Division of Systemic Life Science

Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Research summary

Research outline

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, plays an important role in many biological processes, including embryogenesis, maintenance of tissue homeostasis, and elimination of improper cells such as unfunctional or harmful cells in both animals and plants.

Our main research project is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of apoptotic cell death in vitro and in vivo, using cultured cells, medaka, Xenopus, and mouse as model systems. We also investigate to develop new methods and techniques for imaging and simulating of such a vital phenomenon. In conjunction with these studies, we have been challenging to pursue the biological significance of cell death. As an application, we are working on the establishment of a method that can artificially induce cell death by photostimulation with reference to optogenetics.

Main themes

  • Elucidation of the biological significance of apoptotic cell death by molecular evolutionary analyses
  • Elucidation of the cell death signal transduction mechanism by visualization with biosensors and computer simulation
  • Elucidation of the physiological role and pathological pathogenic mechanism of cell death in living organisms using model animals

Member

SAKAMAKI, KazuhiroProfessor

sakamaki.kazuhiro.7u*kyoto-u.ac.jp See faculty
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Access

Faculty of Medicine Campus, Faculty of Medicine Bldg. G South Campus Research Bldg.

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