Students from Motomachi High School Visit PtBio!: 2026-04-02

We were delighted to welcome students from Hiroshima Municipal Motomachi High School to PtBio during their spring break.

PtBio has also introduced its initiatives at the school’s career exploration seminar for second-year students. This time, we had the pleasure of hosting first-year students who are interested in biology and genome editing.

To begin, members of our R&D team guided the students through our laboratory.

While showing them cultured microorganisms and the equipment we use on a daily basis, our researchers spoke about their work and shared their experiences as scientists. They also offered words of advice that extend beyond the lab:“In experiments, we learn from failure and apply those lessons to the next attempt, gradually becoming more efficient and organized.”

We received many thoughtful questions from the students, such as:

“What kind of experiments do you conduct with this machine?”

“Do cells remain alive even when stored at -80°C?”

Their curiosity made the tour especially rewarding for our team.

Next, the students took part in a hands-on activity called the “Genome Detective,” where they explored the world of genome editing and bioinformatics.

Using a large protein database, they searched for ovomucoid, a protein found in chicken eggs. They examined its amino acid sequence and compared it with similar proteins from other birds, such as quail and emu.

When they visualized the three-dimensional structure of ovomucoid in the database, the room filled with excitement: “So this is what it looks like!”

Although the visit was brief, we were very pleased to provide the students with an opportunity to experience PtBio’s work firsthand.

We hope this experience has sparked their interest in genome editing and Bio-DX, and we look forward to seeing where their curiosity takes them in the future!