Lab of Information Biology Graduate School of Information Sciences
Tohoku University Obayashi Lab.

Please note that, as a general policy, we do not accept research students who have not yet been admitted to the graduate program. This is to ensure that current students and researchers in the lab have sufficient access to research opportunities. We appreciate your understanding.

In the Obayashi Laboratory, members are encouraged to conduct their research at their own pace while maintaining an open and supportive environment.
The main activities of our daily laboratory life are as follows:

• Start of the day：Members usually begin their research in the morning (by around 10:00 a.m.). Starting work in the morning helps maintain a stable daily rhythm and naturally increases opportunities to communicate with other members during the day.
• Seminar：Every Monday, we hold a seminar that includes both a Progress Seminar and a Paper Introduction.
• Open Office：Every Friday, each student has an individual discussion with the PI (Prof. Obayashi) during Open Office hours. This time is used to review research directions and to discuss everyday questions and ideas.
• Student Study Group：Student-led study groups are also held regularly. In 2025, the topics are Machine Learning in the spring semester and Statistics in the fall semester. The spring sessions were jointly organized with the Kinoshita-Nishi Laboratory and the Yamada Laboratory.
• Study Session (for beginners)：For students new to information science or bioinformatics, a Study Session is held every Tuesday. During the first year in the laboratory, members can use this time to build a solid foundation in programming and data analysis.
• Desk Environment：To enjoy research comfortably, maintaining a good relationship with computers is essential. Each student’s desk is equipped with an electric height-adjustable desk, an adjustable monitor, and a business chair, providing a comfortable and focused working environment. For computational resources, students make use of personal computers, laboratory servers, and shared supercomputing systems, depending on the purpose of their work.

The logo of our laboratory consists of a green angular shape and a rounded red shape. It was originally proposed to represent the integration of informatics and biology, but when you look closely, the two shapes appear not so much harmonized as engaged in a kind of tension or interplay. The contrast between the angular and rounded forms also resembles the two major eukaryotic groups: Diaphoretickes (plants, diatoms, etc.) and Amorphea (animals, fungi, etc.). Seeing this, I was reminded of a phrase I once heard by chance on television: “Life is interdependence.”
It is natural that heterotrophs, such as animals, depend on autotrophs, such as plants. Yet autotrophs, after decomposition, return inorganic nutrients to the environment, which in turn become part of other autotrophs. There is no winning or losing; the entire system simply exists in balance, and this feels quietly comforting. Our laboratory, with many international members, is a very energetic place.
I hope that each member will grow and work freely, and that together we will continue to make our lab an enjoyable and lively community. This spirit is what led us to this logo.