Participation in the Tohoku University Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Measurement Innovation Advancing Mass Spectrometry Technology and Nurturing Emerging Talent[...]

Shimadzu Corporation will be participating in the Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Measurement Innovation (CICMI) established by Tohoku University (located in Sendai City and led by President Teiji Tominaga) on October 1. The center was established to promote research and development aimed at advancing analytical measurement processes, applied research in health-related pharmaceutical and agricultural fields using analytical measurement technologies, and the development of highly skilled research personnel. Tohoku University and Shimadzu have collaborated through joint research and Co-Creation Research Center. Going forward, they will work to implement the results of their research in society at CICMI, a hub that promotes industry-academia collaboration and interdisciplinary integration. The joint research will extend for 5 years, from October 2026 to September 2031, and will be funded by both parties.

From the left: Toshiro Kaneko, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Measurement Innovation, Tohoku University; Koichi Tanaka, Executive Research Fellow, Shimadzu Corporation; Takahiro Nishimoto, Managing Executive Officer and CTO, Shimadzu Corporation; Yasunori Yamamoto, President and CEO, Shimadzu Corporation; Teiji Tominaga, President, Tohoku University; Takafumi Aoki, Executive Vice President for Strategic Planning, Provost, and CDO, Tohoku University; Hideo Harigae, Executive Vice President for Public Relations and Medical Co-Creation, Tohoku University; and Tsuyoshi Tohyama, Executive Vice President for Industry-University Collaboration, Tohoku University

CICMI facilities will be established at both the Aobayama and Seiryo Campuses of Tohoku University. The main research topics will be the significant advancement of mass spectrometry technology based on soft laser desorption/ionization^*1, the technology for which Shimadzu Executive Research Fellow Koichi Tanaka received the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)^*2 used for sample pretreatment in that technology. Meanwhile, CICMI will also expand and deepen applications of mass spectrometry technology in the healthcare and green technology fields. In addition to promoting joint research as a Shimadzu researcher, Tanaka will serve as a Distinguished Professor at Tohoku University and contribute to talent development by teaching doctoral students and advising emerging researchers.

Tohoku University and Shimadzu have conducted a wide range of joint research over many years. In 2012, they developed FTCMOS, a high-speed CMOS image sensor for high-speed video cameras. At the Shimadzu × Tohoku University Supersulfides Life Science Co-Creation Research Center, established in 2024, Tohoku University and Shimadzu have achieved results through research on technologies for early diagnosis, prediction of therapeutic effects, and analysis of supersulfide molecules expected to contribute to the development of pharmaceuticals and functional foods. Koichi Tanaka, a graduate of Tohoku University, received an honorary doctoral degree from the university in 2002 and served as a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Engineering from 2003 to 2014. In 2024, Tohoku University was selected as the first university to be certified by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a "University for International Research Excellence" capable of applying internationally leading research results back into society.

• *1: A technology that uses a laser to ionize large molecules, such as proteins, without breaking them apart
• *2: A device made using semiconductor manufacturing technology that integrates miniature mechanical components, such as sensors and moving parts, with electronic circuitry on a single chip

Overview of Center for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Measurement Innovation

Related Information
April 16, 2024 | News & Notices
Contributing to the Development of Anti-Aging Drugs and Foods by Identifying Properties of Supersulfides with High Antioxidative Properties
Establishment of Shimadzu × Tohoku University Supersulfides Life Science Co-Creation Research Center

February 19, 2025 | News & Notices
World-Class High-Speed Recording at 20 Million Frames per Second and Three Times the Resolution of the Previous Model
Launching the HyperVision HPV-X3 High-Speed Video Camera

September 25, 2026 | Tohoku University Press Release
Mammals Produce Cyclo-octasulfur to Protect Cells from Lipid Damage