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Suzuki Lab
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Using yeast as a model, the lab explores how cells eat themselves.
AboutAbout the lab
Observing “degradation” inside the cell
The Suzuki Lab uses budding yeast as a model of eukaryotic cells to study the dynamics of intracellular structures (organelles).
A particular focus is autophagy, in which cells degrade their own contents when nutrients are scarce.
The lab approaches its mechanism through live imaging with fluorescence microscopy and quantitative analysis of microscope images.
The lab is also working to discover new organelles that lack membranes.
Key terms
- Autophagy
- A process in which a cell encloses its own contents in a membrane, then degrades and recycles them. Literally means “self-eating”
- Organelle
- A small structure inside a cell that has a specific role, such as the nucleus or mitochondria
- Live imaging
- A method of observing changes inside living cells by continuously recording them under a microscope
ResearchResearch themes
Eukaryotic cells degrade cytoplasmic components through a process called autophagy, which allows them to adapt to stress such as nutrient starvation. Using budding yeast, the lab studies the dynamic membrane changes that occur during autophagy, as well as new organelles.
*Illustrative imageHow autophagosomes form
Under nutrient starvation, a cup-shaped membrane wraps around the material to be degraded and becomes a double-membrane autophagosome. The lab uses live imaging to capture how Atg proteins involved in autophagosome formation change their location, and quantitatively analyzes the images to reveal the overall picture of the mechanism.
*Illustrative imageDegradation of autophagic bodies
An autophagosome fuses with the vacuole to become an autophagic body. To degrade the contents, this membrane must be broken down. The lab reconstitutes this process in vitro (in a test tube) to elucidate the mechanism.
*Illustrative imageSearching for new membraneless organelles
In recent years, it has become clear that membraneless organelles, like the nucleolus, also exist in the cytoplasm. From a unique perspective, the lab searches the entire genome for new membraneless organelles and analyzes the candidates it finds in detail.
MembersFaculty
The Suzuki Lab's members include faculty, administrative staff, doctoral and master's students, and international research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorKuninori SuzukiPublications ↗
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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 01” Ganesh Mohan T / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How autophagosomes form: “Yeast membrane proteins” Masur / CC BY 2.5 (cropped)
- Degradation of autophagic bodies: “S cerevisiae under DIC microscopy” Masur / Public domain (cropped)
- Searching for new membraneless organelles: “Saccharomyces cerevisiae Loeffler's Methylene Blue Staining” Cboerner / CC0 (cropped)
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