The 3rd Keio University WPI-Bio2Q International Symposium, entitled “Integration of Biology, Microbiome, and Immunology for Healthy Longevity,” was held on March 6 and 7, 2025, at Kitasato Hall, named after Shibasaburo Kitasato, the “Father of Modern Japanese Medicine,” on the Shinanomachi campus with exclusively on-site participation.

WPI: World Premier International Research Center Initiative
Bio2Q: Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center

Twelve of the world’s top scientists in the fields of biology, microbiome, and immunology presented their latest research progress and engaged in lively scientific discussions with approximately 200 people from science, business, government, embassies, students, and the general public involved in these fields.

At the end of the first day, a poster session was held by nine young scientists, who presented their new scientific ideas and had valuable discussions with many of the participants. At the end of the second day, awards were given to the three best poster presentations.

WPI-Bio2Q will continue to make further efforts to ensure that the life science knowledge gained during these two days will continue to spread throughout the world.

Agenda of The 3rd Keio University WPI-Bio2Q International Symposium

Opening Remarks

Ryosuke TAKAHASHI, M.D., Ph.D./ Program Officer of WPI-Bio2Q, Professor, Kyoto University, Japan

Masayuki AMAGAI, M.D., Ph.D. / Vice-President for Research, Professor, Keio University, Japan

Kenya HONDA, M.D., Ph.D. / Center Director of WPI-Bio2Q, Professor, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

Kazuyoshi ISHIGAKI, M.D., Ph.D. / Symposium Organizer, WPI-Bio2Q, Professor, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

chaired by Kazuyoshi Ishigaki

❶ Shruti NAIK, Ph.D. / Immunology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Microbe-stem cell crosstalk in repair and regeneration

❷ Sho YAMASAKI, Ph.D. / Professor, Molecular Immunology, WPI-IFReC, Osaka University, Japan

Recognition of self components through immune receptors

❸ Dan LITTMAN, M.D., Ph.D. / Professor, Molecular Immunology, New York University School of Medicine, USA

Establishment of T cell homeostasis in the GI tract

chaired by Kenya Honda

❹ Shimon SAKAGUCHI, M.D., Ph.D. / Professor, Immunology, WPI-IFReC, Osaka University, Japan

Conversion of disease-mediating T cells into Tregs for treatment of immunological diseases

❺ Sidonia FAGARASAN, M.D., Ph.D. / Professor, Mucosal Immunity, CCII, Kyoto University, Japan

Metabolic regulatory pathways and anti-cancer responses

❻ Alexander RUDENSKY, Ph.D. / Chair, Immunology, Sloan Kettering Institute, USA

Regulatory T cells in Cancer

chaired by Koji Hase

❼ Jumpei SASABE, M.D., Ph.D. / Associate Professor, Biochemistry, WPI-Bio2Q, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

The Mirror Effect: Gut Microbes Flip Amino Acids for Bioactive Signals

❽ Makoto ARITA, Ph.D. / Professor, Lipidomics, WPI-Bio2Q, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, Japan

Lipidome Signatures associated with aging and host-microbiome interactions

❾ Marco JOST, Ph.D. / Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, USA

Deciphering the chemical language of host-microbiome communication

chaired by Timur Tuganbaev

❿ Kaoru HIDA LEONG, Ph.D. / Project Associate Professor, Microbiome, Drug Metabolism, WPI-Bio2Q, Keio University, Japan

The Impact of the Gut Microbiome on Parkinson’s Disease

⓫ Ivaylo IVANOV, Ph.D. / Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, USA

Generation of tissue-resident commensal-specific CD4 T cells

⓬ Kenya HONDA, M.D., Ph.D. / Professor, Microbiome and Immunology, WPI-Bio2Q, Keio University School of Medicine, Japan

Mining the gut microbiota to develop rationally designed microbial therapeutics

Poster Session

Ashish JOSHI
Seiga KOMIYAMA
Huizhuo PAN
Vinodh JOSEPH
Mika UEHARA
Therese SOLBERG
Mari SHIOZAKI
Hinata SUGIYAMA
Haowei LI

Poster Award Ceremony

1st Prize: Mari SHIOZAKI,
Exploring Synapses as a Key to Multiorgan Interactions – Hearing Impairment as a “Synaptopathy”

2nd Prize: Huizhuo PAN,
The Gut-Brain Connection: Microbiota Influences on the Enteric Nervous System

3rd Prize: Seiga KOMIYAMA
M-cell-dependent commensal uptake confers encephalitogenic phenotypes on γδT17 cells in Peyer’s patch.

Closing Remarks

Oltea SAMPETREAN, M.D., Ph.D./ Project Professor, Administrative Director of WPI-Bio2Q, Keio University, Japan

Symposium Organizing Committee

Kazuyoshi ISHIGAKI, Therese SOLBERG, Haowei LI, Fiona QUIRION, Minami HOSOYA, Junta KOMAMURA