Sendai City Science Museum Permanent displays "ATGC Nano Journey"

The Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) at Tohoku University, which aims to restore regional medical care from the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and to build a new medical system that can cope with large-scale information technology, is constructing a biobank that combines medical information and genomic information.
Until now, the differences in how some people respond to the same medication for the same disease while others do not have been explained by vague terms like "constitution" because the details were not fully understood. However, since the completion of the human genome sequencing, it has gradually become clear that subtle individual differences in genome sequences can create differences in "constitution."

Since 2013, ToMMo has been conducting cohort studies in Tohoku, collecting various information and biological samples such as blood from many people. Through this analysis, we have developed a gene analysis tool called "Japonica Array®" that enables high-precision and low-cost analysis of Japanese genome information. To create next-generation medicine, it is necessary to collect even larger amounts of data by soliciting cooperation from a wide range of generations.

To raise awareness of these activities, ToMMo has set up a permanent displays in the "Life and Science - Wonder Science Room" on the 3rd floor of the Sendai Science Museum. Our company is in charge of the planning and concept design of displays.

To make it easy for everyone to understand, the museum uses story-driven graphics and touch-panel games that immerse visitors in a journey through the human body, introducing cells, genomes, and other related concepts, and showcasing ToMMo's vision of personalized, next-generation medicine. It also conveys the message, "You are unique in the world; cherish your differences," aimed at a wide audience.

ToMMo's goal of creating the next generation of medical care requires collecting genomes from many people and analyzing minute individual differences in sequences. To raise awareness of their activities and gain cooperation, it is necessary to communicate the often complex nature of DNA and genomes in an easy-to-understand manner to many people of all ages. This time, they were looking to us for that part.

The museum uses story-like graphics like a picture book, in which visitors gradually become smaller and enter a cell to travel to the DNA and genome, expressing DNA and genomes, which can be difficult to understand. A turn-type graphic made of sewn fabric is also used to actively search for the answer. In addition, an original game on a large touch panel monitor was used to convey information while playing, such as why some people respond to the same medicine for the same disease while others do not.