Akio Ojida

Chemical biology for in-cell reactivity analysis

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T1

Research Director

Akio Ojida

Collaborator

Yuta Muraoka	program-specific assistant professor Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University
Satoshi Muraoka	Researcher Center for drug discovery research National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition

Outline

In this study, we aim to develop new chemical biology approaches that reveal various reaction activies inside cells. One approach focuses on the in situ measurement of the reactivities of intracellular proteins using synthetic reactive probes, and another approach focuses on the imaging-based detection of the metabolic activities of cells using substrate mimicking probes. Both approaches exploit the latest techniques of mass spectrometry analysis. These reactivity-centric approaches would provide new insights into cellular functions and allow us to uncover unknown cell mechanisms that have not been revealed by the existing analytical methods.

Yasushi Okada

Intracellular Non-equilibrium Fluctuations: The Wellspring of the Power of Life

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T2

Research Director

Yasushi Okada

Collaborator

Takayuki Ariga	Associate Professor Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences The University of Osaka
Daisuke Mizuno	Professor Graduate School of Science Kyushu University

Outline

The cytoplasm is a concentrated protein solution that would form a gel and lose its fluidity in vitro. However, in living cells, the cytoplasm maintains its fluidity, suggesting the existence of a fluidization mechanism. One candidate for this mechanism is the phenomenon where the cell itself actively stirs the cytoplasm using metabolic energy. This research focuses on this active stirring phenomenon, or non-equilibrium fluctuations, as a manifestation of the power of life, and aims to investigate its mechanisms and physiological significance.

Hitoshi Kurumizaka

Unraveling the mechanisms of vital force sustenance regulated by the nuclear environment

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T3

Research Director

Hitoshi Kurumizaka

Collaborator

Takeshi Shimi	Specially Appointed Associate Professor Nano Life Science Institute Kanazawa University
Satoru Fujiyoshi	Assitant Professor School of Science Institute of Science Tokyo
Junichiro Yamaguchi	Professor Faculty of Science and Engineering Waseda University

Outline

To elucidate the underlying principles of the “chromatin field” within the nucleus, encompassing its spatial organization and regulatory factors, we aim to develop a novel measurement technique termed HD-CryoCLEM. This method integrates high-resolution cryo-fluorescence microscopy, which maps the spatial arrangement of chromatin, with cryo-electron microscopy that captures detailed structural information of chromatin in these regions. By precisely determining the spatial positioning of chromatin within the nuclear environment and investigating its native higher-order structure, we aim to uncover the correlation between chromatin configuration and its regulatory influences.

Takeshi Sakurai

Exploring the Evolution of Discrete Consciousness: A Comparative Biological Study from the Unconsciousness

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T4

Research Director

Takeshi Sakurai

Collaborator

Shoi Shi	Assistant Professor WPI-IIIS University of Tsukuba
Kazumasa Tanaka	Assistant Professor Memory Research Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
Hiroaki Norimoto	Professor Graduate School of Science Nagoya University
Samuel Reiter	Assistant Professor Computational Neuroethology Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

Outline

This study aims to conduct a comparative biological analysis of the evolutionary origins and functions of unconscious states, such as sleep and hibernation, using the latest measurement and perturbation technologies in ants, lizards, octopuses, and mice. It focuses on the mechanisms of sleep stage transitions, the evolutionary relationship between hibernation and sleep, the unconscious control mechanisms of biological clocks, and the synaptic structural dynamics of memory retention. By elucidating the specificity and commonality of the unconscious brain, we aim to clarify the role of unconsciousness in maintaining life and propose a novel perspective on life itself.

Ryo Sasaki

Elucidating the neural circuit dynamics underlying strategic behavior through VR multidimensional measurements

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T5

Research Director

Ryo Sasaki

Collaborator

Hokto Kazama	Laboratory Head Center for Brain Science RIKEN
Asuka Takeishi	Associate Professor Graduate School of Science Kobe University
Junya Hirokawa	Senior researcher Institute for Quantum Medical Science National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology

Outline

This study aims to elucidate the origin, evolution, and biological basis of the “diversity of behavioral strategies,” and attemps to induce, decode, and expand the strategies in various animal species. In order to achieve this aim, this study will compare the efficiency (performance) of neural circuit dynamics that can drive diverse strategic behaviors between species. Specifically, a “multidimensional” measurements to evaluate behavioral strategies will be established by utilizing the study group’s originally-created virtual reality (VR) system. The researchers will systematically measure and decode the dynamics of multiple neural circuits related to behavioral strategies, and control them by molecular genetic manipulation of multiple neural circuits.

Yusuke Hirabayashi

Technologies for clarifying mitochondrial carbohydrate metabolism that drives the power of life

Grant No.：JPMJCR24T6

Research Director

Yusuke Hirabayashi

Collaborator

Yuki Sugiura	Associate Professor Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University
Yasufumi Takahashi	Professor Graduate School of Engineering Nagoya University
Yusuke Nasu	Assistant Research Fellow Institute of Biological Chemistry Academia Sinica

Outline

Our brain consumes large amounts of glucose to sustain advanced neural activity. However, much remains unknown about why the mammalian brain requires so much glucose and how it utilizes it. Therefore, this study aims to unravel this mystery by developing methods for analyzing the function of mitochondria, which play a central role in glucose metabolism. This research will contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying various neurological disorders.