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2、３年生を対象にしたイベント「DCは語る」（DC：Doctoral Course＝博士課程）を定期的に開催しています。博士課程の学生の研究生活や進学経験を聞くことで、進路の一つとして考えてもらうことが目的です。2022年10月21日は、生命科学院 生命融合科学コース 構造生物化学研究室 博士3年の杉山 葵（すぎやま あおい）さんが２年生を対象に話をしました。
Watch the battle between humans and viruses
I am studying the battle between viral proteins and human immune molecules. This is research that attempts to see how humans fight viruses at the molecular level. The size of what you see is about 10 nanometers (1/100 millionth of a meter).
「ウイルスがヒトに感染する」と言いますが、これはウイルスがヒトの細胞に入り込んで増えていくことを指します。ウイルスはヒトの細胞の中で、自分自身のコピーをたくさん作って増えていきます。侵入者であるウイルスが増えないように、ヒトは免疫分子を作って止めようとします。するとウイルスは、その分子の働きを止めようとします。このように細胞内では「イタチごっこ」のようなことが行われているのです。
From Interest in Living Things to Microscopic Research
I grew up near the sea, so I was interested in nature and living creatures, such as enjoying crab fishing on the beach. When I was in elementary school, I used to go to a nearby aquarium three times a week.
When I entered high school, I became interested in the small, invisible world when I heard about molecules and cells in biology classes. When I wanted to study living things from a microscopic point of view, I learned that Hokkaido University had a Department of Biological Sciences (Functional Polymer Science).
In my current laboratory, I started research on "observing the battle between viruses and humans at the molecular level", and after graduating from undergraduate school, I entered the master's program to continue my research. At that time, I was thinking about getting a job at a company after completing my master's degree. However, after discussing with many researchers at academic conferences and hearing stories from Hokkaido University alumni who are active in various fields after obtaining their doctorate, I began to feel the appeal of obtaining a doctorate. . I believe that a doctoral degree is like a qualification that allows you to decide the direction of your research. I also thought that if I was going to get a doctorate, I would like to continue my current research, which I am attached to, so I decided to pursue a doctoral degree.
I want to use living things as models
For example, in drug research, I am interested in the mechanism of how drugs work. I want to continue my basic research, so I plan to stay at the university after completing my studies. I feel that living things can serve as role models for humans. It would be great if we could elucidate the mechanism that living things have to sustain life, and use it as a model to contribute to human health.