Chapter 199
The 70th Academic Meeting of the Japanese Society for Virology was held in Sendai. There seemed to be a large number of participants, partly because the event was held immediately after the end of the coronavirus pandemic. Even though it was a virology conference, I hardly saw anyone wearing masks. Sendai is the place where the Sendai virus was discovered, a major discovery that made Japanese virus research known to the world, and can be said to be the birthplace of Japanese virology. We had the honor of having our advertisement featured on the back cover of the conference proceedings, so we saw it everywhere during the conference, including inside the venue, on the subway, and at the airport. LEDPURE's promotional video was also shown in the International Center's large hall during the break. The reason why an unknown company is allowed to advertise on such a large scale is because the chairman, Dr. Shuichi Nishimura, recognizes the inactivating effect of UVC-LEDs. The doctor is a man of justice who has become a hot topic in the past when he published a paper on the sterilization and inactivation effects of air purifiers made by major home appliance manufacturers. Wanting to be evaluated by such a doctor, I sent a set of LEDPURE products that I had just completed to the National Hospital Organization Sendai Medical Center Virus Center without permission, and he scolded me and said, ``I thought it was a bomb'', and we have become close friends ever since. I am allowed to do so. In addition to evaluating UVC-LEDs, sterilizers, and air purifiers, research on how UV-LEDs can effectively capture mosquitoes (Anopheles spp.) that transmit infectious diseases such as Malaria, Ebola, and Zika in the Philippines. I heard that in the past, the carbon dioxide emitted by cows was used to attract mosquitoes. I also have fond memories of walking through the city of the Philippines when a squall suddenly started pouring down, and we both got soaked wet and ran as fast as we could to the hotel, almost getting run over by a car. Now, the threat of the new coronavirus has passed, but when we look at the lecture titles and posters, we can see that humanity continues to fight a deadly battle against various viruses. In addition to the new coronavirus, many schools in Tokushima are currently closing classes due to unseasonal adenovirus and influenza outbreaks. It is not clear whether these viral infections are related to global warming, but it cannot be said that they are unrelated. Medicine is about elucidating the biological mechanisms after something has happened, so the mainstream presentation at academic conferences seems to be to administer the drug to mice, observe the progress, pick up any unusual progress, and investigate the cause. Although the research was made possible at the expense of countless mice, we have already demonstrated that it is possible to stop infections with air purifiers and germicidal lighting. Despite this, there is no recommendation at all to use it as a preventive measure. Fortunately, products are regularly sold on the Internet, etc., which shows that households are highly aware of this issue. These products irradiate light with a wavelength of 275 nm to various bacteria and viruses, including not only coronaviruses but also influenza viruses, noroviruses, Legionella bacteria, E. coli, etc., regardless of whether they are in water, in the air (aerosol), or on surfaces. The sterilization and inactivation effects were verified. This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Hungarian Dr. Katalin Kariko and others who contributed to the development of an effective mRNA vaccine against the new coronavirus. Hungary may have a modest image, but it has the impression that it is an interesting country that produced geniuses such as physicist Wigner. In Japan, I would like to see another award winner with connections to Sendai, following Dr. Koichi Tanaka, a Tohoku University graduate who won the Nobel Chemistry Prize.
The scene of influenza virus aerosol test of LEDPURE at the Virus center in Sendai.
October 5, 2023
What I thought at the Sendai Virology Society
