LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Insect Genome Science Lab
Machine-translated · View original
A lab that uses the silkworm, a model insect, to explore everything from chromosomes to substance production.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding insect life through the silkworm.
The Insect Genome Science Lab uses the silkworm, a model insect, to study chromosome structure and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms.
It also develops systems for producing useful substances and works to clarify the molecular mechanisms of insect physiology.
The lab carries out its research in collaboration with various labs, including those within the Center for Insect Science and Industrial Innovation.
The lab provides silkworm-based protein production technology to KAICO Inc., a Kyushu University startup founded in 2018.
Key terms
- Holocentric kinetochore
- A type in which a single chromosome has many kinetochores. It is found in Lepidopteran insects such as the silkworm, and in nematodes.
- Epigenetics
- The mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated not only by the DNA sequence but also by chemical modifications of DNA and histones.
- Kaonashi (No-Face) genes
- Genes whose function cannot be inferred from comparison with genes of similar sequence or from domain searches.
- Post-translational modification
- Modifications, such as the attachment of glycans, that a protein undergoes after it is made. They are considered important for activation.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies the special structure of silkworm chromosomes, the mechanisms that regulate gene activity, and the mechanisms of modification that proteins undergo after they are made. It also researches technology for producing proteins used in vaccines and other products in silkworms.
*Illustrative imageThe silkworm's holocentric kinetochores
Lepidopteran insects such as the silkworm have "holocentric" kinetochores, with many kinetochores on a single chromosome. The lab investigates how their centromeres are determined and which proteins build the kinetochores.
*Illustrative imageAnalysis of genes of unknown function
The lab studies the function of "Kaonashi (No-Face) genes," whose function cannot be inferred from sequence comparison. It builds a model of the silkworm gene co-expression network and focuses on genes whose expression patterns resemble those of genes involved in the kinetochore.
*Illustrative imageAnalysis of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms
Gene expression is regulated by mechanisms such as chemical modification of DNA and histones, which greatly change chromatin structure. Because the silkworm has holocentric kinetochores, its regulation of chromatin structure may also differ from that of other organisms, and the lab analyzes these distinctive features.
*Illustrative imagePost-translational modification of proteins
After proteins are made, they undergo modifications such as the attachment of glycans, which are considered important for their activation. Aiming to understand the whole picture of these post-translational mechanisms in the silkworm, the lab applies its findings to developing new technology that improves the quality of proteins produced in the silkworm-baculovirus expression system.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Insect Genome Science Lab are faculty, postdoctoral researchers, technical staff, and students in the doctoral program, master's program, and undergraduate program.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakahiro Kusakabe
- Associate ProfessorHiroaki Mon
- Assistant ProfessorJian Xu
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Insect Genome Science Lab
Zoology LabSchool of Agriculture, Department of Bioresource and BioenvironmentRegulatory mechanisms and diversity of mammalian stem cell d…
Microbial Genetic Resources LabSchool of Agriculture, Department of Bioresource and BioenvironmentExploration, evaluation, preservation, and utilization of mi…
Plant Pathology LabSchool of Agriculture, Department of Bioresource and BioenvironmentBasic and applied research on diagnosis of emerging diseases…
Aquatic Biochemistry LabSchool of Agriculture, Department of Bioresource and BioenvironmentEducation and research on the molecular and cellular biology…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Bombyx mori larvae, Bornholms Sommerfuglepark 21” Ole Palnatoke Andersen / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- The silkworm's holocentric kinetochores: “Bombyx mori - Naturhistorisches Museum, Braunschweig, Germany - DSC04999” Daderot / CC0 (cropped)
- Analysis of genes of unknown function: “MegaBACE DNA sequencing instrument” Nels A. Olson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Analysis of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms: “Silkworm cocoons” Fumikas Sagisavas / CC0 (cropped)
- Post-translational modification of proteins: “Western Blot Apparatus” OrlaS / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab
(動物学): “IVF laboratory” Galina Fomina / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Related lab (微生物遺伝子資源学): “Aerial image of Grand Prismatic Spring (view from the south)” Carsten Steger / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (植物病理学): “Leaves with Rust Infection” Mokkie / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (水族生化学): “Aquaculture in Chile” Gordon Leggett / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.