Research Overview

With iPS cell technology as a tool, our laboratory engages in research to open up new life science fields at the molecular cell level. In particular, we use cell fate-conversion processes, including iPS cell induction and senescence processes, as experimental systems. Using these systems, we aim to find out how information is extracted from DNA--the biological blueprint--and how the extracted information translates into cell functions and properties, with the ultimate goal of identifying the basic principles of biological phenomena. Toward this goal, we deploy technologies ranging from molecular biology, biochemistry, cellular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics to comprehensive analysis and imaging technologies to perform integrated analysis of the multi-level mechanisms regulating the expression and function of the RNA transcribed from genomic DNA. Our research also seeks to clarify the relationships between the multiple levels of the regulatory mechanisms for chromosome higher-order structure, epigenetics, transcription, post-transcription modification, RNA2 secondary structure, and translation.

Multi-cellular organisms use intercellular communication to operate sophisticated cell regulation networks, which requires expression analysis supported by cell position data. The intracellular localization of RNA is also known to be important in determining cell properties. We address these questions using a wide range of techniques to analyze gene expression while preserving intracellular spatial information.

Using comprehensive analysis technologies to clarify the multi-level
regulation mechanisms at work in cell fate-altering processes.