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Watanabe Lab
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The lab explores how viruses such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 spread from animals to humans.
AboutAbout the lab
Deciphering the resilient survival strategies of viruses
The Watanabe Lab in the Department of Molecular Virology studies viruses that cause zoonotic diseases, such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2.
The lab investigates the mechanisms by which viruses are transmitted from animals to humans and how they cause disease.
It also carries out research related to vaccine development and research on the epidemic status of viruses in wild animals in Africa and South America.
The lab aims to apply its findings to infectious disease control in Japan and abroad.
Key terms
- Zoonotic disease
- An infectious disease transmitted between animals and humans. It may spread from animals to humans.
- Host
- The organism that a virus infects. The natural hosts of influenza virus are wild waterfowl such as ducks.
- Adjuvant
- A substance added to enhance the effect of a vaccine.
NewsLab news
Results announced that could lead to the development of an mRNA vaccine effective against multiple lineages of H5N1 virus
An Assistant Professor received an Excellence Award at the AMED SCARDA Joint Symposium
A graduate student's paper was published in iScience
ResearchResearch themes
The goal of this lab is to clarify how viruses are transmitted from animals to humans and how they cause disease. Focusing on viruses that cause zoonotic diseases, such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, the lab aims to apply its findings to infectious disease control in Japan and abroad.
*Illustrative imageHost adaptation of influenza viruses
The lab studies how avian-origin influenza viruses adapt to humans, using viruses that caused past pandemics and avian-origin viruses isolated from humans. It also identifies host factors involved in viral replication and analyzes their functions.
*Illustrative imageVaccine development research
The lab searches for new candidate adjuvant compounds that are highly safe and effectively enhance immunity. It also conducts research related to vaccines not only for influenza but also for COVID-19 and Ebola virus disease.
*Illustrative imageResearch on zoonotic viruses
In collaboration with researchers in Sierra Leone in Africa and Brazil in South America, the lab investigates how various viruses that cause zoonotic diseases are circulating among wild animals.
MembersFaculty
The Watanabe Lab consists of faculty members, JSPS Research Fellows, invited faculty members, project technical staff, secretaries, temporary staff, and graduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTokiko Watanabe
- Assistant ProfessorShintaro Shichinohe
- Assistant ProfessorItsuki Anzai
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Influenza A Virus (H3N )” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Host adaptation of influenza viruses: “H5N1 avian influenza virus” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Vaccine development research: “Influenza vaccine syringes” Epolk / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Research on zoonotic viruses: “02-Wrinkle-lipped Bats Phnom Sampeau nX-07329” PsamatheM / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (微生物制御学分野 藤本研究室): “Phosphate solubilizing bacteria cultured in petri dish” Joydeep / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (分子細菌学分野 児玉研究室): “E. coli Bacteria ( )” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (感染病態分野 山本研究室): “T. gondii tachyzoites” Persian Microbiologist / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (人獣共通細菌感染症研究グループ 塚本研究室): “15985 lores” CDC/ Sheila Mitchel / Public domain (cropped)
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