This panel targets research fields that aim to understand biological phenomena in a multilayered manner, from the atomic and molecular scale to the cellular and organismal levels. While we value the deepening of research within specific hierarchical layers, we also expect the emergence of integrative studies that reconnect accumulated knowledge across different layers, thereby enabling a more holistic understanding of life. In recent years, advances in measurement and manipulation technologies, analytical methodologies, and the introduction of AI have made it increasingly feasible as a research strategy to bridge studies across layers that were traditionally siloed. We welcome original research grounded in such perspectives, while also placing importance on sound proposals that deepen understanding within individual layers.

The long-term support of up to seven years provides an essential temporal foundation for research that requires persistent trial and error. We hope that researchers will thoroughly pursue studies at each hierarchical level—atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, and organisms—and that the questions and perspectives arising in this process will evolve into inquiries that span across these layers.

This panel includes advisors who specialize in a wide range of hierarchical levels from atoms and molecules to cells and whole organisms, bringing diverse viewpoints and experiences. We place great value on fostering an environment where researchers, including the advisors, can interact with and stimulate one another, giving rise to new ideas that transcend disciplinary and hierarchical boundaries.

To young researchers, we encourage you to cherish your own interests and intuition. Research that crosses disciplinary boundaries can often be challenging. Yet life is driven by mechanisms that far exceed our current understanding. We look forward to receiving research proposals that confront, head-on, the questions you truly wish to explore. We are excited to encounter your unique ideas and ambitious endeavors.