Unveiling the secret of
germline cells

Research Theme

Although individual animals do die, the species are maintained by sexual reproduction which give rises to next generation. Individuals are just like vehicles in which passenger –genetic information– can ride to be inherited to next generation through germline lineage. As such, germline cells are the most important cells to maintain the species. Drosophila melanogaster is one of the ideal model organisms where we can study gametogenesis. How are germline stem cells maintained in the microenvironment, niche? What is the molecular mechanism that controls germline cells to mature into egg and sperm? How germline genomes are safely guarded by non-coding RNA from transposons attacks? Our group has been addressing such molecular mechanisms for better understanding of gametogenesis.

News

Qin-san, Minami-san, and Chinyere-san presented their research projects at the interim examination (equivalent to the master’s thesis presentation). Well done!
A review paper by Assistant Prof. Suyama as the first author has been published in FEBS J.!
Suyama R, Kai T. (2024) piRNA processing within non-membrane structures is governed by constituent proteins and their functional motifs. FEBS J.
Jun Wei, a former Kai Lab graduate from Singapore, received the Stem Cell Society Singapore’s Susan Lim Award! Congratulations!!
Prof. Kai has been awarded a research grant from the Uehara Memorial Foundation!
Associate Prof. Iki has been awarded a research grant from the Daiichi Sankyo Foundation of Life Science!
Prof. Kai participated as a panelist in the lunchtime seminar at the Annual Meeting of MBSJ! Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion!
Associate Prof. Iki has been awarded a research grant from the Naito Foundation!
Prof. Kai attended and gave a lecture at the Interdisciplinary Symposium “From Innovations to Applications” held at the University of Strasbourg (France) on behalf of Osaka Univ. president.
Prof. Kai was invited to the 64th summer school organized by the Japanese Biochemical Society and gave a career path talk.
Associate Prof. Iki has been awarded a research grant from the Takeda Science Foundation!

Meeting Attendance

The 47th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Fukuoka)
The meeting of Transformative Research Areas A at Nagahama (Nagahama, Shiga)
16th Japanese Drosophila Research Conference (SENDAI International Center, Sendai, Miyagi)
The 46th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Koke)
The meeting of Transformative Research Areas A at Tsuruoka (Tsuruoka, Yamagata)
The 28th Annual Meeting of the RNA Society (Singapore)
The 45th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Chiba)
2022 EMBO Workshop on PIWI Proteins and piRNAs (Online Conference)
The 44th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Yokohama, Kanagawa)
The 62nd Annual Drosophila Research Conference (Online Conference)
The 43rd Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Online Conference)
Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference 5 (APDRC5) (IISER Pune, India)
The 42nd Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Fukuoka)
RNA Frontier Meeting 2019 (Izu, Shizuoka)
52nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists (Osaka)