LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Biochemistry Lab
Machine-translated · View original
A biochemistry lab that studies the molecular motors that transport materials inside neurons.
AboutAbout the lab
Uncovering how cells take shape, starting from molecular motors
The Biochemistry Lab studies how molecular motors work and how they create the shape and function of cells.
Inside cells, molecular motor proteins such as kinesin and dynein carry proteins and membrane vesicles to where they are needed.
Molecular motors use the energy obtained by hydrolyzing ATP to move along microtubules, which act as rails inside the cell.
By combining biochemistry, single-molecule motility measurements, cell biology, and genetics, the lab aims to connect the movements of molecules to an understanding of how cells and whole organisms work.
Key terms
- Molecular motor
- A protein that uses the energy of ATP to move along rails inside the cell. It has the role of carrying cargo.
- Microtubule
- A thin, tube-like structure inside the cell. It supports the shape of the cell and serves as the rail on which molecular motors move.
- ATP
- A molecule that transfers energy inside the cell. The energy released when it is broken down is used.
- C. elegans
- A small nematode (roundworm) that lives in soil. It is used as a model organism for studying how the body works.
NewsLab news
Paper by Prof. Niwa and colleagues published in The Journal of Cell Biology
Paper by Prof. Niwa and colleagues published in Open Biology
Paper by Prof. Niwa and colleagues published in STAR Protocols
Paper by Prof. Niwa and colleagues published in Journal of Cell Science
Paper by Prof. Niwa and colleagues published in Cell Reports Physical Science
ResearchResearch themes
The lab focuses on molecular motors such as kinesin, and studies how materials are transported inside neurons and how defects in this transport lead to neurological diseases. It also works on modifying molecular motors using computational science and AI, and on developing technologies to control their activity artificially.
*Illustrative imageMaterial transport inside neurons
Neurons extend long axons, so they need a mechanism that accurately carries proteins and membrane vesicles needed at the synapse over long distances. The lab studies when and where the kinesins KIF1A and KIF5A begin to work, and what they carry and how.
*Illustrative imageMolecular motor defects and neurological diseases
Mutations in the KIF1A and KIF5A genes cause neurological diseases, and transport is disrupted not only when the motor stops moving but also when it becomes overactive. Using single-molecule observation, iPS cell-derived neurons, C. elegans, and other systems, the lab investigates the mechanisms that lead to disease.
*Illustrative imageModifying and controlling molecular motors
Using computational science and AI, the lab modifies the structure of kinesin to create molecular motors that move faster and farther. It is also developing technologies that use artificially designed proteins or small molecules to switch kinesin activity ON and OFF and to adjust its strength.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorShinsuke Niwa
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Biochemistry Lab
Physical Chemistry LabFaculty of Science, Department of ChemistrySurface and interfacial electrochemistry pursuing new phenom…
Quantum Chemistry LabFaculty of Science, Department of ChemistrySmart materials science led by theory and computation
Theoretical Chemistry LabFaculty of Science, Department of ChemistryRealizing chemistry led by understanding and prediction
Structural Chemistry LabFaculty of Science, Department of ChemistryChemical elucidation and control of protein structure and fu…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “Microtubules in Primary Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts” Howard Vindin / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Material transport inside neurons: “Motility of kinesin en” Motility_of_kinesin.png: Slagt derivative work: Bcjordan (talk) / Public domain (cropped)
- Molecular motor defects and neurological diseases: “Nervous Tissue Spinal Cord Motor Neuron ( )” Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library / CC0 (cropped)
- Modifying and controlling molecular motors: “Kinesin motor domain 1BG2” Boghog2 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Physical Chemistry Lab): “Nanoscale Plasmonic Resonator Structures ( )” National Institute of Standards and Technology / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Quantum Chemistry Lab): “Benzene IBO” Alicesu / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Chemistry Lab): “Potential Energy Surface for Water” AimNature / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Structural Chemistry Lab): “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)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.