Research

Our research interests are very broad, and we encourage interested students and researchers to explore the individual laboratory pages for each of our investigators.

Despite this great diversity, research in our center is unified by a series of common questions:

  • How can we better understand life as a system?
  • How do multiple factors and causes interact in order to create disease?
  • How does disease interfere with the organelle network?
  • How can we use our new systems-biological understanding to create new diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic medicine?

In order to answer these questions, we plan to integrate many existing research fields in a way never before attempted. These fields are:

  • cell biology, in which we study the essential functions of organelles
  • glycobiology, in which we study the glycan network
  • microbiology, in which we study the interaction between pathogen and host

In combination, these fields will create a new field: Organelle Network Medicine.

By analyzing various diseases - infections, myopathy, neurodegeneration, immunological disease, cancer, and life-style diseases such as late-onset diabetes and alcoholism ? from the perspective of the organelle network, we will increase our understanding of the nature of disease itself.

In particular, we will understand how multiple factors at the level of pathogen, host cell, and environment combine and intertwine to produce disease conditions.

A more integrated understanding will allow development of integrated strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Members

Name Affiliated department, position title, Specialized field, Academic degree Research
Yoshihiro Yoneda Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Professor, Cell Biology, M.D., Ph.D. Nuclear Networking and Cell Function
Tatsushi Toda Graduate School of Medicine　(Division of Medicine), Guest Professor, Mol.Genetics&Neurology, M.D.Ph.D. Functional analyses of sugar chains, proteins, and genome in neurological diseases
YoshihideTsujimoto Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Professor,　Medical Genetics, Ph.D. Study of programmed cell death
Kiyoshi Takeda Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Professor, Immunology, M.D., Ph.D. Involvement of innate immunity in intestinal mucosal inflammation
Kazunori Tomono Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Professor, Clinical Microbiology, M.D., Ph.D. Under construction.
Taiichi Katayama United Graduate School of Child Development (Department of Child Development), Professor, Anatomy&Neurosci, M.D,.Ph.D. Research Theme
Toshikazu Nakamura Center for Advanced Science and Innovation (Joint Research Division for Regeneartive Drug Discovery), Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Ph.D. Researches into novel functions of HGF and promotion of clinical application of HGF
Tetsuo Takehara Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Professor, Gastroenterology & Hepatology,M.D.,Ph.D. Molecular and immune mechanisms of viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma
Eiji Miyoshi Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Health Sciences), Professor, Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, M.D., Ph.D. Integrated functional analyses of disease-associated sugar chains lead to the establishment of glyco-medicine
Yoshinao Wada Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Guest Professor, Mass Spectrometry, M.D., Ph.D. Research Theme
Yukari Fujimoto Graduate School of Science (Department of Chemistry), Associate Professor, Organic Chemistry, Ph. D. Molecular basis for activation of immune system with recognition of microbial glycoconjugates
Naoyuki Taniguchi RIKEN (Systems Glycobiology Research Group), Group Director, Biochemistry, M.D., Ph.D.
 Systems glycobiology and the role of glycans in disease
Hitoshi Kikutani Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Immunology, M.D., Ph.D. Molecular mechanisms involved in regulation of immune responses
Eisuke Mekada Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Cell Biology, Ph.D. Molecular analysis of the bacterial toxin entry and application for medicine
Tamotsu Yoshimori Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Professor, Cell Biology, Ph.D. Investigation of Molecular Machinery of the Organelles Network to Understand Its Pathophysiology
Yoshiharu Matsuura Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Virology, Ph.D. Molecular mechanisms of HCV propagation and pathogenesis
Tatsuo Shioda Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Virology, Ph.D. Studies on host factors related to HIV infection
Yasuhiko Horiguchi Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Bacteriology, Ph.D. Study of the structure and function of pathogenic bacterial virulence factors
Kazuyoshi Ikuta Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Virology, Ph.D. Studying emerging viral infections and their pathogenesis
Toshihiro Horii Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Professor, Parasitology, Ph.D. Research Theme
Shizuo Akira WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Professor, Immunology, M.D., Ph.D. Studies on innate immunity
Taroh Kinoshita WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Professor, Immunology, Ph.D. The roles of GPI-anchors in host-parasite interactions
Hisashi Arase WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Professor, Immunology, M.D., Ph.D. Research Theme
Atsushi Kumanogoh Graduate School of Medicine (Division of Medicine), Professor, Immunology, M.D., Ph.D. Research Theme
Tadashi Suzuki RIKEN (Systems Glycobiology Research Group), Team Leader, Biochemistry, D. Sc. Analysis of physiological roles of the cytoplasmic PNGase and non-lysosomal catabolic pathway for N-glycans
Yoshiki Yamaguchi RIKEN (Syetems Glycobiology Research Group), Team Leader, Structural Biology, D. Pharm. Structural analysis of glycoproteins and glycan-related proteins

GCOE Associate Professors

Name Affiliated department, position title, Specialized field, Academic degree Research
Takashi Angata RIKEN (Systems Glycobiology Research Group)
 Under construction.
Takeshi Fujiwara Graduate School of Medicine
 Identification of novel molecular mechanisms that modulate neurodegeneration
Wataru Kamitani Research Institute for Microbial Diseases Under construction.

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