Our laboratory was established in April 2016 when we transferred from Nagoya University. At that time, we started our research with three students and Assistant Professor Kei Muto (currently an Associate Professor at Nagoya University), making a total of five members. We began in two rooms on the second floor of Building 62, with nothing but fume hoods. We truly built the laboratory from scratch.
All members of the first cohort chose to enter the doctoral program. The second and third cohorts joined the laboratory, and during that time, Eisuke Ohta (currently an Associate Professor at Waseda University Advanced Research Center) joined us as staff. By the time the fourth cohort joined, the number of members exceeded 30, making it the largest laboratory in the Department of Applied Chemistry. We also graduated our first master’s students.
However, in April 2020, we had to close the laboratory for over three months due to the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic atmosphere of “no interaction” and “no initiative needed” threatened the ideal laboratory we had built, and I even considered quitting.
Just then, in 2020, we relocated our laboratory to the newly established Waseda Research Innovation Center in Building 121. We were able to continue our research in one of the best research environments in Tokyo, especially within the Yamanote Line area. The COVID-19 turmoil has since subsided, and as of June 2024, the ninth cohort has joined us as fourth-year students. We have returned to a normal research life and are once again approaching our ideal laboratory. Next year will mark our 10th anniversary, a significant milestone.
Our research focuses on organic synthetic chemistry, including organometallic chemistry, total synthesis, photochemistry, structural organic chemistry, electrochemistry, medicinal chemistry, plant physiology, and chemical biology. We conduct research that adheres to the principles of chemistry that benefit and contribute to the Department of Applied Chemistry, utilizing the latest synthetic chemistry without being confined to specific fields.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our wonderful collaborators, we have been able to publish numerous notable research results. We always aim to nurture talent that can lead in any research field, striving to continue achieving outstanding results at Waseda. We welcome undergraduate students and researchers to visit our laboratory.
Additionally, our website underwent a major renewal in June 2024, featuring a wealth of content such as research topics, achievements, laboratory events, and blogs. We hope you will visit our website, which boasts overwhelming access numbers for a laboratory website, and get a sense of the vibrant atmosphere created by our excellent team.
June 2024, Junichiro Yamaguchi
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