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Campbell Lab
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The lab evolves glowing proteins to visualize changes inside cells.
AboutAbout the lab
Building research tools from glowing proteins.
The Campbell Lab uses fluorescent proteins as a starting point to build research tools for observing chemical changes inside living cells and tissues.
Its raw materials are brightly colored fluorescent proteins found in marine organisms such as jellyfish and corals.
Using directed evolution, a method that mimics the process of evolution in the lab, the lab creates sensors whose fluorescence changes in response to specific changes.
The resulting tools are distributed to researchers in cell biology and neuroscience, and are used to address a wide range of questions, from how cells work to the causes of psychiatric disorders.
Key terms
- fluorescent protein
- A protein that emits light of a different color when illuminated. If its gene is introduced, cells can produce it themselves.
- directed evolution
- A method that evolves proteins in the lab toward a desired purpose by repeating cycles of introducing mutations and selecting the better variants.
- near-infrared
- Invisible light with a slightly longer wavelength than red light. It passes easily through biological tissue.
NewsLab news
Paper on a calcium sensor combining a red fluorescent protein with a synthetic molecule published in ACS Chemical Biology
Paper on a photostable pH sensor based on mStayGold published in ChemBioChem
Paper on SuiCa, a ratiometric calcium sensor, published in ACS Sensors
Paper on PinkyCaMP, a calcium sensor based on mScarlet, published in Nature Methods
A doctoral student received the Graduate School of Science Research Encouragement Award
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to turn natural proteins into more useful research tools by mimicking the process of evolution in the lab. In particular, it is converting fluorescent proteins into indicators (biosensors) whose brightness or color changes in response to chemical changes inside cells, and it is shifting them toward redder wavelengths so that deeper tissue can be imaged.
*Illustrative imageIndicators that visualize neural activity
The lab develops indicators that detect changes in ion concentration and membrane voltage, making neural activity visible. It has developed the GECO series, a set of calcium indicators in multiple colors, and is extending the range to red and near-infrared indicators.
*Illustrative imageCreating new fluorescent proteins
Using directed evolution, the lab has improved coral-derived fluorescent proteins and developed variants that change color when illuminated, as well as ones that become bright when two partners come together. It has also created PhoCl, a photocleavable protein that makes it possible to control protein function with light.
*Illustrative imageVisualizing how cells use energy
Brain energy metabolism, particularly changes in lactate use, is linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The lab aims to build high-performance indicators that detect key molecules in metabolic pathways, and to visualize for the first time the whole picture of metabolism within a single cell.
*Illustrative imageIndicators combined with synthetic molecules
This work creates new systems (chemogenetic fluorescent proteins) in which a synthetic fluorescent molecule selectively binds to a protein expressed in cells, and turns them into high-performance indicators. The lab is pursuing it in particular as a way to broaden the range of near-infrared colors.
MembersFaculty
The Campbell Lab consists of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, staff, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and visiting research collaborators.As of 2026
- ProfessorRobert E. CAMPBELLPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorTakuya TeraiPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorKelvin K. TSAO
- Assistant ProfessorKei Takahashi-Yamashiro
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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: “Crystal Jelly ("Aequorea Victoria"), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California, USA” Jim G from Silicon Valley, CA, USA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Indicators that visualize neural activity: “Somatosensory cortex of a mouse brain slice - GFP expressed - 20x magnification” Robert Cudmore from Marseille, France / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Creating new fluorescent proteins: “Fluorescent Coral 5” Erin Rod / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Visualizing how cells use energy: “MEF cell mitochondria 2” Institute of Molecular Medicine I, University of Düsseldorf / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Indicators combined with synthetic molecules: “Fluorescence in flasks” Yuliiaoleksii / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Ozawa Lab): “Yeast membrane proteins” Masur / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Related lab (Goda Lab): “Lab on a Chip ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Tsukuda Lab): “Gold255” Aleksandar Kondinski / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Suga Lab): “TRNA-Phe yeast 1ehz” Yikrazuul / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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