HORIBA, Ltd. has selected the winners of the 2024 Masao Horiba Awards for promotion of research in analytical and measurement technologies from among scientists and engineers at universities and public research institutes worldwide. Launched in 2003, the 20th Masao Horiba Awards this year received 25 entries from scientists and engineers worldwide for their work in water quality analysis and measurement technologies that are expected to contribute to the conservation of the water environment. The screening committee comprised seven judges including prestigious scientists and engineers in the field. They selected three winners and two honorable mentions after evaluating each entry considering the based on promise, originality, and potential as a unique measurement instrument or method.
Award Winners and Their Award-Winning Research
【Masao Horiba Awards】
Dr. Takuro Ideguchi
Associate Professor
Institute for Photon Science and Technology, School of Science,
The University of Tokyo
“Development of super-resolution infrared microscopy and ultrafast infrared spectroscopy”
Dr. Chen Qian
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China
“Lab to Lake: Excitation-Emission Matrix's Voyage from Theory to Practice”
Dr. Nobutaka Shirasaki
Associate Professor
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
“Investigating of the occurrence of pathogenic viruses in drinking water sources and their reduction efficiencies in drinking water treatment processes by applying novel virus quantification and concentration methods”
【Masao Horiba Awards -Honorable Mention-】
Dr. Tomoko Takahashi
Researcher
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology Marine Plastics Research Group, Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change
“Development of in situ continuous in-flow microplastic monitoring techniques using optical and spectroscopic techniques”
Dr. Tania Louise Read
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick
“Development of Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes for Key Analytes in the Aqueous Environment and Beyond.”
About Masao Horiba Awards
HORIBA, Ltd. established the Masao Horiba Awards in 2003 to commemorate its 50th anniversary. This award aims to support up-and-coming scientists and engineers both in Japan and overseas who are involved in research and development expected to bring about innovative analytical and measurement technologies. The major goal is to help further elevate the standing of measurement technologies in the science and technology field. The Masao Horiba Awards spotlight unique research and development of which results and future potential have global appeal by selecting specific themes within the analytical and measurement technologies field. Each year the MH Awards are centered upon the selected principles and elemental technologies cultivated by the HORIBA Group.
Screening Committee for the 2024 Masao Horiba Awards
(Honorific titles omitted, in no particular order)
| Chairperson | Susumu Kuwabata Professor Emeritus, Osaka University |
| Judges | Paul K. Westerhoff Professor, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University |
| Huang Qinghui Associate Professor, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University | |
| Akio Imai Research Director, Center for Environmental Science in Saitama | |
| Madoka Takai Professor, Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo | |
| Yuichi Ichinari Deputy General Manager, Advanced Technology Development Department, Development Division, HORIBA Advanced Techno Co., Ltd. | |
| Yuji Nishio Senior Meister, Advanced Technology Development Department, Development Division, HORIBA Advanced Techno Co., Ltd. | |
| Award Director | Atsushi Horiba Chairman & Group CEO, HORIBA, Ltd. |
| Chief of the Organizing Committee | Masayuki Adachi President & COO, HORIBA, Ltd. |
| Vice Chief of the Organizing Committee | Hiroshi Nakamura Corporate Officer, Chief Technology Officer, R&D Division General Manager, HORIBA, Ltd. |
About the Award Ceremony
Date : Thursday, October 17, 2024
Venue : Kyoto City (planned)
2024 Masao Horiba Awards Ceremony Program (Tentative)
1st Session: Commemorative Seminar (Starting at 3:00 p.m.）
・Winner presentations : Three winners and two honorable mention
2nd Session: Award Ceremony (Starting at 5:00 p.m.)
・Introduction of award-winning research
・Presentation of a certificate and prize money
Eligible Fields and Background of the 2024 Masao Horiba Awards
In recent years, with the environmental changes of our planet, there has been a growing interest in sustainable development in various industries, of which water quality analysis and measurement technologies are becoming increasingly important. Water is the foundation of our life and an indispensable resource in a wide range of areas, including drinking water, agriculture, and industrial activities. Water flows from rivers to the oceans, evaporates from the oceans, falls to the earth's surface as rain and snow, and returns to the oceans through rivers. In our daily lives, we use only a small portion of the water in this never-ending cycle, but there have been numerous occasions in the past when the accumulated impact of human industrial activities has become a major water quality issue.
As our rapidly developing society becomes increasingly concerned about the impact of substances contained in wastewater from industrial activities on the global environment and ecosystems, stricter regulations are inevitable. It is important to develop new measurement technologies to detect substances that have been difficult to measure in the past. Not only that, but it is also equally essential to have improvement of existing measurement technologies with easy on-site detection manners, to protect clean water and the environment. These types of new measurement technologies will be necessary for the future preservation of a sustainably clean water environment.
In addition, upgrading water treatment systems is essential for achieving a sustainable water cycle. Treatment of domestic and industrial wastewater for the purpose of reducing the environmental impact of its discharge, or to maintain a safe drinking quality of river water and groundwater, is necessary to establish a water cycle in any country or region in the world. Water treatment systems are closely related to analysis and measurement in that proper management is achieved by monitoring water quality before and after treatment in a complementary manner. Water quality sensing technology and water quality measurement systems are required to advance water treatment in order to most efficiently utilize limited water resources and strengthen the foundation for building a recycling-oriented society.
The 2024 Masao Horiba Award targets water quality analysis and measurement technologies that contribute to the conservation of the water environment and the creation of a recycling-oriented society., As described above, the spotlighted research should exhibit ambition towards developing the most innovative and effective analysis and measurement technologies aimed to protect all water quality globally.
Winners and their award-winning research
【Masao Horiba Awards】
Dr. Takuro Ideguchi
Associate Professor
Institute for Photon Science and Technology, School of Science, The University of Tokyo “Development of super-resolution infrared microscopy and ultrafast infrared spectroscopy”
Chemical analysis of microplastics (MPs)* is essential for preserving the water environment. Infrared spectroscopy*, one of the useful chemical analysis methods, has two shortages for MPs analysis: (1) MPs whose size is below one μm cannot be analyzed by this method. (2) Acquisition time tends to be long. Dr. Ideguchi developed mid-infrared photothermal microscopy* to solve the issue (1). This microscope can visualize finer MPs down to approximately 100 nm in size, enabling analyzing nano plastics, which are known to be difficult to evacuate from the human body. He also developed the fastest infrared spectroscopy, called time-stretch infrared spectroscopy*, to solve the issue (2) and demonstrated approximately 100 million data acquisition per second. This method allows us to collect a massive amount of chemical data in a short time, showing a possibility for big data analysis of MPs.
*Microplastics:
Tiny plastic particles found in the environment. There are concerns about their significant adverse effects on the human body and the environment, especially in the marine ecosystem.
*Infrared Spectroscopy:
A method of irradiating a sample with light in the infrared region and measuring the light absorption of each wavelength. Since the wavelengths absorbed vary depending on the structure of the molecules that make up microplastics, it is possible to determine what molecules are contained in them by measuring the infrared spectrum, with the wavelength on the horizontal axis plotted against the amount of light absorbed or transmitted on the vertical axis.
*Mid-infrared Photothermal Microscope:
A super-resolution infrared spectroscopic microscope that irradiates a sample with mid-infrared laser light and utilizes the change in refractive index (photothermal effect) caused by the rise in temperature near the molecules that absorb mid-infrared light. In principle, infrared spectroscopy is achieved in a fine analysis area by detecting the change in refractive index with visible light, which has a finer analysis area than mid-infrared light.
*Time-stretch Infrared Spectroscopy:
An infrared spectroscopic method in which an ultrashort pulse laser light consisting of light of various wavelengths is irradiated onto a sample, and the intensity information (spectrum) of the transmitted light for each wavelength is converted into a time waveform of the pulse light intensity to obtain the spectrum.
Dr. Chen Qian
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China
“Lab to Lake: Excitation-Emission Matrix's Voyage from Theory to Practice”
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a key factor in water quality as it provides information on the movement and transformation of pollutants. To better understand DOM in water environment, three-dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix spectroscopy* is considered an effective tool because of its high precision and speed. However, applying this method in real-world environmental monitoring has been challenging due to (1) interference from water turbidity, (2) its complicated data processing, (3) and traditional lab-based methodology which hinders the onsite real-time analysis. To tackle these challenges, Dr. Qian proposed a novel algorithm that improves accuracy in environmental water quality analysis by providing a better data handling on measurement interference caused by characteristics of natural water environment. Additionally, he invented a portable, miniaturized device that allows real-time water quality analysis. His research work contributes as a package of both software and hardware in providing a rapid and precise analysis in the onsite field monitoring of water environment. The results of this research are expected to lead to significant future applications of three-dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix Spectroscopy for monitoring field and water treatment processes, and implications for policy-making and public health.
*Three-dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix Spectroscopy:
A method for analyzing a substance (fluorescent organic material) by shining different wavelength light(excitation), which is absorbed at specific wavelength light and emits as light at longer wavelengths (emission) . Scientists create a detailed map of its fluorescent characteristics based on three-dimensional data on excitation, emission, and light intensity data.
Dr. Nobutaka Shirasaki
Associate Professor
Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
“Investigating of the occurrence of pathogenic viruses in drinking water sources and their reduction efficiencies in drinking water treatment processes by applying novel virus quantification and concentration methods”
To control waterborne diseases and to ensure a stable supply of safe drinking water, it is essential to understand the occurrence of pathogenic viruses in drinking water sources and their removal efficiencies in drinking water treatment processes. Dr. Shirasaki improved and optimized a method that combines a photoreactive intercalating dye, which is used to determine whether bacteria are alive or dead, with a PCR* method1 for virus quantification, and developed a novel virus concentration method using two membranes, making it possible to investigate the occurrence of pathogenic viruses and to discuss the presence or absence of infectious viruses in drinking water sources. By applying the developed virus concentration method to water samples collected at actual drinking water treatment plants, he successfully evaluated the virus treatment properties in full-scale drinking water treatment processes. Furthermore, he prepared virus-like particles (VLPs)* of human norovirus, which is difficult to culture, and developed a method to quantify them in high sensitivity, and then successfully evaluated the removal efficiencies of human norovirus particles in drinking water treatment processes. This method is more time-efficient compared to the traditional culture method for human norovirus. In addition, he established a method for producing purified solutions of human sapovirus3 at high concentrations, and a method for evaluating its infectivity. As a result, he succeeded in understanding the removal and inactivation efficiencies of human sapovirus* in drinking water treatment processes ahead of the rest of the world.
*PCR method:
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique to amplify specific DNA sequences through the action of an enzyme called heat-resistant DNA polymerase.
*virus-like particles (VLPs):
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are particles that are equivalent in size, particle structure, and antigenicity to real viruses. It can be prepared large quantities without cell-based culture.
*sapovirus:
Sapovirus belongs to the same family of Caliciviridae as norovirus. It causes viral gastroenteritis.
【Masao Horiba Awards -Honorable Mention-】
Dr. Tomoko Takahashi
Researcher
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology Marine Plastics Research Group, Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change
“Development of in situ continuous in-flow microplastic monitoring techniques using optical and spectroscopic techniques”
Microplastics (MPs) are serious pollutants in global marine environments, and it is essential to get more specific information of the MPs distribution, composition, and the temporal dynamic change for better understanding. However, the current surveys mainly focus on the surface distribution, and the particle sizes are limited to > 100 µm. To deal with this problem, Dr. Takahashi developed non-contact, label-free, and real-time monitoring method by integrating Raman spectroscopy and holographic imaging system*. This novel method enables the accurate classification of MPs and other particles. Continuous monitoring in the deep sea becomes possible with the development and operation of in-situ device which is available in the deep sea (> 1000 m). In addition, the detection and classification of tiny MPs (< 100 µm) and algae have been successfully performed by applying coherent-anti Stokes Raman scattering*.
These methods will enable dynamic measurements of MPs at much higher spatial and temporal scales than ever, and it will be expected to establish as fundamental techniques for monitoring early stage of marine pollution.
*Holographic imaging system:
The image acquisition technique with phenomena of interference and diffraction of light. In this research, it applies to the reconstruction focused images of objects existing at an arbitrary location in a large volume space by analyzing scattered light.
*Coherent-anti Stokes Raman scattering:
A kind of Raman scattering spectroscopy. By irradiating two different types of light, matching the frequencies difference to the frequency from the sample molecules, and interacting with incident light, a weak Raman signal can be forced to be generated.
Dr. Tania Louise Read
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick
“Development of Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes for Key Analytes in the Aqueous Environment and Beyond”
Dissolved oxygen, pH, and heavy metals are important environmental indicators in the measurement of environmental water and drinking water quality, and their rapid and accurate measurement is indispensable.
However, conventional sensors have problems with measurement time and durability. To address these issues, Dr. Read developed a sensor that can simultaneously measure dissolved oxygen concentration and pH, and a sensor that can measure heavy metals while controlling the local pH using a Boron Doped Diamond (BDD*) electrode.
Through laser processing of a controlled portion of the BDD electrode surface, she succeeded in developing a robust sensor that can rapidly measure dissolved oxygen concentration and pH simultaneously. Additionally, by developing a ring-disk electrode with a ring-type BDD electrode placed around the disk-type BDD electrode, she succeeded in measuring heavy metals while quantitatively controlling the local pH of the disk electrode by the flux of hydrogen ions generated by the electrolysis of water on the ring electrode surface. This eliminates the need for sample pretreatment required by conventional sensors and enables rapid and accurate real-time monitoring. These technologies can contribute to analysis in a wide range of fields beyond the environment, including the medical field.
*Boron Doped Diamond (BDD):
Diamond doped with boron, exhibiting metal-like conductivity. It is physically and chemically stable and has the property of being resistant to degradation even after long-term use, allowing for high-precision measurements even in harsh environments where conventional sensors are challenging to use.
