In the 2020s, there will be two milestones for fusion research. In 2013, ITER, an international cooperative device, will start operation in France, aiming to operate the first burning plasma in human history. Prior to this, the world's second largest device (currently the world's largest), JT-60SA, will start operation soon at the National Institute for Materials Science in Ibaraki Prefecture as a satellite device of ITER. On the other hand, I think that the recognition of fusion research is not so high even in our university. Therefore, I will give an introduction of fusion research for beginners in the hope that it will raise the awareness of this field and trigger academic fusion.

　Our goal is to understand the capabilities and diversity of silkworms and other insects at the molecular level, to enable "insect design" to freely modify insects, and to use the designed insects for research and industry. The current theme of our research is the creation of a new industry through the development of new silk materials and pharmaceuticals using genetically modified silkworms. In this lecture, we will introduce our research using the silkworm, which is the most domesticated organism on earth with low environmental impact.

　The bones of animals reflect the history of their species, especially their response to the environment. In this lecture, I will introduce the evolutionary history of the Japanese deer by elucidating the relationship between environment, ecology, and morphology based on the geographic variation found in the species throughout Japan. Fossilized bones are also physical evidence of past evolution. By applying the relationships between ecology and morphology revealed in living species to fossils, I will introduce paleontological studies to infer the ecology and evolution of extinct species.