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Yajima Lab
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The lab explores the mechanisms of life through the movements of proteins and cells.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring what life is through movement
The Yajima Lab investigates the question "What is life?" by studying the mechanisms behind the movements of proteins and cells.
The lab aims to uncover the principles by which bio-nanomachines such as kinesin and dynein, as well as cilia and cells, move.
The lab pursues both reverse bioengineering, which seeks to understand living things by taking them apart, and forward bioengineering, which builds systems artificially from biological macromolecules.
The lab uses advanced measurement and imaging techniques, such as optical tweezers and microscopes that measure positions in three dimensions.
Key terms
- Bio-nanomachines
- Machine-like proteins that work inside cells at the nanometer scale, such as kinesin and dynein
- Cilia
- Thin, hair-like structures on the surface of a cell. They move in a wave-like motion and can, for example, propel the cell through water
- Optical tweezers
- A technique that focuses laser light to grab and move tiny particles or molecules
- Motor proteins
- Proteins that use chemical energy to move and generate force
NewsLab news
A review article on the operating principles of kinesin is published in a biophysics journal
A doctoral student receives the Ichiko Memorial Award from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
A master's student receives the Department of Multidisciplinary Sciences Encouragement Award
A doctoral student receives the Young Scientist Award of the Biophysical Society of Japan and the IUPAB Nara Memorial Award
3D imaging of a single cilium sheds light on how spinning ciliates swim (press release)
ResearchResearch themes
The lab captures the movements of proteins, cilia, and cells in three dimensions with state-of-the-art optical microscopes and precisely measures the forces acting between molecules. Through reverse bioengineering, which involves seeing, touching, measuring, and building, it explores the universal features of living systems.
*Illustrative imageHow motor proteins generate force
Motor proteins, which convert chemical energy such as ATP into work, are essential to phenomena inside cells. The lab aims to elucidate this chemical-to-mechanical energy conversion mechanism, which is unique to life and differs from that of artificial machines.
*Illustrative imageBuilding artificial cells that can divide
The lab builds artificial cells by enclosing the minimal set of molecules a cell needs to divide and move inside an artificial membrane, and uses them to identify the factors and molecular networks required for division and motility.
*Illustrative imageHow ciliates swim
Microorganisms living in a low Reynolds number world swim by principles that differ from those of artificial submarines. Through reverse bioengineering, the lab unravels the sophisticated mechanisms behind their swimming.
*Illustrative imageChirality in life (homochirality)
Life is a homochiral system in which only one of the two mirror-image forms is used. Focusing on motor proteins and cilia as possible origins of this property, the lab aims to elucidate the molecular systems that determine the handedness of life.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Yajima Lab consist of faculty, project researchers, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- ProfessorJunichiro YajimaPublications ↗
- Assistant Professor山岸 雅彦
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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: “Tetrahymena pyriformis - 400x - Ciliatur ( )” Picturepest / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- How motor proteins generate force: “Microtubules in Primary Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts” Howard Vindin / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Building artificial cells that can divide: “Liposom” The original uploader was Robert Kropf at German Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How ciliates swim: “Stentor coeruleus extended” Flupke59 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Chirality in life (homochirality): “Chirality with hands” Original: Unknown Vector: -- πϵρήλιο / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (豊田(太郎)研究室): “Phosphatidylcholine liposomes at phase-contrast microscopy” ArkhipovSergey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (柳澤研究室): “Phosphatidylcholine liposomes stained with acridine orange” ArkhipovSergey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (若本研究室): “E. coli Bacteria ( )” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (石原研究室
（理論生物物理／Ishihara Lab） ): “Actin Filaments in a Neuroblastoma cell Line” Howard Vindin / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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