北海道大学大学院 生命科学院では、キャリアパス教育の一環として、学部３年生を対象にした学科イベント「DCは語る」（DC：Doctoral Course＝博士課程）を定期的に開催しています。博士課程の学生が研究生活や進学経験について語ることで、進路の一つとして博士課程進学を考えてもらうことが目的です。2022年6月10日は、生命科学院 ソフトマター専攻 博士1年の飯塚 友菜（いいづか ともな）さんが話しました。
飯塚さんは理学部生物科学科（高分子機能学）を卒業後、2020年4月に生命科学院 ソフトマター専攻へ進学しました。学位取得までの期間を短縮できる「MC-DC一貫短縮修了コース」
（https://life.sci.hokudai.ac.jp/sm/features）を利用して、2021年10月から博士課程に進学しています。北大DX博士人材フェローシップ生としても活躍しています。
I want to know the boundary between living things and matter
I have been interested in life phenomena since childhood. I wanted to study life sciences at university, so I chose functional polymer science as a subject.
The smallest unit of living organisms is the cell, which is made up of non-living molecules. Proteins exist between living cells and molecules, which are substances. I chose the Protein Science Laboratory (Aizawa Laboratory) because I was interested in proteins that have functions even though they are substances.
Researching familiar allergies
My research deals with GRP (gibberellin regulatory protein) contained in pollen of cedar and other plants, which causes hay fever. We are investigating the mechanisms by which allergies occur, and what structures of proteins are involved. We are conducting a series of studies, from creating the target protein ourselves, analyzing its structure, and examining its reaction with antibodies contained in the patient's blood.
私自身にもアレルギーがあります。人に研究内容を話すと、「自分も花粉症だからがんばってほしい！」と応援されることもあります。みなさんが関心を持つテーマなので、やりがいを感じます。
Decided to go on to higher education in a shortened course
修士課程卒業後は就職するつもりでしたが、就職活動中に興味を持ったのは研究職ばかりでした。「自分は研究がしたいのではないか？」と気づき、博士課程への進学を考え始めました。
On the other hand, I was worried about continuing to be a student and financially. The system introduced at that time was the "MC-DC Consistent Short Course". The master's (MC) and doctoral (DC) courses typically take five years to complete, but this course allows you to complete your PhD faster. We aim to complete the master's course in one and a half years, advance to the doctoral course, and shorten the completion of the doctoral course. With the financial support, I thought I would be able to eliminate my anxiety, so I decided to go on to the shortened course.
when choosing a course
I'm currently researching hay fever and food allergies, so I'm interested in being involved in basic research at a food or pharmaceutical company. Working as a researcher at such a company is one of the motivations for obtaining a doctorate. However, when choosing a course after graduation, I don't want to narrow my horizons by being particular about a particular field. In the doctoral course, you not only acquire expertise, but also the ability to advance research, so I think that will be your strength. I would like to find a place where I can play an active role while using the support provided by the university to connect doctoral students with companies.
*Titles, affiliations, and grades are current at the time of the 2022 interview.