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Suga Lab
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The lab reprograms the genetic code with artificial RNA catalysts to discover special peptides that can become drugs.
AboutAbout the lab
Taking on hard problems in biology with the tools of organic chemistry.
The Suga Lab brings the ideas and techniques of organic chemistry into biology to take on research problems that have been difficult to solve.
The lab artificially creates RNA with catalytic activity (ribozymes) and uses them to reprogram the genetic code, synthesizing peptides that contain amino acids not found in nature.
Building on this technology, the lab has developed a system for discovering special peptides that can serve as starting points for drugs.
The lab pursues research in balance: science that builds new concepts, widely applicable biotechnology, and drug discovery.
Key terms
- Ribozyme
- RNA with catalytic activity. It is a clue supporting the "RNA world" hypothesis, which holds that RNA played the central role in early life.
- Genetic code
- The set of rules that determines which amino acid is incorporated for each three-letter RNA sequence (codon).
- Special peptides
- Peptides that contain amino acids not found in nature and have a macrocyclic backbone. They resist degradation in the body and are in high demand as drugs.
NewsLab news
A master's student won the Newcomer Award at the 42nd Medicinal Chemistry Symposium
Prof. Suga won the Japan Academy Prize
ResearchResearch themes
The lab brings the ideas and techniques of organic chemistry into biology, conducting research that ranges from scientific discoveries that build new concepts to widely applicable biotechnology and drug discovery. Currently, four interconnected projects are underway, from artificial ribozymes to special peptide drug discovery.
*Illustrative imageArtificial Ribozymes
Existing ribozymes can only assist reactions that cut or join RNA. This research artificially creates RNA catalysts with diverse functions. A representative example is the "flexizyme," which attaches amino acids to tRNA.
*Illustrative imageGenetic Code Reprogramming
Using artificial ribozymes, it has become possible to attach non-natural amino acids to tRNA in place of natural ones. N-methyl amino acids, D-amino acids, and others can be assigned to existing codons and synthesized by translation, and the lab is also developing next-generation technologies.
*Illustrative imageSynthesizing Special Peptides by Translation
Many natural-product peptides are macrocyclic special peptides that contain non-natural amino acids. Genetic code reprogramming has made it possible to vary sequences freely, and the lab is developing a system that synthesizes more complex and useful special peptides by translation.
*Illustrative imageDiscovering Drugs from Special Peptides
The lab developed the RaPID system, which combines a library containing vast numbers of special peptides with an in vitro selection system. Using it, the lab isolates special peptides that bind to a variety of drug targets and is advancing projects toward drug development.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorHiroaki SugaPublications ↗
- Associate ProfessorTakayuki KatohPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorHaruo AikawaPublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorKilian Colas
- Project Assistant ProfessorMituhiro Yamada
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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: “TRNA-Phe yeast 1ehz” Yikrazuul / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Artificial Ribozymes: “Hammerhead ribozyme ribbons” Wgscott / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Genetic Code Reprogramming: “4aq7 LeuRS-tRNA colored by domain” Hiouf / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Synthesizing Special Peptides by Translation: “Ciclosporin-A-neutron-3D-sticks” Ben Mills / Public domain (cropped)
- Discovering Drugs from Special Peptides: “96 Well Plate (NIH BioArt 7)” Courtesy of NIAID Ryan Kissinger / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Oguri Lab): “Fluorescense Handful of light” Mateusz Urban / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Goda Lab): “Lab on a Chip ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Ozawa Lab): “Yeast membrane proteins” Masur / CC BY 2.5 (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)
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