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Neuroscience Laboratories

Brain Engineering Laboratory

Prof. SUZUKI Mototaka Prof. SUZUKI Mototaka

Keywords：

Dendrites, Cerebral cortex, Thalamus, Behavior, Higher brain functions, Cognition

Our laboratory aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms of brain computation—dendrites as the particular focus—using a unique approach combining cutting-edge technology and our original tools

The operating principles of the brain are still unknown and fundamentally different from those of current artificial intelligence systems. There is no doubt that unraveling the operating principles of the brain is not only of biological and medical importance, but also of critical importance in the field of engineering as it has the potential to result in the development of next-generation artificial intelligence. Using an unprecedented approach that combines innovative new tools and state-of-the-art technology, we aim to elucidate the fundamental principle of brain computation with the particular focus on the dendrites and metabotropic receptors.

The graphical abstract of the paper published in 2020 from Cell. We found that general anesthesia decouples the flow of information between cortical layer 5 pyramidal neuron dendrites and their cell bodies, providing a cellular mechanism that unifies two theories of consciousness.

Members

Prof. Mototaka SUZUKI m.suzuki.fbs[at]osaka-u.ac.jp
Asst. Prof. Naoko INABA n-inaba.fbs[at]osaka-u.ac.jp
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Q＆A

What research topics are you currently focusing on?
How is our consciousness generated and lost? Consciousness is temporarily lost by sleep or general anesthesia, but in a healthy brain, consciousness comes back. What is happening in the brain during this process of loss and generation of consciousness? There is no doubt that the brain is necessary for consciousness, but the goal of my laboratory is to understand what is happening where exactly in the brain, at the cellular level.
Please tell us about your latest breakthroughs or key research findings.
I believe that the finding reported in the publication from Cell in 2020 is my most significant achievement to date. This paper reported that when animals (mice) lose consciousness under general anesthesia, the properties of cortical layer 5 pyramidal cells are markedly altered. We also found that metabotropic receptors, which had received little attention until then, plays a key role in this property change.
What kinds of backgrounds do your team members have in your research group?
We just started our laboratory at Osaka University in April 2025 and we are currently looking for new members. In our laboratory in the Netherlands, we work with members with backgrounds in neurobiology and psychology.
Could you tell us about your collaborations with domestic and international research institutions.
I will continue to collaborate with scientists at my former institution, the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), and we also have collaborators at Brown University (USA), Humboldt University (Germany), and the University of Tartu (Estonia). In Japan, we have collaborated with the National Institute for Physiological Sciences and plan to actively explore opportinuties with other research institutions as well.
How do you expect your research to develop in the future?
I would like to advance our understanding of the neural basis of consciousness step by step. Since I have a background in engineering, my strength lies in my ability to develop tools and techniques that have never been seen before. I would like to challenge the difficult problem of the neural basis of consciousness with new and unprecedented approaches and technologies.

Research Highlights

Publications (Research Articles, Reviews, Books)

2025

Toon Brouwer, Mathis Bassler, Cyriel M.A. Pennartz, Mototaka Suzuki

Highly Correlated Activity across Higher-Order Thalamic Nuclei in Awake and Anesthetized States

bioRxiv 2025.10.03.680235  2025 （ DOI：10.1101/2025.10.03.680235）

2023

Mototaka Suzuki, Cyriel M A Pennartz, Jaan Aru

How deep is the brain? The shallow brain hypothesis

Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 24(12):778-791  2023 （PMID：37891398 DOI：10.1038/s41583-023-00756-z）

2020

Mototaka Suzuki, Matthew E Larkum

General Anesthesia Decouples Cortical Pyramidal Neurons

Cell 180(4):666-676.e13  2020 （PMID：32084339 DOI：10.1016/j.cell.2020.01.024）

2017

Mototaka Suzuki, Matthew E Larkum

Dendritic calcium spikes are clearly detectable at the cortical surface

Nat. Commun. 8(1):276  2017 （PMID：28819259 DOI：10.1038/s41467-017-00282-4）

2013

Mototaka Suzuki, Jacqueline Gottlieb

Distinct neural mechanisms of distractor suppression in the frontal and parietal lobe

Nat. Neurosci. 16(1):98-104  2013 （PMID：23242309 DOI：10.1038/nn.3282）

NEWS

Our ideal candidate (as a graduate student)

The brain is an extremely beautiful and complex structure, an organ that still holds many mysteries. For difficult problems, completely new hypotheses and technologies can sometimes lead to breakthroughs. We therefore welcome the participation of students and researchers who are not afraid to adopt novel ideas, new and original technologies, and who are willing to boldly take up the challenge of solving difficult brain problems.

Contact

Brain Engineering Laboratory, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan.
E-mail: m.suzuki.fbs[at]osaka-u.ac.jp (Prof. SUZUKI Mototaka)

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