NEWS

Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Microbes in an Oceanfront Deep-Subsurface Hot Spring Reveals Novel Small RNAs and Type-Specific tRNA Degradation

A group of IAB researchers including graduate student Shinnosuke Murakami (Graduate School of Media and Governance, Master's program), Dr.Kosuke Fujishima (NASA Ames Research Center) and Professor Akio Kanai of IAB, Keio University published the findings of a new study entitled "Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Microbes in an Oceanfront Deep-Subsurface Hot Spring Reveals Novel Small RNAs and Type-Specific tRNA Degradation" in Applied and Environmental Microbiology on January 31, 2012.

Article Abstract >>

Nematode-specific tRNAs that decode an alternative genetic code for leucine

A group of IAB researchers including graduate student Kiyofumi Hamashima (Graduate School of Media and Governance, master's program) and Professor Akio Kanai of IAB, Keio University published the findings of a new study entitled "Nematode-specific tRNAs that decode an alternative genetic code for leucine" in Nucleic Acids Research on December 20, 2011.

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IAB and DAESANG Corporation　launch joint research on microbial fermentation　

IAB and DAESANG Corporation announced that they launch a joint research program to elucidate the mechanism of microbial fermentation.

JASSO Student Award 2011

Ms.Hanae Shimo(Undergraduate student) won JASSO Student Award 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

Special Seminar "Future of Cancer care" held Special seminar "Future of Cancer care" was held at Grand el-sun on November 13, 2011. (Co-host:Tsuruoka Medical Association, Shonai hospital, Tsuruoka ci...

31st Capillary electrophoresis Sysmposium

31st Capillary electrophoresis Sysmposium was held at Tsurouka Metabolome Campus, Tsuruoka city on Nov 9-11,2011. 4 keynote lectures, 2 special lectures, 37 general oral presentations and 34 poster sessions presented. About 210 participants from all over Japan gathered to Tsuruoka Japan.

31st Capillary electrophoresis Sysmposium website(Japanese)>>

2011 UK-Japan Workshop on Microbial Systems Biology

2011 UK-Japan Workshop on Microbial Systems Biology was held at Tsurouka Metabolome Campus, Tsuruoka city on Oct 24-25,2011. 25 oral presentations presented. About 50 participants from UK and Japan gathered to Tsuruoka Japan.

This workshop is part of a series initiated by the Strategic International Corporation program funded by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) on the Japanese side and by the British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) on the UK side.

The workshop series is meant to promote collaborations and interactions between researchers in the two countries (and this year, especially with IAB scientists) active mainly in the field of microbial systems biology, but is not restricted to microbial applications.

2011 UK-Japan Workshop on Microbial Systems Biology website>>

IAB and NISSIN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., ltd. launch joint research for searching biomakers by metabolome analysis

IAB and NISSIN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., ltd. announced that they launch a joint research program to search biomakers by metabolme analysis.

1st Bio Summit in Tsuruoka 1st Bio Summit in Tsuruoka (sponsored by Yamagata pref., Tsuruoka city and IAB, Keio University) was held at Tsuruoka City on Aug 11-12, 2011. 40 poster presentations prese...