On Friday, October 3, 2025, Ehime University held a debriefing session for students and faculty members dispatched to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana, based on the memorandum of understanding concluded with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This project aims to advance malaria research in Ghana and strengthen the technological base by transferring the “wheat cell-free protein synthesis technology” originally developed by Ehime University to researchers at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Because recombinant proteins derived from Plasmodium falciparum are extremely difficult to adjust, local researchers have so far been able to use only a limited number of protein types, limiting the scope of their research. The introduction of this technology will create an environment in which a wide variety of proteins can be freely utilized, and is expected to lead to the development of creative and advanced malaria research.
In the debriefing session, facilitated by Associate Professor Hikaru Nagaoka of the Malaria Research Division, Proteoscience Center, Professor Eizo Takashima, who was dispatched in 2024, introduced the current status of malaria research and an overview of wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system, and explained the results of joint research with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and local results. Next, Ms. Asuka Onishi and Ms. Ayana Maeda, both in the Master’s Program of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, and Mr. Takasato Yuguchi, a research fellow, took the podium and reported on their activities, learning, and future prospects during their stay in Japan.
Also in attendance from JICA were Director Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Deputy Director Makiko Okumura of the Africa Department, and Director Eriko Tamura of the Shikoku Center. The audience listened intently to each presentation and engaged in a lively Q&A session and exchange of opinions. The venue was filled with a friendly atmosphere from start to finish, and the audience was surprised by the reports of students who were exposed to the local culture and infrastructure, and impressed by the results achieved through the transfer of original technology. It was a very meaningful opportunity for the participants.
Ehime University will continue to promote technology transfer to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and further strengthen its ties with JICA and international organizations to deepen its efforts in international cooperation and contribution.
(From left to right: Ms. Maeda, Mr. Onishi, and Researcher Yuguchi)
<Center for Proteoscience, Institute for International Relations