Professor Masayuki Murata of Tokyo University of Science appointed as strategic advisor for life science AI business

FRONTEO Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masahiro Morimoto; hereinafter referred to as FRONTEO) is pleased to announce that Masayuki Murata, Specially Appointed Professor at the Graduate School of Science, Tokyo University of Science, has been appointed as a strategic advisor for the company's life science AI business.

Dr. Murata has an outstanding track record of research and a wealth of knowledge in the field of life sciences, particularly in the areas of stratification of cell states, analysis of pathological factors, and cell design.

FRONTEO aims to expand and maximize the value of its life science AI business, including in the field of AI drug discovery, by receiving advice from Mr. Murata ^on hypotheses and anticipated experimental approaches related to novel target discovery, indication discovery, mechanism analysis, biomarker discovery, and in-licensing evaluation within its "FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory" (DDAIF)* AI drug discovery support service specializing in hypothesis generation, as well as cooperation in disseminating information to clients and academia.

Masayuki Murata, Specially Appointed Professor, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo University of Science

In 2022, FRONTEO began joint research with the Cell Regulation Research Center of the Tokyo Institute of Technology's Institute of Innovative Research (now the Graduate School of Tokyo University of Science), where Murata is affiliated, on the analysis of disease structure and the efficiency of drug discovery target search1 ⁾ , and in 2023, Murata will give a lecture at the private conference "FRONTEO AI Innovation Forum" on the theme of "Drug discovery and cell therapy research of Alzheimer's disease-specific iPS cells using covariation network analysis method: expectations for acceleration and precision through AI technology" ²⁾ .

* An AI drug discovery support service in which FRONTEO's drug discovery experts, who are well versed in AI and drug discovery, utilize KIBIT's natural language processing technology and unique analysis methods to search for target molecules and indications and provide supporting hypotheses.

1) Press release dated September 29, 2022: FRONTEO begins joint research with Tokyo Institute of Technology to improve the efficiency and speed of drug discovery target discovery, https://www.fronteo.com/20220929
2) Press release dated July 24, 2023: "AI Innovation Forum 2023" to be held, https://www.fronteo.com/20230724

■About Masayuki Murata
[Biography] 1988: Ph.D. (Science), Graduate School of
Science, Kyoto University. 1989: Assistant professor, Quantum Biology, Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University. During that time, 1993-1995: Study abroad as a visiting researcher at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Germany and the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. 1996: Associate professor, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki National Research Institute. 2003: Professor, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. During that time, concurrently served as Special Professor, University of Tokyo/Nikon Corporation Social Collaboration Program "Next Generation Imaging Image Analysis Course." Concurrently served as Special Professor, Cellular Engineering Research Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Retired from the University of Tokyo in 2021 (Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo). From 2021, Special Professor, Institute of Innovative Research (currently Institute of Innovative Research), Tokyo Institute of Technology (currently Tokyo University of Science). He will be the Director of the Multimodal Cell Analysis Collaborative Research Center at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (currently Tokyo University of Science) from 2022. He is also a specially appointed professor at the International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), International Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Tokyo, and a visiting professor at Jichi Medical University.

[Research theme] Aiming to create a new life science that combines morphological information (cell biology, biophysics, etc.) and molecular information (biochemistry, molecular biology, etc.), we developed a "covariation network analysis technique mainly (PLOM-CON method)" that stratifies cell states based on the temporal synchronization of biomolecules, proteins, in cells, based on a large number of cell (stained) images. We also constructed a "semi-intact cell resealing method" that can temporarily make the cell membrane permeable, exchange cytoplasm while maintaining the morphology and three-dimensional arrangement of organelles and cytoskeleton in the cell, and analytically reconstruct various life phenomena (signal transduction, organelle dynamics, etc.) that occur in a synchronized cytoplasmic environment, and established a method to create various pathological model cells and analyze the pathological expression factors. The former is a technology that can be used for "cell design" and "cell evaluation" to create cellular states under specific conditions, and the The latter is a new technology that enables "cell editing" by changing the drama type of a cell without genetic modification of the cell. By combining these two new technologies and rapidly cycling through the cycle of "cell design → editing → evaluation," we are working to create a "cell design" center that will enable network-based analysis of stratified new drug efficacy, main actions, side effects, and toxicity expression, as well as the creation of safe, new, functionally activated cells without genetic modification.

■ About FRONTEO　URL:https://www.fronteo.com/
FRONTEO supports the judgment of experts in various fields who face social issues day and night through the provision of its proprietary specialized AI "KIBIT," and creates the starting point for innovation. Unlike general-purpose AI, our proprietary natural language processing technology (patented in Japan and the United States) enables high-speed and high-precision analysis without relying on the amount of training data or computing power. In addition, by utilizing patented technology that maps (visualizes the structure) the analyzed information, "KIBIT" can directly influence the insights of experts, and in recent years, KIBIT's technology has also been used in hypothesis generation and target discovery in drug discovery.
Through KIBIT's unique technology and approach, we aim to realize the philosophy of "providing solutions that do not overlook risks and opportunities buried in records, and realizing fairness in the information society." We are promoting social implementation in various fields of legal tech AI.
Founded in August 2003, listed on TSE Mothers (currently TSE Growth) on June 8, 2007. The company operates in Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan. Obtained a first-class medical device manufacturing and sales business license and registered a controlled medical device sales business. Capital: 6 yen (as of March 26, 898,618).

*FRONTEO, KIBIT, and Drug Discovery AI Factory are registered trademarks of FRONTEO in Japan.