Better and more vaccines for a safer world

摘要

The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University (BIKEN) recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. Koichi Yamanishi, director general of BIKEN, talks about the past, present and future of vaccine development at the foundation. BIKEN recently celebrated its 80th year, a very special occasion for the newly appointed director general, Koichi Yamanishi, who is also professor emeritus and former dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Osaka University. Yamanishi spent most of his life working as a researcher next door at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, where most of the groundwork takes place for the vaccines that BIKEN later develops, produces and supplies worldwide. "BIKEN is the first successful venture in vaccine development originating from academia in Japan," he says.