following the Apollo Space Program that aimed to land human beings on the moon. The draft edition of the human genome was announced in June 2000, and ultimately, it was announced on April 14, 2003 that the human genome sequence had been completed. As a result, it was assumed that human beings had about 30,000 genes. Subsequent research has shown, however, that an extremely large number of protein non-coding RNAs were also being expressed. If they were to be included, it is considered that it would be extremely difficult to cite the exact number of genes. The human genome is made up of 3 billion base pairs of information. With all this information having been deciphered, the research technique used in medical biology has taken a major turn. On the other hand, even if these base sequences can be completed, many things still remain unclear, such as the genes' exact functions and their actions inside the body, as well as their relationship with various diseases. Thus, there are many investigative projects being carried out throughout the world to understand genome functions. With these global circumstances as the backdrop, the Saitama Medical University, Research Center for Genomic Medicine was established in 2000 with the aim of conducting comprehensive research and development on genomic medicine based on genome information. After the declaration of the completion of the human genome project, functional genomics that exhaustively investigates gene functions became a dominant trend of the post-genome era. As its methodology, transcriptome research, proteome research and metabolome research, each of which exhaustively investigates transcriptome, proteome and metabolome, respectively, are becoming widely used. The methodology of network analysis or pathway analysis that aims at elucidating the mutual relationship of the transcriptome, proteomes, and metabolome, is also becoming popular. At our research center, all of the researchers work night and day to propel research directed toward true medical development while carefully keeping track of these global trends. Heads of each division, all of whom are up-and-coming researchers, have gathered under Professor Masami Muramatsu, the Center's former and inaugural director, play a central role in promoting research that capitalizes on the characteristics of each division. Currently, research is also scrupulously under way through collaboration with clinicians mostly from the newly-established International Medical Center, aiming for the elucidation of clinical condition, application to diagnosis, or application to treatment at the site of medical practice (this is referred to as translational research, or TR). The Research Center for Genomic Medicine carries out basic R&D that may be linked to clinical R&D while aiming to clarify the pathogenesis of diseases such as metabolic syndrome, bone metabolism-related diseases and cancer, etc. while aggressively developing resources such as iPS cells and ES cells, etc. and developing transgenic vectors, etc. Moreover, by actively collaborating with the Division of Intellectual Property and Strategy Research Promotion that was established in 2005, we work to secure intellectual property on R&D. And, by actively stepping up alliances with external TLOs as well, we are aiming to proactively promote studies made through industry-university collaboration. By inheriting our inaugural director's goal of laying the foundation from which creative research is produced together with the friendly competition of researchers, we hope to continue pursuing this goal, and actively publicize our achievements to the rest of the world. Your continued warm support will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Director Yasushi Okazaki