Devising experiments using only what is available to keep costs almost entirely limited to utilities

Introduction

For some reason, the opening lines of "Kusamakura" came to mind: "If you work with intellect, you get friction. If you try to steer by emotion, you get swept away."

It has been nearly a quarter of a century since this country established the policy of "we want you to achieve results without spending money." Since that seems to remain the case, I intend to provide volunteer support at the university while adhering as much as possible to that direction.

Today is about that story.

At a dead end?

Of course, there are those who try to follow the government office's policy of "if you need competitive funding, please achieve results and undergo an evaluation" to the letter. The competition for this is quite high. It could easily turn into "research for the sake of applying." It is like setting sail into a predicted storm. The future is worrisome.

So, I have made up my mind to go with "research I truly want to do." For now, at least, my feelings are like setting sail under a blue sky.

When I asked a supplier for the price of the necessary reagents, they were 130,000 yen per gram. Back in my former job, I used them abundantly. That is ten times the price back then! I cannot afford that at all.

You cannot give what you do not have. I have no choice but to avoid it and use a different method with the materials I have left.

A fresh start

I will disembark for a moment and repack the cargo. In other words, using my time and my small brain, I will now begin research on four new themes.

Today, this is where the main topic begins.

The themes are

I have a fair amount of various reagents and materials that I have stocked for a long time. By now, these can be called assets. Over the past few years, I have vaguely shaped themes that can be done by making good use of them. Starting from the end of this November, I will begin with the cooperation of several students (first-year students, no less) who have shown interest in this seminar.

I want the students to use this place as a venue to learn the basics and fundamentals. I told them that the knowledge and skills gained here would be useful no matter what path they take. I will begin explanations and practical training this week. There are four main themes. All of them were started in the last few years and were obtained in the process.

As for the costs

Let me take one of the "achievements" obtained from a theme started with such a policy. It has already been two years since I started, but the total cost incurred is only a few hundred yen. I call it "One Dollar Research." Even those few hundred yen were for materials I brought in myself.

I used that to complete one person's graduation thesis. Another year has passed since then, and there has been a little more progress. During that time, although it took time, I did not spend any new money at all. Only a small amount for utilities. This is one, so to speak, continuous theme.

As for the degree of contribution

You might think that such themes will not contribute anything to the world and that it is nice to be able to do things detached from the mundane world. Contrary to such general expectations, I just told the students yesterday, while holding something that could be called an "egg of a new material" that might lead to medical engineering, that "this might be directly linked to contemporary themes."

Life science is advancing at a tremendous pace, but surprisingly, it has left unfinished business scattered here and there. I will carefully pick them up, breathe life into them, add new elements here, and finish them into something plausible.

Novelty is

　Since this is for a graduation thesis in the sciences, it has already been confirmed that this has never been done before in the world. This is an essential requirement for eventually turning it into an academic paper. For that very reason, I watch the students repeat preliminary experiments and ensure they have reached a level of proficiency before they begin the main experiments.

From that point on, it is nothing but new information. To increase the claims of a patent, entries in the notebook are made carefully with a ballpoint pen and dated. There is a high probability that this will become a patent that encompasses practical fields. These are all things that cannot be discussed here.

For the students who show up here, I explain that they must maintain confidentiality to ensure the novelty of all information obtained for a certain period, and I have them sign a statement in advance. Through that process, I have them realize that they are present in such a place.

Research Theme

　Many of the themes devised in this way without spending money are difficult for other laboratories to anticipate. In particular, it might be difficult for large laboratories to undertake them. Such laboratories are likely already occupied with immovable, boulder-like themes, so they may not have the leeway to do so.

On the other hand, we can work on them leisurely. Moreover, we can do this with fresh students who have little experience in the places where science is born. What a free space it is.

Conclusion

　I wonder which of the four themes will bear fruit. For my part, I would like to at least shape all of them into graduation or master's theses. Once they reach that stage, they will have left my hands and can be entrusted to new people. Several previous projects have left my nest in that way, were taken up by researchers around the world, and have spread. I would like to spread them in that way this time as well.

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