Akira Suyama
	Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences Department of Life Sciences, University of Tokyo After studying physics at the University of Tokyo, Akira Suyama undertook postgraduate work in the field of biophysics. He was awarded a Ph.D. in science for his work on the kinetics of the double helix structure of DNA. After working as an assistant at the University of Tokyo and Associate Professor at the Nagaoka University of Technology, he took up his present post in 1992. About five years ago he became involved in molecular computer research and has actively worked on related applications, including DNA chips and genetic analysis. Akira Suyama is co-researcher for Olympus's genome medical business and has also been acting as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of NovusGene.

Toru Makino
	General Manager, Research and Development, NovusGene Inc. Toru Makino has played a pivotal role in biotechnology research at Olympus, and in 2000 he became the Group Leader of the Life-science Research Center (LRC). He has been involved in the development of genetic data analysis technology, high-sensitivity DNA optical analysis systems, immunology/DNA analysis systems, and oligo DNA probe design tools. In February 2001 he was appointed General Manager of Research and Development for NovusGene, a joint venture established by Olympus and Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd. In addition to his work on DNA computer development, he is also busy preparing for the commercialization of genetic information analysis services.

Sachiko Karaki
	Research Group Leader, Genome Medical Business Promotion Department, Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. Sachiko Karaki has been involved in biotechnology research since joining Olympus 24 years ago. In 1988 she began to study immunology at the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo, and five years later she earned her Ph.D. in medicine. She has become the public face of Olympus's biotechnology activities through the preparation of articles about genome science for in-house newsletters, and her appearance at the press conference at which Olympus announced the DNA computer. She is also remembered for attending her first divisional managers' conference wearing a bright red suit. In 1999 she described her experiences in a book called Chiisana Chiisana Anata wo Unde [Giving Birth to a Tiny, Tiny You] (published by Yomiuri Shimbunsha), which made headlines when it was dramatized for television. Each day Sachiko goes home to have dinner with her five-year-old beloved daughter before returning to the office.