Assistance for the researchers affected by the Tohoku Earthquake From the participants of the Annual Northwest Developmental Biology Conference at the Friday Harbor Labs

(2011.04.02)

Assistance for the researchers affected by the Tohoku Earthquake
From the participants of the Annual Northwest Developmental Biology Conference at the Friday Harbor Labs

I received the following message from the participants of the Annual Northwest Developmental Biology Conference at the Friday Harbor Labs for their Japanese friends and colleagues.

I have also just received word that early this morning, the greenhouse at Misaki Marine Biological Station was destroyed by a fire. Fortunately, there were no human casualties from this incident. The greenhouse, however, was the oldest wooden structure at the marine station and was in the midst of being turned into a museum after it was registered as a cultural property. The cause of the fire is thought to be problems in the electrical system brought about by the earthquake. I hope that not only researchers in the areas directly affected by the earthquake, but also those in areas that experienced strong aftershocks will thoroughly confirm and ensure the safety of their homes.

M Hoshi,

Dear Ghen,

In these two attachments I am sending a message of encouragement from the many developmental biologists who are having their annual Northwest Developmental Biology Conference at the Friday Harbor Labs. We all are intensely concerned with the terrible events that are occurring in Japan, and all of us want to tell our Japanese colleagues so. I don't know how to spread our concern to our many Japanese friends, and hope you may have email addresses of individuals, developmental societies and universities and can forward the attachments to them, or to as many as is convenient.

The pictures we see daily of these events are beyond understanding, and now to have the horrible potential of the danger from the nuclear plants is simply too much to bear. Helen and I visited Sendai when our dear friend and colleague, Shigeki Mizuno, lived there, so I have a personal concern for the place. Shigeki, sadly, has died, and I don;t know whether his wife, Rin,still lives there.

I hope that you, personally, are safe.

Arthur

etc166e
Update 2011.04.02