From December 2009 to the end of February 2010, I was at the National Institutes of Health (NIH, NCI, Experimental Retrovirology Section, HAMB) in Bethesda, Maryland, to research the abnormal processing (degradation) of the Gag protein containing amino-acids (AA) insertion.

My research aim at the NIH was to conduct structural analysis of the above-mentioned unstable Gag protein containing AA inserts. Computational molecular modeling is necessary for analysis of structural differences between wild-type Gag protein and unstable mutant Gag protein containing AA inserts. In addition, computational modeling allows us to examine which positions of the Gag inserts elicit the most Gag degradation.

While at the NIH, I could collaborate with two researchers who are specialists of structural analysis and obtain data by accessing the NIH’s computational resources.
My family lived in Rockville, which was both safe and convenient. There was record snowfalls in the DC area and my family struggled through it, but those things have become good memories now.

I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Maeda, Dr. Nakata, Mr. Hayashi and the other colleagues in NIH for their kind support and friendship. Also I’d like to express my gratitude to Prof. Mitsuya and Prof. Takiguchi for giving the opportunity to research abroad, and to Ms. Sakai and Ms. Nojiri who belong to Kumamoto University for their support to go through the advance formalities.