Researches

Structural biology seeks to provide a complete and coherent picture of biological phenomena at the molecular and atomic level. The three-dimensional structure of macromolecules at an atomic level can create an actual picture of how they work. These days, structural biology is also called structural cell biology and/or structural life science, and is changing into the research field toward life science. Our laboratory aims at achieving a comprehensive understanding of structure/function relationships of key cellular components and processes, and roles in living cells. In the elucidation of three-dimensional structures, X-ray crystallography is extensively used since this method provides us with detailed structural information on the biological functions and roles. We also take an interdisciplinary approach, combined with methods of biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetic and protein engineering. Moreover, we take small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). SAXS can provide a wealth of structural information on biomolecules in solution and is compatible with a wide range of experimental conditions. Cryo-EM has triggered a revolution in structural biology and has become a newly dominant discipline. Especially, single particle cryo-EM has become a powerful method for atomic structure determination. With these structural biological approaches, we can obtain the information on three dimensional structures that are required for drug design and discovery.
We are now carrying out structural biological researches into:
1) innate immune-system proteins
2) proteins in signal transduction
3) medically and pharmaceutically important proteins and plant-derived proteins

Flow of X-ray protein crystallography