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Microbial Physiology Lab
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The lab explores how microorganisms live and function, from gut bacteria to antimicrobial resistance.
AboutAbout the lab
Clarifying the physiology and functions of microorganisms
The Microbial Physiology Lab studies the mechanisms of microbial growth, fermentation, metabolism, interactions, and evolution.
The lab investigates how bifidobacteria living in the human gut survive there, and how gut bacteria convert bile acids.
It is also conducting research that evolves bacteria in the laboratory to elucidate how antimicrobial resistance, the loss of effectiveness of antibiotics, evolves.
The lab aims to apply its results to the production of useful substances, the maintenance of health, and public health.
Key terms
- Gut microbiota
- The community of several hundred to a thousand species of bacteria living in the intestine. Also called gut flora
- Secondary bile acids
- Substances formed when bile acids made in the liver are converted by gut bacteria in the large intestine
- Laboratory evolution
- A method in which bacteria are grown for many generations in the laboratory and made to evolve in environments such as the presence of drugs, so that the process can be studied
NewsLab news
A collaborative paper on international collaboration in microbiome research was accepted by The ISME Journal
Associate Professor Maeda received the 2026 Award for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
A master's student received the MBSJ Poster Award 2025 at the Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan
A master's student received the Student Outstanding Presentation Award from the Hokkaido Branch of the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry
ResearchResearch themes
The lab analyzes the dynamics of microbial growth, fermentation, metabolism, interactions, and evolution to clarify the physiology and functions of microorganisms. It pursues both basic research using gut bacteria and research on producing useful substances using Escherichia coli and coryneform bacteria.
*Illustrative imageHow bifidobacteria survive in the gut
The lab studies how bifidobacteria live in the gut microbiota, which hosts hundreds to a thousand species of bacteria. Using its own genetic manipulation system and a mouse evaluation system, it clarifies the roles of genes important for survival in the gut.
*Illustrative imageSecondary bile acids produced by gut bacteria
Bile acids are converted by gut bacteria in the large intestine into secondary bile acids. The lab aims to elucidate how deoxycholic acid, which has strong bactericidal activity, is produced in the gut, by searching for the bacteria that make it and studying interactions among bacteria.
*Illustrative imageEvolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria
Using a method called laboratory evolution, the lab makes bacteria evolve resistance to drugs and analyzes the process in detail. By exploiting the constraints on bacterial evolution, it is exploring new ways to halt the evolution of antimicrobial resistance.
*Illustrative imageHow microbiota are formed
The lab artificially assembles microbial communities from chosen combinations of species and environments and studies the interactions among the bacteria, to approach the rules that govern the formation of microbiota in which many microorganisms coexist.
MembersFaculty
The Microbial Physiology Lab consists of faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, researchers, and students in the doctoral, master's, and undergraduate programs.As of 2025
- ProfessorSatoru Fukiya
- Associate ProfessorTomoya Maeda
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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: “Bifidobacterium longum en microscopie électronique” Julie6301 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- How bifidobacteria survive in the gut: “Bifidobacterium adolescentis Gram” Y tambe / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Secondary bile acids produced by gut bacteria: “Deoxycholic acid 3D ball” Jynto (talk) / CC0 (cropped)
- Evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria: “E coli at 10000x, original” Photo by Eric Erbe, digital colorization by Christopher Pooley, both of USDA, ARS, EMU. / Public domain (cropped)
- How microbiota are formed: “CSIRO ScienceImage 3567 Examining an agar dish for bacterial colonies as part of the bioremediation project” David McClenaghan, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Crop Nutrition Lab): “Crops NR )” USDA NRCS / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Bioorganic Chemistry Lab): “Jasmonic acid molecule ball” Jynto (talk) / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Applied Molecular Microbiology Lab): “Rice blast lab06” Ark. Agricultural Experiment Station / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Food Function Chemistry Lab): “Intestinal villi through microscope” Jamil Baza / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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