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Welcome to the Institute for Advanced Biosciences

The Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, is an academic research institute pioneering the new life science field of "Systems Biology", using both experimental and computational biology. There are several groups working in collaboration, focusing mainly on genome biology and engineering, genome design and synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, proteomics, metabolomics, RNA biology, bioinformatics and computational biology. Using cutting-edge technologies, intracellular components can be analyzed comprehensively to construct computer simulation models that can find numerous applications in fields such as biomedical, environmental, and agricultural science.

Experimental and computational facilities are located in Tsuruoka, Yamagata prefecture, in northern Japan while the SFC campus, in the Tokyo area, hosts the bioinformatics laboratory and most undergraduate curricular activities.

Introduction Video of Metabolome Analysis Technology developed by IAB

"The World's Most Advanced Metabolome Analysis Technology"

(editted by Intellectual Property Division,Headquarters for Research Coordination and Administration, Keio University)

Nov. 24, 2011

Can computer models based on fundamental laws assist the treatment for cancers?

Over the last decade, scientists have been intensely investigating on TRAIL, a protein released by our immune system, to treat malignant cancers. The benefit of using TRAIL, as compared to conventional chemo therapies, is that it specifically destroys carcinomas without affecting the surrounding normal tissues. This is done through a mechanism known as the programmed cell death or apoptosis. However, the TRAIL-based treatments so far have not been overtly successful as many carcinomas are able to ‘cheat’ the death signal, triggered by the TRAIL, into a survival signal.

A team of scientists from IAB, Keio University in Japan have formulated a method using a computational model and, with its aid,
predict a novel target that would in return cheat the cancer cells to switch from survival to apoptosis mode. The work of Dr Selvarajoo and colleagues, utilizing the fundamental physical law of conservation, pinpoints an intracellular target, whose removal will reroute most of the resultant signaling flux of TRAIL into a predetermined direction along the caspases-induced death pathway. Their findings are published in Scientific Reports, a newly launched journal of the Nature Publishing Group.

Detail >>

http://www.nature.com/srep/2011/111107/srep00144/full/srep00144.html

Mar. 10, 2011

Serum Metabolomics Reveals γ-Glutamyl Dipeptides as Biomarkers for Discrimination among Different Forms of Liver Disease

Prof. Tomoyoshi Soga and Dr.Masahiro Sugimoto of IAB working in collaboration with a group of researchers including Prof. Makoto Suematu of School of Medicine, Keio University , Dr.Takafumi Saito of Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine and Dr.Masahi Honma of Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, has discovered reliable biomarkers for rapid screening diagnosis of liver diseases.
The article of this discovery will be published in Journal of Hepatology.

http://www.jhep-elsevier.com/article/S0168-8278(11)00159-0/abstract

Sep 12, 2010

IAB 10th anniversary event held

IAB's 10th anniversary event "Tsuruoka city, Yamaga prefecture as a world-famous educational & cultural city" was held at MARICA citizen hall, Tsuruoka City on September 12, 2010(Sunday). Dr.Masaru Tomita, Director of IAB presented our research & educational acitivities since 2001. Ms.Mieko Yoshimura(Governor of Yamagata prefecutre), Mr.Masaki Enomoto(Mayor of Tsuruoka city), Dr.Masahiro Kuroda (President of Tohoku University of Community Service and Science), Mr.Ryuji Kanno(President of Human Metabolome Technologies), Mr.Kazuhide Sekiyama (President of Spiber Inc.) ,Dr.Atsushi Seike (President of Keio University) and Dr.Tomita had the panel discussion about the future application of Systems Biology and revitalization of Tsuruoka city.

Over 350 citizens had attended this seminar.

Program (Japanese) & more photos >>

Jul 1, 2010

IAB selected to host the Seventh Scientific Meeting of The Metabolomics Society

The Metabolomics Society announced that its Sixth Scientific Meeting will be held at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University in June 2011. We are honored to have been selected and look forward to welcoming researchers in the field.(IAB hosted its First Scientific Meeting in 2005.)

Seventh Scientific Meeting of The Metabolomic Society website>>

Jun 28, 2010

A Novel Technology for Detecting Cancers by Saliva Testing Was Developed by the
Researchers at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University

An epoch-making technology that enables accurate detection of cancers by saliva analyses was developed by research team led by Masahiro Sugimoto(Assistant Professor) at the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University (Tsuruoka,Yamagata, Japan. Director General: Masaru Tomita). This was a result of a collaborative study with David T. Wong at the School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles.

Press Release (PDF) >>

May 12, 2010

IAB appoints eleven local high school students as "RA-U18" research assistants

Eleven local high school students joined on-going cutting edge projects at IAB.(This program was established in May 2009 ) The high school, Tsuruoka Chuo high school (Principal Mr. Yosuke Yamada, total enrollment of 954 students), is located right next to IAB and the four students were selected after written examinations and interviews. A welcome ceremony for the students appointed as “RA-U18” research assistants was held on May 12,2010.

May 7, 2010

Collaborative project between IAB and Imperial College London

The Institute for Advanced Biosciences announced that Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, UK) have announced funding for a collaborative project between Professor Masaru Tomita and Dr Douglas B. Murray of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka (Japan) and Professors Ken Haynes, Stephen Muggleton and Michael Sternberg of the Microbiology and Bioinformatics Departments, Imperial College, London (UK).