Manipulation of life forms at will！
Well-being（心身の健康と社会的充実を包括する状態）は、持続可能な社会を築くうえで不可欠な基盤です。私たちはこのWell-beingの実現に向けて、最先端の医学・工学・情報科学を融合した「デジタル生物学（Digital Biology）」の研究に取り組んでいます。なかでも注力しているのは、栄養素が生体システムに与える影響を分子レベルで精密に理解・制御する技術の開発です。生命の作動原理を深く理解しながら、それを「食による予防・先制医療」へと応用することを目指しています。将来的には、個人の健康状態をリアルタイムでモニタリングし、ライフスタイルや体質に応じた最適な栄養介入を提案することで、疾病の予防と健康寿命の延伸に貢献したいと考えています。そして誰もがWell-beingに暮らせる社会の実現を目指します。
私たちは、以下のような研究を行っています。 研究内容にご関心・ご質問等がありましたら、遠慮なくご連絡ください！
Well-being, defined as an integrated state of physical, mental, and social health, constitutes a foundational pillar for the development of a sustainable society. Our research is oriented toward realizing this concept through an interdisciplinary approach that merges cutting-edge methodologies in medicine, engineering, and information science—collectively framed within the emerging field of Digital Biology.
A central focus of our work involves elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which individual nutrients influence physiological systems, with the aim of establishing precise strategies for their regulation. Through this, we seek not only to deepen our understanding of the fundamental principles governing biological function but also to translate such insights into preemptive and preventive healthcare practices rooted in diet. Looking ahead, we envision a platform in which real-time health monitoring—enabled by wearable technologies—is integrated with adaptive nutritional recommendations tailored to individual physiological and lifestyle profiles. Such a system would support the early mitigation of disease risk and promote the extension of healthspan, thereby contributing to a society in which all individuals can experience a high level of well-being.
Our ongoing research encompasses the following areas. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in learning more or engaging in collaborative discussion.
Key Publications
- Rapid manipulation of mitochondrial morphology in a living cell with iCMM. Cell Rep Methods. 2021.
- Identification of a p53-repressed gene module in breast cancer cells. Oncotarget. 2017.
- Argininosuccinate synthase 1 is an intrinsic Akt repressor transactivated by p53. Sci Adv. 2017.
- Compartmentalized AMPK signaling illuminated by genetically encoded molecular sensors and actuators. Cell Rep. 2015.
- Rapid and orthogonal logic gating with a gibberellin-induced dimerization system. Nat Chem Biol. 2012.
CANCER METABOLISM
Cancer metabolism refers to the mechanism by which cancer cells procure the energy required for growth and spread, differing from the metabolic processes of healthy cells. Comprehending cancer metabolism is crucial for advancing therapeutic tactics to curb or delay cancer progression.
Our ongoing research endeavors to address the following inquiries:
- What underlies the dissimilar metabolic systems of cancer cells?
- How do cancer cells perceive and communicate metabolic information to their adaptive mechanisms?
- Can novel cancer treatments be devised by disrupting the metabolic systems of cancer cells?
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY
The development of biomolecular devices aimed at deliberately manipulating cellular functions has garnered attention in the interdisciplinary field of synthetic biology. To develop useful biomolecular devices, it is necessary to understand how all bio-molecules cooperate to exhibit functionality and to control biomolecules accordingly. Projects underway in this field are as follows:
- Synthetic lethal weapon to combat cancer cells
- Reprogramming devices to perturb spatiotemporal signaling dynamics in a cell
- Reprogramming devices to perturb metabolic systems in a cell
DIGITAL × BIOLOGY
What would change when artificial intelligence (AI) will be comprehensible enough for everyone to use it? We are currently trying to comprehend and manipulate life forms using "digital biology", a concept that integrates life science and AI technology. AI may assist to visualize the substance of life forms that is difficult to observe through naked eyes. Some of the projects that we are currently working on include:
- Digital stain, a label-free imaging technology
- Application of digital biosensor to visualize invisible information
- Unravelling the mechanism underlying intratumor heterogeneity
PERSONALIZED NUTRITION
Diet is a tremendously complex input for human beings, and personalized nutrition means that the function of 37 trillion cells in our body can be precisely regulated by the input information alone. We are currently working with several collaborators to resolve this challenge. Some of the projects that we are currently working on include:
- Visualization of biological information encoded in blood.
- Epidemiological studies on food and health.
ORGANELLE CODE
The diversity of morphologies displayed by living entities can be attributed to multiple factors, including the attainment of self-replication, the quintessence of life, and the facilitation of efficient information exchange at the cellular level. Consequently, we posit that morphology is not just a phenotype but also a crucial factor in the organization of life. Our objective is to decipher the biological information embedded in the various morphologies possessed by living beings. The current queries being explored in this regard are:
- Why is the morphology of mitochondria altered in various diseases?
- What happens when the organelle morphology is altered in a cell?