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Ozawa Lab
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A lab that engineers glowing proteins to visualize and control molecules in living cells.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading life in the language of molecules, with light
The Ozawa Lab develops analytical methods and measurement technologies for living organisms, and uses them to explore the mysteries of life in cells, fish, mice, and other systems.
The lab improves proteins that absorb or emit light (fluorescent and luminescent proteins) and pursues its research under the motto "Opto-Bioanalysis," bioanalysis using light.
Its research rests on three pillars: "observing" how molecules function in living systems, "searching" for molecules that could become drug candidates, and "manipulating" how molecules function with light.
Students are welcome not only from chemistry but also from those who have studied physics or biology.
Key terms
- Fluorescent protein
- A protein that glows in a specific color when illuminated with light. It is attached to molecules inside cells as a marker for observation.
- Molecular probe
- A marker molecule that recognizes a specific molecule or its activity and reports it with a signal such as light.
- Screening
- Selecting those with the desired function from among a large number of candidates.
NewsLab news
A doctoral student received the Analytical Sciences Outstanding Poster Award at the 75th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry
Prof. Ozawa received the Society Award of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry
A joint study with the French research institute INEM was accepted by Nature Cell Biology
A joint study with Princeton University was published in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
A review on single-molecule imaging was published
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to evolve photoreceptor proteins that absorb or emit light and apply them to analytical technologies for life science research. From three directions, observing, searching, and manipulating in living systems, it develops new principles and detection methods in analytical chemistry.
*Illustrative imageObserving in living systems
The lab develops technologies that make visible when, where, and how small molecules, RNA, and proteins function inside cells. Using protein engineering, it builds molecular probes that recognize molecules and convert that recognition into signals.
*Illustrative imageSearching in living systems
The lab has developed its own technology for selecting large numbers of functional peptides from gene libraries. It also screens for compounds that regulate cell fusion and GPCR activity, using cells that incorporate light-emitting probes.
*Illustrative imageManipulating in living systems
Based on photoreceptor proteins, the lab develops technologies that use light to manipulate various signals inside cells at chosen times and places. It builds mathematical models of the signals and aims for quantitative optical manipulation.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Ozawa Lab consist of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakeaki OzawaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorMasaki TakeuchiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorHideaki YoshimuraPublications ↗
- Project Assistant ProfessorGenki KawamuraPublications ↗
- Project Assistant ProfessorQi Dong
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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: “Yeast membrane proteins” Masur / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Observing in living systems: “1xa9” Deposition authors: Remington, S.J., Wachter, R.M., Yarbrough, D.K., Branchaud, B., Anderson, D.C., Kallio, K., Lukyanov, K.A.; visualization author: User:Astrojan / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Searching in living systems: “Microplate with reagents” Roddelgado / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Manipulating in living systems: “Phototropism” Tangopaso / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Campbell Lab): “Crystal Jelly ("Aequorea Victoria"), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California, USA” Jim G from Silicon Valley, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Hitosugi Lab): “Silicium-atomes” Guillaume Baffou / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Spectral Chemistry Research Center): “Aust.-Synchrotron-Soft-X-ray-Beamline-Experimental-Station” jjron / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Oguri Lab): “Fluorescense Handful of light” Mateusz Urban / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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