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Nishimasu Lab
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A lab that visualizes the shapes of proteins and nucleic acids to uncover how they work and to engineer them.
AboutAbout the lab
Seeing, understanding, and engineering protein and nucleic acid molecules
The Nishimasu Lab studies the molecular mechanisms by which proteins and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) function, based on their three-dimensional structures.
For example, the protein Cas9 pairs with a guide RNA to cut targeted DNA, and it has been applied in technologies such as genome editing.
The lab examines the shapes of molecules using methods such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, and uses that information to create new genome editing tools.
The lab is also taking on the search for new enzymes that have not yet been discovered.
Key terms
- Genome editing
- A technology for cutting or rewriting targeted locations in an organism's genetic information (genome)
- X-ray crystallography
- A method that crystallizes molecules, exposes them to X-rays, and determines the arrangement of atoms (the three-dimensional structure) from the resulting diffraction pattern
- Cryo-electron microscopy
- A type of microscopy that rapidly freezes samples and observes them with an electron beam to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins and other molecules
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which proteins and nucleic acids function, and thereby to understand biological phenomena at the most fundamental level. Combining biochemical analysis, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, single-molecule measurements, and other approaches, it also works on developing new technologies through protein engineering.
*Illustrative imageStructure and Function of CRISPR-Cas Complexes
In the adaptive immune systems of prokaryotes such as bacteria, Cas proteins pair with CRISPR RNA to carry out a variety of functions. The lab searches for new CRISPR-Cas complexes and aims to elucidate how they work.
*Illustrative imageProteins Involved in Human Immunity
A variety of proteins are involved in the complex immune systems of eukaryotes. The lab aims to elucidate how immune-related proteins and nucleic acids work, and to establish treatments for diseases.
*Illustrative imageStructure-Based Development of Molecular Tools
Based on information about the three-dimensional structures of proteins and nucleic acids, the lab engineers these molecules, aiming to develop useful molecular tools with new functions.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorHiroshi NishimasuPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorKeitaro YamashitaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorMasahiro HiraizumiPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “Acidaminococcus sp. Cas12a PDB 5B43” Deposition authors: Yamano, T., Nishimasu, H., Hirano, H., Nakane, T., Ishitani, R., Nureki, O.; Visualization author: Synpath / CC0 (cropped)
- Structure and Function of CRISPR-Cas Complexes: “Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9-DNA-RNA complex PDB 4OO8” Deposition authors: Nishimasu, H., Ishitani, R., Nureki, O.; Visualization author: Synpath / CC0 (cropped)
- Proteins Involved in Human Immunity: “Heterodímer TLR1-TLR2” Lee, J.O., Jin, M.S., Kim, S.E., Heo, J.Y. / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Structure-Based Development of Molecular Tools: “Crystalized green fluorescence protein (GFP)” Honestresearcher / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tsuboyama Lab): “PDB 2jua EBI” Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Tsumoto Lab): “Antibody IgG2” TimVickers at English Wikipedia / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Okamoto Lab): “DNA methylation H o” Qubeat / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Ikeuchi Lab): “Human Cerebral Organoids ( )” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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