Research Institute for Biological Science
Message from the Institute Director
The Research Institute for Biological Sciences is a comprehensive research organization engaged in multifaceted studies in the field of life sciences, which has undergone rapid advancement in recent years. The institute has five core research division groups, divisions for collaborative research projects involving researchers from within and outside the university, and various support facilities, including those specializing in computer networks. The institute is engaged in advanced research in an environment that encourages close cooperation.
The life sciences seek to understand the nature of biological phenomena associated with people and all other life forms at the molecular and genetic levels. Such an understanding can contribute to the welfare of mankind by revealing pathogenic mechanisms of life-threatening intractable diseases. The life sciences also provide a framework for investigating the origins of life and retracing the history of evolution, which could give us a glimpse of the future of mankind. In these ways, the life sciences represent an extremely important academic discipline that is attracting high hopes from the public.
Ryo Abe, Director, Research Institute for Biological Sciences
Research Institute Division Groups
Division of Immunobiology
This division covers cutting-edge research fields that seek to better understand the mechanism of the immune system, which protects the body from pathogenic microorganisms, at the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. The division's research is focused on intractable diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, as well as important biological phenomena such as ageing, allergies and AIDS.
Division of Molecular Biology
This research division seeks to understand biological phenomena in terms of structure and function of genes and DNA using molecular biology techniques such as gene recombination. Supported by state-of-the-art research facilities and equipment, the division is pursuing research into the mechanisms of immunity, organ formation, apoptosis and carcinogenesis, among other fields.
Life Information Science Center
The Life Information Science Center gathers information on and analyzes proteins, DNA and other substances that form the basis of life science in order to shed light on the correlations between structure and activity in terms of information theory. Life information science is an advanced field where the evolution of organisms, internal information transmission mechanisms and other subjects are studied through experiment and computer simulation.
Division of Biotechnology
The division of Biotechnology takes an engineering approach to clarifying biological reactions through the application of biotechnology, cellular engineering and embryological engineering techniques. Research is being pursued into new fields of biotechnology in the life sciences domain such as the development of biomaterials, artificial cells and artificial life forms that coexist with or imitate organisms.
Division of Development and Ageing
This division views the progression of various biological phenomena, from the birth of life forms to their differentiation, growth, ageing and death, as the product of molecular and genetic changes. The division seeks to investigate methods of artificially intervening in each process. This field represents an important area of basic life sciences research.
Division of Laboratory Animal
This new division was established in the 2008 academic year to promote teaching and research in the field of laboratory animal science. The division studies animals with modified genes, specifically genes involved in the differentiation and functioning of immune cells and hemopoietic cells, in order to clarify the roles of those molecules.
Division of Intramural Cooperation
The Division of Intramural Cooperation conducts joint research projects outside the scope of each of the five core research division groups. Within the division, research teams spanning various faculties and departments jointly study new proposals concerning the life sciences.
Division of Extramural Cooperation
The Division of Extramural Cooperation is a joint research division including participation from private- and public-sector research institutes. The division absorbs basic research techniques while developing original research themes and conducting R&D activities from a broad perspective.
| Research Institute for Biological Sciences | ||
|---|---|---|
| Director | Ryo Abe | |
| Division of Immunobiology | Professor | Ryo Abe |
| Associate Professor | Hidehiro Kishimoto | |
| Assistant Professor | Suzuki Toshihiro | |
| Assistant Professor | Watanabe Shiho | |
| Division of Molecular Biology | Professor | Daisuke Kitamura |
| Associate Professor | Ryushin Mizuta | |
| Assistant Professor | Ikuo Shiratori | |
| Assistant Professor | Takuya Nojima | |
| Life Information Science Center | Professor | Takeshi Nakamura |
| Professor | Azuma Takachika | |
| Associate Professor | Haruo Kozono | |
| Assistant Professor | Keigo Saito | |
| Division of Biotechnology | Professor | Masato Kubo |
| Associate Professor | Naoko Nakano | |
| Assistant Professor | Ohnuki Kazunobu | |
| Assistant Professor | Yosuke Harada | |
| Division of Development and Ageing | Professor | Ryo Goitsuka |
| Assistant Professor | Hidano Shinya | |
| Division of Laboratory Animal | Assistant Professor | Ogawa Shuhei |
| Assistant Professor | Yasuhiro Kawai | |
| Shared equipment | Technical Assistant | Yasushi Hara |