By 葛川哲 Tetsu KUZUKAWA 私たちはスポーツも楽しみます! MEcoHに参加することは、分子生態学と健康に関する研究を追求するだけでなく、コミュニティを深めるための楽しい活動も体験できる場です。その一環として、私たちは毎年CMES(海洋環境科学センター)主催の親睦ソフトボール大会に参加しています。この大会では、学問の垣根を越えて、学生から教授までが一緒に楽しむ素晴らしい機会を提供しています。 We enjoy sports! Being part of MEcoH does not only provide the opportunity to pursue a life of research in molecular ecology and health, but it could also deepen our bonds through fun activities. We had the honor of participating in the annual friendly softball tournament organized by CMES (Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies). By shattering academic boundaries, the tournament provided a great opportunity for students and professors alike to have fun and get to know each other better. 試合を前に開会式を受ける選手一同 Participants observing the opening ceremony before the game CMESに所属するメンバーであれば誰でも参加可能で、当日は朝から夕方まで、愛媛大学の山越グラウンドでプレイヤーたちが熱戦を繰り広げました。 Any member of CMES could participate. From morning until evening, each CMES member competed enthusiastically at Ehime University's Yamakoshi Ground. 味方の打席を見守るMECoHメンバー MEcoH members watching intently as their teammates bat 去年を踏まえての挑戦 今年のソフトボール大会は、3年間のコロナ禍による制限が解除されて2回目の開催となりました。去年参加した人の多くが今年も参加しており、野球のルールなどを去年よりも理解をして挑むことができました!参加者全員がその自由を満喫し、スポーツを通じた絆を深める場となりました。この大会は、競争だけではなく、リーダーシップ、チームワーク、そして友好的な雰囲気を育む絶好の機会でもあります。 MEcoHのメンバーは、野球よりもクリケット経験者が多く、去年はそのルールの差からエラーなどもありました。しかし!今年は、クリケット経験者たちがものすごい成長を見せてくれ、チームMEcoHの主力選手となりました! Challenges from last year This year's softball tournament was the second one held since the government-imposed corona virus pandemic travel restriction had been lifted. Many of those who took part last year took part again this year and were able to take on the challenge with a better understanding of the rules of softball! All participants enjoyed a sense of freedom during the event. Although the tournament was competitive, a friendly atmosphere was clearly present, this gave the participants an opportunity to develop their leadership and teamwork. Many MEcoH members have more cricket experience than softball, and admittedly, last year there were some errors due to the differences in the rules. However! This year, the experienced cricketers have shown tremendous growth and have become the mainstays of Team MEcoH! 素晴らしい成果と次への挑戦 MEcoHチームは、今回見事に3位を獲得しました! 全員が全力でプレーし、その結果が3位という形で報われました。 「チームワークが私たちを形作る」 このようなイベントは、学術的なつながりを超えて、人と人の結束を強める大切な時間を提供してくれます。私たちも、来年さらに良い結果を目指して頑張りたいと思います A great achievement and a challenge for the next round Everyone played their hearts out and impressively, the MEcoH team made it into third place this time! 'Teamwork shapes us' Events like this provide an important time to strengthen the bonds between people, beyond the academic connection. We, too, will strive for a better result next year. 来年もぜひご参加を!
次回のソフトボール大会では、新たなメンバーや応援者として皆さんが参加することを楽しみにしています! We hope you will join us next year! We look forward to having you as a new member or supporter at our next softball tournament!
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Dr. Joeselle Serrana is currently a postdoc at the Stockholm University Center for Circular and Sustainable Systems (SUCCeSS) and the Department of Environmental Science (ACES) at Stockholm University in Sweden. Prof. Kozo and the MECoH Lab were pleased to host Dr. Joeselle from September 29 to October 25, supporting him in his research activities throughout his visit. He is a molecular ecologist by training, and his research interests are in freshwater ecology, microbiome research, and multi-omics applications. As a former lab member, Dr. Joeselle earned his doctorate in civil and environmental engineering in March 2021. His ongoing research activities and scientific contributions highlight MECoH Lab's dedication to producing graduates interested in advancing research in biodiversity assessment, environmental monitoring, and microbiome studies. Joeselle conducted his research visit at Ehime University with the support of the SUCCeSS travel grant. His funded proposal, titled “Monitoring Anthropogenic Pollution in Rivers: Integrating Multitrophic Biodiversity Assessment and Contaminant Analysis,” focused on evaluating pollution in river systems by combining biodiversity assessment with contaminant analysis, fostering a comprehensive approach to environmental assessment. During his one month stay, Dr. Joeselle engaged in several field and laboratory activities to advance the project’s objectives. Beginning with a study on rivers in Ehime, including an effluent-impacted urban channel in Matsuyama City and the intermittent Shigenobu River. These sites would provide critical information on the effects of wastewater-impact or anthropogenic pollution on local aquatic ecosystems. A batch incubation setup following a modified protocol of the OECD 309 test (inc. low spiking of test compounds) was performed at the molecular laboratory of MEcoH. Special thanks to Shafi (research student) and Dr. Anwar (postdoc) for their assistance with equipment setup. Photos (© Serrana): Dr. Joeselle collected environmental samples downstream of a river receiving effluent from the Matsuyama Sewage Purification Center. Sediment samples were collected through sediment core sampling as shown in the picture (bottom). In another one-day field sampling across the Shigenobu River, Dr. Joeselle was accompanied by MEcoH lab members, i.e., Dr. Anwar Hossain (postdoc), Dan Joseph Logronio (Ph.D. student), Jomel Limbago, Md. Shafiujjaman (research students), and Yayoi Ikenaga (lab technician). In this research activity, Joeselle aims to assess the influence of anthropogenic pollution (specifically micropollutants) on biodiversity in river ecosystems. Still, there is no comprehensive assessment of the pollutant load of the Shigenobu River, which makes it a good candidate to assess in this study. In particular, it is a good site since the headwater has low anthropogenic influence and increases as it goes downstream to the mouth. The group collected environmental samples from 10 monitoring sites along an intermittent river spanning three cities in Ehime, Japan. The shigenobu sampling team included Dr. Joeselle, Dr. Anwar (postdoc), Jomel (research student), Dan (Ph.D. student), and Shafi (research student). They gathered eDNA samples using a closed-filtering unit from SUCCeSS' eDNA sampling kit, top-layer sediments via sediment core sampling, and surface water. These samples will be used for biological community profiling through eDNA metabarcoding and non-target analysis of polar organic chemical contaminants. Dr. Joeselle shared these eDNA sampling methods with the MEcoH team, fostering method sharing and knowledge transfer within the group. The team moved from upstream sites of the Shigenobu River at Tobe City with low anthropogenic influence moving downstream towards sites at Matsuyama City. Dr. Joeselle also shared his expertise in molecular ecology techniques by conducting a half-day course on DNA metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling for MEcoH undergraduate students (B3) alongside Assistant Professor Dr. Kohei Hamamoto. This metabarcoding and eDNA sampling course provided students with a brief introductory lecture on metabarcoding and its applications for community-level assessments, complemented by hands-on experience in eDNA sampling within aquatic ecosystems. For the field course, the students visited a narrow canal near the university to collect samples of eDNA, sediment, and water. The skills and knowledge gained during this course will be valuable for their future work in environmental monitoring and biodiversity assessments. Dr. Joeselle and Dr. Kohei (selfie) with the B3 students after a SUCCeSS-ful field course Dr. Joeselle participated in the JSPS Core-to-Core Symposium on One Health Approaches to Chemical Risk Management from September 30 to October 1 at Ehime University. The event was joined by delegates from South and Southeast Asian countries and Japan, with the common goal of sharing their expertise and discussing research directions to achieve sustainable development focusing on mitigating the impact of various chemicals used in fields such as medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry on the environment and ecosystems. Dr. Joeselle participated in the poster session by presenting his study on the “Microbial Degradation Potential of Hydrocarbon Contaminants across the Baltic Sea”. He also attended the LaMer Symposium on "Metabolomics and Advanced Analytical Technologies in the Study of Insects, Vector-Borne Diseases and Biological Control" last October 2 at Ehime University. Dr. Joeselle presented his research group's SUCCeSS project on “Safe water reuse in a changing environment: microbial degradation of contaminants in rivers” at the MEcoH Seminar. He highlighted his multidisciplinary group’s ongoing research focused on exploring and utilizing the natural capabilities of microorganisms to degrade environmental contaminants, aiming to promote safer and more sustainable water reuse from European rivers. He shared his group’s efforts to integrate microbial and chemical data analytics, which sparked active discussions among attendees. This exchange generated enthusiasm for potential future collaboration between the two groups and is hoped to serve as a foundation for joint research projects and initiatives in the future. Dr. Joeselle also visited MeCOH-affiliated CMES laboratories during his stay. Dr. Tatsuya Kunisue from the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry showcased the mass spectrometry capabilities and equipment available at CMES. Additionally, Dr. Hisato Iwata from the Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology introduced the visitors to their laboratory and ongoing research activities, providing valuable insights into their work and introducing potential collaborations in the future In addition to research activities, he also had the opportunity to reunite with friends and family in Japan. Ph.D. graduates of the MEcoH Lab with their dissertations. Meeting friends and family, and new acquaintances. Dr. Joeselle’s research visit highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration as he engaged with experts in environmental chemistry, toxicology, and biodiversity at CMES and other research groups. Through knowledge exchange and discussions on potential joint projects, he helped bring together diverse expertise and foster innovative approaches. We hope this visit marks the beginning of active collaboration between MEcoH, CMES, and his research group in Stockholm.
Dr. Joeselle expresses his gratitude to SUCCeSS for the travel grant that made this research visit possible. He also thanks Malte Posselt, his group members, and the Department of Environmental Science at Stockholm University for their ongoing support. Finally, he extends heartfelt appreciation to Prof. Kozo and MEcoH for their assistance, research collaboration, and making the visit both engaging and enjoyable. |
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