By Kyle Young Low

On March 18, Prof. Kozo Watanabe, Miku, and I returned to Miyagi prefecture in Tohoku to collect yet another set of wetland water samples. 

With most of the wintering migratory birds having already moved on, the wetlands felt calmer, quieter… almost like a reset button had been pressed. That being said, this sampling trip serves as a comparative data point to study the ecological impact of wintering birds in a Japanese wetland. Same place, different season, whole new story. So, it's a perfect time to take a second look at the same wetland but without its wintering guests.

​Revisiting the exact same sites from last year, we couldn’t help but notice the striking absence of flocks filling the sky.
Interestingly, the water itself looked much cleaner this time. And with no birds to disturb, I finally got the chance to step right into the wetland to collect the samples. Apparently, ​the water was surprisingly shallow!

Big thanks to Prof. Kozo Watanabe, who jumped right into the sampling with us. Safe to say, his field ecologist instincts are still very much alive and kicking.

Even though most migratory birds had left for their nesting grounds, a few wintering stragglers along with some local residents made an appearance. 

​​Although not in great numbers, there are still some wintering birds left behind.

While on the field, we made a quick lunch break at a local spot. We enjoyed some western-influenced Japanese cuisine (洋食).​ 

After wrapping up the field work, we returned to our collaborator's lab (Sano-sensei's Environmental Water Quality Lab) at Tohoku University and began sample processing in earnest.

Of course, none of these would possibly work without the many people coming together to make this project happen. On behalf of the team, we would like to thank Prof. Sano for his gracious support, Prof. Omura for his subject matter expertise, Dr. Takahashi for his technical know-how on eDNA, and Assoc. Prof. Mohan for the insightful conversations we've shared. 

Interlaboratory programs like this is a great experience for Ph.D students. Let us continue to foster this interlaboratory partnership and perhaps .

09/03/2026

​​ICRL EU-UNPAD Director, Prof. Kozo Watanabe, visited Padjadjaran University (UNPAD) in Bandung City on March 9th 2026. This visit aimed to establish further collaboration between the Faculty of Medicine at UNPAD and Ehime University. One of the agenda items was to finalize the cross-appointment of Dr. Lia Faridah as a researcher at both UNPAD and Ehime University. This visit on the dean's office of the Faculty of Medicine was well received by Dr.med. Muhammad Hasan Bashari, Dr., M.Kes. as the Research, Partnership, and Innovation Manager. Through this meeting, all sides are hoping to expand the coordination between UNPAD and Ehime University. 

Prof. Kozo's visit was continued in UNPAD Graduate School on the afternoon, with him giving a Guest Lecture. This Guest Lecture titled “Ecological Approaches to Mosquito Diseases Control” was attended by UNPAD Graduate students. In this lecture, Prof. Kozo discussed the performed method of mosquito vector controls in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, which has collaborated with Ehime University.

09/03/2026

​Continuing yesterday's visit on UNPAD, Prof. Kozo visit Functional Nanopowder University - Center of Excellence (FiNder U-CoE) Center in UNPAD Jatinangor Campus on March 10th 2026. While there, Prof. Kozo was also accompanied by ICRL EU-UNPAD Coordinator, Dr. Lia Faridah, and staff, M. Akbar Thufail, to have a tour on the facility. The visiting group was received by the head of FiNder U-CoE, Prof. Dr. I Made Joni, M.Sc., and staff, Prof. Dr. Camelia Panatarani, M.Si., to have a brief discussion and introduction. 

​After the discussion, Prof. I Made Joni showed the group around the facility to see the working lab of FiNder U-CoE, such as the top-down processing lab, bottom-up molecular lab, and battery-cell lab. Some of the nanotechnology and services have great potential for collaboration in the future. 

After finishing the discussion with the FiNder U-CoE team, Prof. Kozo continued to the lecture building of UNPAD Faculty of Medicine. Prof. Kozo was invited to give another Guest Lecture to the UNPAD undergraduate medicine students about Ecological Approaches to Mosquito Diseases Control. Prof. Kozo also gave some introductions about ICRL and other collaborations to the audience. 

Three researchers from the Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University — Professor Kozo Watanabe, Professor Tatsuya Kunisue, and Associate Professor Rumi Tanoue — visited Dhaka, Bangladesh from March 1 to 4, 2026 as part of the SATREPS project aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks in Dhaka. It is noteworthy that the Record of Discussions (R/D) for the SATREPS project was signed on February 25, 2026, and full project activities are expected to commence in April 2026 for a period of five years.

The team visited Daiki Axis Bangladesh, a company expanding its wastewater treatment business, including septic tank systems, across South Asia. Discussions were held regarding potential collaborative research under this project, and the delegation toured hospital wastewater treatment facilities installed by the company. Given that Daiki Axis is headquartered in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture — the same city as Ehime University — a strong and fruitful partnership is highly anticipated going forward.

At the University of Dhaka, the team toured several facilities where research equipment will be delivered under the SATREPS project to establish the Dhaka Water Environment Research Center. The delegation also paid courtesy visits to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka and the Head of the Department of Fisheries. In addition, meetings were held with multiple local companies that may serve as potential suppliers of research instruments and consumables for the project.

​Furthermore, the team conducted interviews with prospective candidates who may enroll as doctoral students at Ehime University, and held working meetings with University of Dhaka researchers who will participate in the SATREPS project. The delegation also conducted a field inspection of the Buriganga River, one of the key research sites designated under the project.

Laguna, Philippines – From February 8 to 10, 2026, Prof. Kozo Watanabe and MECOH lab member Jomel Limbago visited the Laguna campus of De La Salle University. During the visit, Prof. Watanabe attended student proposal defenses and participated in research meetings to monitor ongoing projects and explore future partnerships. For Jomel, who was visiting DLSU for the first time, the stay included tours of various laboratories and insect breeding facilities, particularly those focused on mosquitoes. He also assisted in setting up Linux systems and installing the necessary software packages for population genomic analyses, with a focus on reduced-representation sequencing approaches. Key DLSU officials present during discussions included Dr. Divina M. Amalin, Dr. Mary Jane C. Flores, Dr. Isagani Janairo, Dr. Thaddeus Carvajal, Dr. Billy Joel Almarinez, and Dr. Karen Lacerna.

​Iloilo, Philippines – On February 11–12, 2026, Prof. Watanabe and Jomel continued their visit at ISUFST in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. They were welcomed by senior faculty member Dr. Dennis K. Gomez, who was also Jomel’s undergraduate professor. The MECOH delegation was formally received by University President Dr. Nordy Siason and College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Dean Dr. Rolindo Demo-os. ISUFST hosted a mini-symposium on Aquatic Science, Evolution, and Biodiversity, featuring presentations from both institutions. Prof. Watanabe introduced the MECOH laboratory and discussed the group’s research on antimicrobial resistance, while Jomel presented his work on speciation and adaptation. Following the symposium, the delegation toured ISUFST facilities and learned about the university’s ongoing initiatives to strengthen its research capacity.

​The visit reinforced MECOH’s strong partnership with DLSU and laid a promising foundation for future collaboration with ISUFST. These engagements are expected to foster sustained scientific exchange and joint research initiatives that support the laboratory’s long-term research goals in the Philippines.