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Structural Chemistry Lab
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The lab uncovers how proteins and metal ions work by studying their structures.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering protein structure and function through chemistry
The Structural Chemistry Lab studies how proteins work inside living organisms, based on their structures.
The lab investigates how the body keeps essential metals such as iron, copper, and zinc at constant levels, and how electrons are passed along when cells produce energy.
The lab combines biochemical methods for producing and purifying proteins with physical chemistry methods such as NMR and spectroscopic instruments.
The lab aims for research that leads to structure-based drug discovery, new therapies, and the design of artificial proteins.
Key terms
- NMR
- Nuclear magnetic resonance. A method for studying the shape and motion of molecules by observing how atomic nuclei respond to radio waves in a strong magnetic field
- ATP
- Adenosine triphosphate. A molecule that carries and transfers energy inside living organisms
- Heme
- A molecule with an iron atom at its center. It functions as part of proteins such as hemoglobin
NewsLab news
A paper on the heme chaperone protein of Vibrio cholerae was published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry
A paper on the electron transfer mechanism of cytochrome c was published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B
A doctoral student received the Student Presentation Award from the Biophysical Society of Japan
A paper on bicelles, a lipid bilayer model, was published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
A doctoral student received the Hokkaido University Otsuka Award
ResearchResearch themes
The lab uses chemistry to uncover how proteins that play important roles in living organisms work, from their structure and function. Based on these findings, the lab also aims to control protein function artificially.
*Illustrative imageHow the Body Keeps Essential Metals at Constant Levels
The lab studies how essential metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are always kept at constant levels in the body, by examining the structures and functions of the proteins involved. It also explores the link between failures of this regulation and disease, as well as clues for drug discovery and new therapies.
*Illustrative imageElectron Transfer in Energy Production
When ATP is produced in mitochondria, proteins pass electrons to one another. The lab investigates this electron transfer mechanism using ultra-high-resolution multinuclear multidimensional NMR, and also attempts to control it artificially.
*Illustrative imageHow Pathogenic Bacteria Obtain Metal Ions
Pathogenic bacteria obtain the metal ions they need to grow from their host. For example, they extract heme from hemoglobin in the blood and break it down to obtain iron. Using a spectroscopic instrument developed in-house, the lab studies this mechanism at the atomic level.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Structural Chemistry Lab are faculty, secretaries, and students at the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate levels.As of 2026
- ProfessorKoichiro Ishimori
- Associate ProfessorTakeshi Uchida
VoicesStudent voices
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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: “Human Oxy-Hemoglobin Protein” PDB code 2DN1 1.25 a resolution crystal structures of human haemoglobin in the oxy, deoxy and carbonmonoxy forms. Park, S.-Y., Yokoyama, T., Shibayama, N., Shiro, Y., Tame, J.R. (2006) J Mol Biol 360: 690-701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb. Image created using JSmol (Javascript) / CC0 (cropped)
- How the Body Keeps Essential Metals at Constant Levels: “2fha” Deposition authors: Hempstead, P.D., Artymiuk, P.J., Harrison, P.M.; visualization author: User:Astrojan / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Electron Transfer in Energy Production: “Cytochrome c” Klaus Hoffmeier / Public domain (cropped)
- How Pathogenic Bacteria Obtain Metal Ions: “PDB 1u9t EBI” Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (有機反応論研究室): “Lab on a Chip ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (分析化学研究室): “Femtosecond laser spark” Smirnov Semen / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (物理化学研究室): “Nanoscale Plasmonic Resonator Structures ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (物質化学研究室): “Gel balls” Renato Lombardero / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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